The following is a string of ASCII characters whose bit patterns have been converted into hexadecimal for compactness: C9 EE F3 74 69 74 F5 74 65. Of the 8 bits in each pair of digits, the leftmost is a parity bit. The remaining bits are in ASCII code.

(a) Convert the string to bit form and decode the ASCII into letters.

(b) Determine the parity used: odd or even?