SUMMARY SHEET

Data Representation- Number System

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 Contents
1 Number System...........................................................................................................................3
1.1 Binary number system .........................................................................................................3
1.2 Octal number system ...........................................................................................................3
1.3 Decimal Number System ......................................................................................................3
1.4 Hexadecimal number system................................................................................................4
1.5 Number System Conversion .................................................................................................4
1.6 Digital Codes .......................................................................................................................4
1.6.1 BCD (Binary-Coded Decimal) Code .................................................................................4
1.6.2 ASCII (American Standard Code Information Interchange) Code ......................................4
1.6.3 EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) code ...................................5
1.6.4 Gray code.....................................................................................................................5
1.6.5 Excess-3 code ...............................................................................................................5

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 1 Number System
The language we use to communicate with each other is comprised of words and characters.
We understand numbers, characters and words. But this type of data is not suitable for
computers. Computers only understand the numbers.

So, when we enter data, the data is converted into electronic pulse. Each pulse is identified as
code and the code is converted into numeric format by ASCII. It gives each number, character
and symbol a numeric value (number) that a computer understands. So, to understand the
language of computers, one must be familiar with the number systems.

Each number system has a base also called a Radix.

The Number Systems used in computers are:

• Binary number system

• Octal number system
• Decimal number system
• Hexadecimal number system

1.1 Binary number system

✓ It has only two digits '0' and '1' so its base is 2.
✓ . Each digit is called a bit. A group of four bits (1101) is called a nibble and group of eight
bits (11001010) is called a byte.

1.2 Octal number system

✓ It has eight digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) so its base is 8. Each digit in an octal number
represents a specific power of its base (8).
✓ As there are only eight digits, three bits (23 = 8) of binary number system can convert any
octal number into binary number. This number system is also used to shorten long binary
numbers.
✓ The three binary digits can be represented with a single octal digit.

1.3 Decimal Number System

✓ The decimal number system is used in our day-to-day life. It is known as base-10 system
since 10 digits (0 to 9) are used. A number is presented by its two values — symbol value
(any digit from 0 to 9) and positional value (in terms of base value).

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 1.4 Hexadecimal number system
✓ This number system has 16 digits that ranges from 0 to 9 and A to F. So, its base is 16. The
A to F alphabets represent 10 to 15 decimal numbers. The position of each digit in a
hexadecimal number represents a specific power of base (16) of the number system.
✓ As there are only sixteen digits, four bits (24=16) of binary number system can convert any
hexadecimal number into binary number. It is also known as alphanumeric number system
as it uses both numeric digits and alphabets.
✓ Example – Hexadecimal Number: 19FDE16.

1.5 Number System Conversion

1.6 Digital Codes

✓ Computers and digital circuits processes information in the binary format. Each character is
assigned 7- or 8-bit binary code to indicate its character which may be numeric, alphabet or
special symbol. Example - Binary number 1000001 represents 65(decimal) in straight binary
code, alphabet A in ASCII code and 41(decimal) in BCD code.

1.6.1 BCD (Binary-Coded Decimal) Code

✓ Four-bit code that represents one of the ten decimal digits from 0 to 9.
✓ Example - (37)10 is represented as 0011 0111 using BCD code, rather than (100101)2 in
straight binary code.
✓ Note: 1010, 1011, 1100, 1101, 1110, and 1111 are INVALID CODE in BCD code.
1.6.2 ASCII (American Standard Code Information Interchange) Code
✓ It is 7-bit or 8-bit alphanumeric code.
✓ 7-bit code is standard ASCII supports 127 characters.
✓ Standard ASCII series starts from 00h to 7Fh, where 00h-1Fh are used as control
characters and 20h-7Fh as graphics symbols.
✓ 8-bit code is extended ASCII supports 256 symbols where special graphics and math's
symbols are added.
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 ✓ Extended ASCII series starts from 80h to FFh.
1.6.3 EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) code
✓ 8-bit alphanumeric code developed by IBM, supports 256 symbols.
✓ It was mainly used in IBM mainframe computers.
1.6.4 Gray code
✓ Differs from leading and following number by a single bit.
✓ Gray code for 2 is 0011 and for 3 is 0010.
✓ No weights are assigned to the bit positions.
✓ Extensively used in shaft encoders.
1.6.5 Excess-3 code
✓4-bit code is obtained by adding binary 0011 to the natural BCD code of the digit.
✓Example - decimal 2 is coded as 0010 + 0011 = 0101 as Excess-3 code.
✓It not weighted code.
✓Its self-complimenting code, means 1's complement of the coded number yields 9's
complement of the number itself.
✓ Used in digital system for performing subtraction operations.

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