4 HowComputerWorksBinaryNotes pt3
4 HowComputerWorksBinaryNotes pt3
On/off à complexity?
• On and off are only two pieces of data, so how can a computer store, transfer, and process
more complex data?
Hint: Think about our number system, 0 to 9 and how many numbers are possible.
Characters in Binary
• ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Exchange
• Used for English characters
• Each letter has a decimal value
Decimal Binary ASCII
32 100000 Space
65 1000001
97 1100001
Practice. Show work.
90
58
122
Punch Cards and Rolls Store Data
• Punch = 1, no punch = 0
• Each row is one binary value
• Multiple rows spell a “word”
• Punch cards were originally used in the 1700s to run mechanized looms for making textiles of
different patterns
Hexidecimals
• Binary has a base of 2
• Decimal has a base of 10
• Hexidecimal has a base of 16
• Useful for very long numbers or data with a large range (like color and addresses in memory)
x16 =
Each set of 4 digits is
treated as its own number.
For example 1011 would be
1*23 + 0*22 +1*21 +1*20
Practice:
1) Convert 11010101102 to
a) Decimal b) Hexidecimal
2) Convert A7E16 to
a) Decimal b) Binary
Using the ASCII table, write your first and last name using ASCII up to 12 characters. Use both uppercase
and lowercase letters and spaces as appropriate.