Introduction to Binary

Introduction to Binary

Lesson 1

Introduction

• A computer does not understand numbers or letters. It must translate those numbers and letters into a language it understands.

• Computer only knows 1 and 0. The best way to send information is through the binary code of 0 and 1.

• All the letters of the alphabet, numbers and symbols and other keyboard characters are written in binary codes.

• When you work with numbers, you use decimal system.

[Decimal to Binary Code Representation]

Try Yourself!

0011 01112. 

It has decimal number of 55.

Show the correct means and value and give the decimal code.

The ASCII Code

[Introduction to Binary]

The ASCII Code

• ASCII stands for American Standard Code of information Interchange. 

• The ASCII codes are codes used to represent the letters, numbers, symbols, and some of the commands used by the computer.

• The ASCII code gives a binary code of eight numbers to each character or command. An uppercase A sends the binary code 0100 0001.

• There are 26 different codes for the 26 letters of the alphabet.

[Example of Binary Conversion]

The Binary Digit

[Introduction to Binary]

The Binary Digit

• Binary digits are 0 and 1. We call them bits.

• A group of eight bits is known as byte.

• 0100 0001 is a byte and it stands for letter A

• Every character or symbol entered into the computer takes up one byte of memory

Binary Language

[Introduction to Binary]

Binary Language

• The character used in human language are meaningless to a computer.

• Like a lightbulb, the computer must interpret every signal as enter “ON” or “OFF”.

• A computer represents data as distinct or separate numbers.

• These numbers are known as bits.

  Where: 0 = "off" and 1 = "on"

[Units of Measure Used to Measure Storage Capacity]

How can 2 digits represent an infinite number of values?

8  4  2   1

   (1x8) + (1x4) + (1x2)  +  (1x1)

●If its on (1) the total value represented by the light bulb is 15.

8  4  2  1

   (0x8) +  (0x4) +  (0x2) + (0x1)

●If its off (0) the total value represented by the light bulb is 0.

• In personal computers, they commonly use the ASCII system to represent character data.

• ASCII is pronounced as “Ask-kee” which stands for: American Standard Code for Information Interchange

• Each ASCII number represents an English character

• Computers translate ASCII to binary data so they can process it

Examples: (Letters & Symbols)

Key Terms

• Binary Digit – registration of data as 1 or 0

• bps (bits per second) – the unit of measurement for the speed of data transmissions

• Byte – a series of (8) eight bits

• 8 bits = 1 byte