• A single switch can be on or off, enabling the storage of 1 bit of information. Switches can be grouped together to store larger numbers. This is the key reason why binary is used in digital systems.
     Binary system:
  • The binary number system is the basis for storage, transfer and manipulation of data in computer systems and digital electronic devices. 
  • This number system uses base 2.
     How Does it Work?
  • The binary system used by computers is based on 2 symbols 0 and 1. So you count 0, 1, there is no symbol for 2, so 2 is represented by 10.
  • In the same way that there is a units, tens, hundreds, thousands place in the decimal system, in the binary system there is a units, twos, fours, eights, sixteens place etc. in the binary system. 
  • So the binary and decimal equivalents are as below:

     Binary system in digital system:
  • Numbers can be encoded in binary format and stored using switches. The digital technology which uses this system could be a computer, calculator, digital TV decoder box, cell phone, watch etc. Values are stored in binary format in memory, which is basically a bunch of electronic on/off switches.
  • Let us consider the switch board, each switch has a value 0 or 1 depends on its state on or off. Switches are implemented using transistors, since each switch can store a small amount of data called bit. When we consider all switches together, then it is a byte.
  • The digital hardware can able to on or off the switches and read the data in it. Here, there are 8 switches below, 2 to the power of 8 =256 arrangements has been done based on the switch movement that is on or off.
      00000000 0 decimal
      00000001 1 decimal
      00000010 2 decimal
      00000011 3 decimal
      00000100 4 decimal
      .
      .
      .
      .
      11111110 254 decimal
      11111111 255 decimal  
      Encoding the data to binary:
      Always data may not be on or off states, sometimes data may be text, temperature, images or audio which need to be convert to digital format by using different methods.
  • Text can be converted by using ASCII code.
  • Temperature is about signals in which converted from analog to digital.
  • Image can be encoded by increasing its pixel intensity.