- 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.
- 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:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LY2YC3oByGTVeqXMuGE0n7N9RhkiWT_5uz4jwH6OJqiIKQGuTgpRwZnd7qR-cEVK9NF-b7fOvSpTBj1XPo5mAucQ7M-Cv23JG1htlPXdFiNhq9WGs_BqzVuQRHyfXdqIsHlBwKbp3Iqc/s1600/Screenshot+%252895%2529.png)
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.
00000001 1 decimal
00000010 2 decimal
00000011 3 decimal
00000100 4 decimal
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11111110 254 decimal
11111111 255 decimal
00000011 3 decimal
00000100 4 decimal
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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.