DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

 CHAPTER ONE: *Introduction

*Number Systems and Codes

By J. Mathenge

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 Chapter One: Introduction
Definition

Digital Electronics is a sub-branch of electronics that deals with
digital signals for processing and controlling various systems and
sub-systems.

Digital Logic involves the representation of signals and
sequences of a digital circuit through numbers. It is the basis for
digital computing and provides a fundamental understanding on
how circuits and hardware communicate within a computer.

Digital logic is embedded into most electronic devices, e.g.
computers, video games, watches, calculators etc.

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1.1 Introduction

Digital quantities only take on discrete values while analog
quantities vary over a continuous range of values.
+5 +5
1 0 1
V V
Time Time

–5 –5

A digital system is a combination of devices designed to

manipulate physical quantities that are represented in digital
form. e.g. digital calculators

Analog systems manipulate systems which are represented in
analog form. e.g. pointer systems
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Advantages of digital systems over analog systems.

They are easier to design than analog systems.

Easy to store large quantities of information.

Accuracy and precision are greater

digital circuits are less affected by noise.
1.2 Number Systems

Number systems are based on an ordered set of numbers called
digits.

Total number of digits used in a system is called the base or
radix.

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Value of each digit in a number can be determined using:
i. The value of the digit.
ii. The position of the digit in the number.
iii. Base of the number system.

Example base 10 (or radix 10) uses ten digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 and 9.
1.3 Decimal System

Is the number system that we use in our day-to-day life is the
decimal number system.

This is a positional-value system, that is, the value of a digit
depends on its position in the number.

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There are four number systems in digital systems:
i. Decimal - Used in everyday calculations
ii. Binary - Used in all digital systems, including digital
computers
iii. Octal
iv. Hexadecimal - used along with octal systems as shorthand
notation for the Binary number system.
Number System Digits Used
Binary Number System 0,1
Octal Number System 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Hexadecimal 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F

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1.4 Binary System

This is known as Base 2 or Radix 2. Uses only two digits, 0
and 1.

1.4.1 Binary to Decimal Conversion

Weighting factors

Example: Convert 1010.101ଶ

Ans = 10.625ଵ଴

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1.4.2 Decimal to Binary Conversion

Done by successive division by 2 until you get zero (Whole
numbers)
e.g. Convert 53.8125ଵ଴ to binary.
Step 1: Start with whole number: 53. Read from
bottom to top

Ans. = 110101ଶ

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Step 2: Perform successive multiplication with 2 for
fractions/decimals. Read from top to bottom
0.8125ଵ଴ to binary.

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1.5 Octal System

Weighting factors

Is a base 8 system that uses digits 0-7.

1.5.1 Octal to Decimal Conversion
e.g. Convert 125.36଼ to decimal.

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1.5.2 Decimal to Octal Conversion

Step 1: Done by successive division by 8 until you get zero
(Whole numbers). Read from top to bottom.
e.g. Convert 459ଵ଴ to octal.

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Followed by successive multiplication by 8 for
fractions/decimals. Read from top to bottom.

Example: Convert decimal number 0.78125 to octal:

1.5.3 Octal to Binary Conversion

Convert each octal digit to its 3-bit binary equivalent.

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Example: Convert 713.62଼ to

binary.
Ans: 111001011.110010ଶ .

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1.5.4 Binary to Octal conversion

Divide the binary number in groups of 3 bits, starting from
the binary point. Example:

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1.6 Hexadecimal Number System

The hexadecimal number system uses 16 digits, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F.

Weighting factors.

1.6.1 Hexadecimal to Decimal Conversion

Example: Convert 2‫ܣܧ‬. ‫ܤ‬ଵ଺ to decimal.

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1.6.2 Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion

Example: Convert 428.75390625ଵ଴ to hexadecimal.

Involves successive division by 16 for whole numbers…

Followed by
successful
multiplication
by 16 for
fractions.
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1.6.3 Hexadecimal to Binary Conversion

We convert each hexadecimal digit into 4-bit binary.
Example: Convert
2‫ܣܧ‬. ‫ܤ‬ଵ଺ =
001011101010.1011ଶ

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1.6.4 Binary to Hexadecimal Conversion

Divide the binary number in groups of 4 bits, starting from
the binary point. Example:
110110011.01011ଶ

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1.7 Signed Binary Numbers

Assumed so far we were dealing with positive numbers.

These binary numbers we have dealt with are known as
unsigned binary numbers.

Digital systems represent all information with binary digits.

Digital computers and calculators handle negative as well as
positive numbers. We need a way to represent the signs (+ or
-).

There are 3 notations of signed numbers: In all +ve numbers
have the Most
i. Sign-Magnitude Notation Significant Bit (MSB)
ii. Ones (1's) Complement Notation as zero,
while --ve numbers
iii. Twos (2's) Complement Notation have an MSB of 1.

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1.7.1 Sign-Magnitude Notation

Obtain its unsigned binary equivalent using the methods
described previously.

If positive add a zero (0) to become the MSB.

If negative add a zero (1) to become the MSB.

Example:
Express +53 and -53 in sign magnitude notation.
Ans:
Unsigned 53 to binary code= 110101
+53 = 0110101
-53 = 1110101

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Example: A table showing 4 bit binary numbers expressed
using sign magnitude notation.

Note: There are two

distinct patterns for
zero, a positive zero
and a negative zero.
Hence this notation not
commonly used in
arithmetic operations.

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1.7.2 Ones Complement Notation (OCN)

Get binary equivalent of the unsigned number.
53 to binary code= 110101

Add a 0 to the number as the MSB to get its positive signed
equivalent.
+53 = 0110101
(This is the OCN for the positive number)

To get the negative version of the number, change each zero
in the formed positive binary number to a 1, and each one to
a 0 (get the complement).
-53 = 1001010
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Table showing OCN binary numbers vs their
Decimal Equivalents.
Note: Again there are two distinct
patterns for zero, a positive zero and
a negative zero.

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Illustrating the problem created by the two patterns for zero:

Suppose we are performing the operation:
7−4

This is similar to writing
7 + (−4)

From the previous table, +7=0111 and −4=1011. If we add
the two binary numbers we get:
10010

Since this was a 4 bit operation we ignore the fifth bit to get
0010 which corresponds to +2. But we all know 7 − 4 = 3.
This is occasioned by having two zeros.

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1.7.3 Twos Complement Notation (TCN)

Get binary equivalent of the unsigned number.
53 to binary code= 110101

Add a 0 to the number as the MSB to get its positive signed
equivalent.
+53 = 0110101
(This is the OCN and TCN for the positive number)

To get the OCN version negative number, change each zero in the
formed positive binary number to a 1, and each one to a 0 (get the
complement).
-53 = 1001010

To get the TCN add one to the LSB position of the OCN:
-53 = 1001011

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• In this case, there is only one
zero, so there are no
problems with arithmetic.

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Illustrating that the problem is now resolved:

Suppose we are performing the operation:
7−4

This is similar to writing
7 + (−4)

From the previous table, +7=0111 and −4=1100. If we add
the two binary numbers we get:
10011

Since this was a 4 bit operation we ignore the fifth bit to get
0011 which corresponds to +3.

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 Example:

Convert -29.625 into Twos Complement Binary.
Solution:
Get the binary equivalent of 29.265 (unsigned)

Get the positive equivalent of the number +29.265 (Add a

zero)
Get the complement of the positive number to get the OCN of
the negative number:

Get the TCN of the negative number:

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Note: In the previous example, -29.625 is represented using
9 bits. If we wanted to represent it using 16 bits then we
have:

After obtaining the unsigned binary, we add leading zeros and

a `0‘ sign-bit to make total to 16 bits.

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1.8 Binary Number Codes

Are binary codes which have special applications.
1.8.1 Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) code
BCD code represents each digit of a decimal number by a 4-bit
binary.

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Note that BCD code uses binary codes 0000 to 1001 to
represent decimal digits. Does not use codes 1010, 1011,
1100, 1101, 1110 and 1111.
Example:

Convert the decimal number 137 to BCD.
Solution:

Write out the BCD code for each digit to get:
1 is 0001, for 3 is 0011 and for 7 is 0111 hence 000100110111.
N/B: To convert a BCD code number to decimal, we simply group the
bits in groups of 4bits each from the LSB side and write out the decimal
digits corresponding to each group.
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Advantages of BCD:

Relative ease of converting to and from decimal.
Disadvantages:

It requires more storage space.

The arithmetic with BCD is more complicated.
1.8.2 Excess-3 code (Xs-3 code)

A 3 is added to each decimal digit before encoding it in
binary.

Example: Convert 59 to Xs-3 code

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Solution:

Note: The Xs-3

code does not use
codes 0000,
0001, 0010,
1101, 1110 and
1111.
ADVANTAGE:
One is present in all
Xs3 codes, providing
an error-detection
ability.
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1.8.3 Gray Code
*Read on Gray Code and its advantages. To recap in the next
class.

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 *End of session*

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 Questions….?

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