What Is Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD)?

Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD)? More like Binary-Coded Deceit. Don't be fooled into thinking this is an excellent way to represent decimal values. It's not! BCD is a binary representation for decimal values where each digit is represented by a fixed number of binary bits, usually between four and eight. In other words—it's the same as decimal, but with fewer decimal places. And that's not as good. This type of representation is useful for applications where binary values are necessary, but it is essential to keep the values coded in a form humans can read. BCDs are typically used to encode values on dials on equipment, such as volume controls on audio gear, or displays of equipment, such as the fuel level on a car. They are commonly used in telecommunications technologies. There are several standards for BCDs, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards for telephone signaling and the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) standard for industrial equipment. A binary coded decimal (BCD) number is a way of writing numbers as a series of four-bit binary numbers, where each bit represents one decimal digit. This system has its roots in computers from the 1960s, and it's still used today because it's an excellent way to represent decimal values without having to use a lot of memory or processing power. It is beneficial for older computers. It's how many calculators store numbers! The most common way this system works is that each four-bit BCD value represents a decimal value between 0 and 9. The first digit is worth 4 bits, the second 3 bits, and so on until you get to the last number, which only has 1 bit. As you may have heard, binary-coded decimals are a way to represent decimal values. They're an easy way to do it, too. Each digit is characterized by its 4-bit binary sequence, which only has ten different combinations. Converting accurate binary representation to decimal requires arithmetic operations like multiplication and addition. You might be thinking, why not just use hexadecimal? That's a good question! Hexadecimal has 16 possible combinations per digit. But don't worry—You have been covered!