Introduction to Binary

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.

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.

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

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"

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

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