BCD(Binary Coded Decimal)

• Binary Coded Decimal is a form of binary

representation where each denary digit is converted
individually into binary, rather than the whole number
being converted as a large number.

• e.g. 398602 in BCD

• Answer: 3 = 0011 9 = 1001

• 8 = 1000 6 = 0110
0 = 0000 2 = 0010
So 398602 = 001110011000011000000010 (in BCD)
Note: All the zeros are essential otherwise you can’t read
it back.
Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)
• BCD represents denary
integers using blocks of
eight binary digits.
• BCD represents denary
integers using blocks of
four binary digits.
• Each block of is converted
and the denary values
Example 3165 in binary.
Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

• Another Example

8 4 2 1 8 4 2 1 8 4 2 1
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
8+0+0+1 0+0+2+1 8+0+0+0
9 3 8

• Therefore 1001 0011 1000 in BCD = 938 in denary.

 Uses of BCD
• BCD enables fast
conversions from
denary to binary for
applications such as
pocket calculators.
• Each digit on a
calculator
corresponds directly
to a four-bit block in
BCD.