Number Systems

• Number conversions
• Signed numbers

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 Number Systems

• Humans use the decimal (base 10) system,

probably because we have 10 fingers.
• Computers, at the most basic level, can use
only two numbers -- 0 and 1 for “off” and
“on.”
• So, the binary (base 2) number system is
used for storing data.

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 Number Systems
• When working with assembler, we need to be
able to interpret data storage directly; i.e., we
need to be able to translate from binary to
something we can understand.
• Unfortunately, humans don’t work well with
binary numbers.
• Converting those binary numbers to decimal
numbers won’t work well, either.
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 Number Systems
• So, we often ask the computer to display
computer storage as hexadecimal (base 16)
numbers instead, because
– the conversion from binary to hex is relatively simple,
and
– hex numbers are easier to use than binary numbers --
contrast
0001 1111 0100 0011 0010 0111 1010 1001
with 1F4327A9

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5
 The Decimal (Base 10) System
• How do we know the value of a decimal
number?
13210
(2 x 100) = (2 x 1 ) = 2
(3 x 101) = (3 x 10) = 30
(1 x 102) = (1 x 100) = 100
__________

132
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 Binary (Base 2)
to Decimal (Base 10)
• Binary allowed digits = 0, 1. Example 1:
101102
(0 x 20) = (0 x 1) = 0
(1 x 21) = (1 x 2) = 2
(1 x 22) = (1 x 4) = 4
(0 x 23) = (0 x 8) = 0
(1 x 24)
_____________
= (1 x 16) = 16
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 Binary (Base 2)
to Decimal (Base 10)
• Binary allowed digits = 0, 1. Example 2:
10010112
( 1 x 20) =
(1 x 1) = 1
( 1 x 21) = (1 x 2) = 2
( 0 x 22) = (0 x 4) = 0
( 1 x 23) = (1 x 8) = 8
( 0 x 24) = (0 x 16) = 0
( 0 x 25) = (0 x 32) = 0
( 1 x 26) = (1 x 64) = 64
_____________

75
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 Hexadecimal (Base 16)
to Decimal (Base 10)
• Hex allowed digits = 0 - 9, A - F. Example 1:

1 D 2 16
( 2 x 160) = ( 2 x 1) = 2
( 13 x 161) = ( 13 x 16) = 208
( 1 x 162) = ( 1 x 256) = 256
_________

466

A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15

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 Hexadecimal (Base 16)
to Decimal (Base 10)
• Hex allowed digits = 0 - 9, A - F. Example 2:

2 4 1 3 E16
( 14 x 160) =
( 14 x 1) = 14
( 3 x 161) = ( 3 x 16) = 48
( 1 x 162) = ( 1 x 256) = 256
( 4 x 163) = ( 4 x 4096) = 16,384
( 2 x 164) = ( 2 x 65,536) = 131,072
____________________

147,774

A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15 10

 Decimal to Any Other Base
• The algorithm is the same for converting
decimal to any other base:
– Divide the number by the base number.
• e.g., Divide by two when converting to binary.
– Save the remainder in the decimal answer, starting
with the smallest placeholder position and working
to the left.
– Use the quotient from this step as the dividend and
continue.

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 Decimal to Binary
• Algorithm: divide by two, continue to save the
remainders as the answer. Example 1: 10910
109 / 2 = 54 + r1
54 / 2 = 27 + r0
27 / 2 = 13 + r1
13 / 2 = 6 + r1
6/2 = 3 + r0
3/2 = 1 + r1
1/2 = 0 + r1

1 1 0 1 1 0 12
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 Decimal to Binary
• Example 2: 8510

85 / 2 = 42 + r1
42 / 2 = 21 + r0
21 / 2 = 10 + r1
10 / 2 = 5 + r0
5/2 = 2 + r1
2/2 = 1 + r0
1/2 = 0 + r1

1 0 1 0 1 0 12
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 Decimal to Hexadecimal
• Algorithm: divide by 16, continue to save the remainders
as the answer. Example: 495610
4956 / 16 = 309 + r12
309 / 16 = 19 + r5
19 / 16 = 1 + r3
1 / 16 = 0 + r1

1 3 5 C16
A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15

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 Binary to Hex

• Because 16 (hex) = 24 (binary), it’s easy to

convert between hex and binary...

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 Binary to Hex
11010112
1.Separate into groups of four, 1. 110 10112
starting on the right.
2.Add zeros on left to make a 2. 0110 1011
group of four digits.
3.Convert each group of four 3. 6 B
to a single hex digit.
4.Merge the numbers into the 4. 6B16
final number.
A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15 16
 Hex to Binary

• Simply reverse the algorithm...

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 Hex to Binary
6B16
1.Separate the hex digits. 1. 6 B

2.Convert each hex digit into 2. 0110 1011

its binary equivalent.
3.Drop any leading zeros on
3. 110 1011
the left.
4.Merge the numbers into the
final number. 4. 11010112

A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15 18

 Conversion Summary
• Another base to decimal:
– Multiply each placeholder times the base power that it
represents.
– Add the results together.

• Decimal to another base:

– Repeatedly divide by the base number, saving
remainders right to left.
– Stop when you reach zero.

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 Conversion Summary
• Binary to hexadecimal:
– Separate into groups of four binary digits, starting on right.
– Fill in zeros on left.
– Convert each group of four into a single hex digit.

• Hex to binary:
– Convert each hex digit into four binary digits.
– Drop leading zeros and squash together.

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 Adding and Subtracting in
Binary

• Rules just the same as for decimal numbers;

carry to next place when you exceed base,
only the base is now 2.

• So, in binary,
• 0+0=0 1 + 1 = 0 + carry
1.
• 1+0=1 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 + carry 1

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 Binary Addition Examples

1 1 1 1 0 0 0  carries  1111111111
1011101 1010101111
+111010 +1111111111
10010111 11010101110

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 Binary Subtraction Examples

02 0 2  borrows  02
1011101 1010101111
-111010 -1000011111
100011 0010010000

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 Signed Numbers in Binary
• So far we have discussed storing only positive
numbers in binary/hex.
• What about negative numbers? With only
“off” and “on”, can’t store actual plus or
minus signs in the number.
• Need to be able to
– identify negative numbers.
– perform arithmetic on them.

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 Signed Numbers in Binary
• Leftmost bit is the sign bit: 0 if positive, 1 if
negative. But, not that simple…
• Bad example using only 4 bits, with leftmost bit as
sign bit:
1 0001
+-5 +1101
-4 not equal  1110 = -6
• Oops.

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 Signed Numbers in Binary

• So, a clever way of getting around this...

• Step 1: Find the one's complement of the
negative number.
– Replace each 0 with a 1, and each 1 with a zero.
– So, 510  01012  1010

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 Sign bit;
Signed Numbers in Binary not used for
determining the
number itself.
• Step 2: Find the two’s complement.
– Add 1 to the one’s complement.
– So, 510  01012  1010 + 1  1011

• We store every negative number as the

two’s complement of that number.
• So, will math work now?...

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 Signed Numbers in Binary
• Try our example, but store the negative number as
a two’s complement.
1 0001
+-5 +1011 (two’s complement)
-4 1100
equal (negative sign bit)
0011+ 1 (two’s comp.)
0100
(absolute value)
(-) 4
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 Signed Numbers in Binary

• Can convert a hex number to the two’s

complement directly, without converting to
binary first...

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 Shortcut to
Two’s Complement in Hex

1. Find the “opposite” hex 0 F

digit on the chart on right 1 E
for every digit in the 2 D
number. 3 C
4 B
2. Add 1 to the result. 5 A
6 9
7 8

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 Shortcut to
Two’s Complement in Hex
1. So 123C  EDC3
2. Add 1 to the result: 0 F
EDC4 1 E
2 D
Check it in binary: 3 C
1 2 3 C
0001 0010 0011 1100 4 B
1110 1101 1100 0011 5 A
1110 1101 1100 0100
E D C 4 6 9
7 8
A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15
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