BCD stands for Binary Coded Decimal. It's a binary encoding of decimal numbers where each decimal digit is represented by its binary equivalent. In BCD, each decimal digit is typically represented by a 4-bit binary code, allowing the representation of decimal numbers from 0 to 9 in binary.
Here's how BCD works:
- Each decimal digit (0 to 9) is represented by its binary equivalent using 4 bits. - For example:
- Decimal 0 is represented as 0000 in BCD.
- Decimal 1 is represented as 0001 in BCD.
- Decimal 2 is represented as 0010 in BCD.
- …
- Decimal 9 is represented as 1001 in BCD.
BCD is a straightforward way to represent decimal numbers in binary form, making it easier to perform arithmetic operations and other manipulations on decimal data in digital systems. BCD encoding is commonly used in applications where decimal arithmetic operations are required, such as in calculators, digital clocks, and financial systems.
However, BCD has some inefficiencies compared to other binary encodings of decimal numbers, such as excess-3 (XS-3) or packed BCD. In BCD, not all 4-bit combinations are used, leading to inefficient use of binary representation. Additionally, BCD requires additional hardware or software to convert between binary and BCD representations, which can add complexity and overhead to digital systems. Despite these limitations, BCD remains widely used in applications where decimal arithmetic is predominant.