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binary-coded decimal
Sign in to saveAlso known as BCD, binary coded decimal, BCD encoding, BCD code, BCD number
class of binary encodings of decimal numbers where each decimal digit is represented by a fixed number of bits, usually four or eight. Special bit patterns are sometimes used for a sign or for other indications
~32 min read
Encyclopedic overview
A binary clock might use LEDs to express binary values. In this clock, each column of LEDs shows a binary-coded decimal numeral of the traditional sexagesimal time.
In computing and electronic systems, binary-coded decimal (BCD) is a class of binary encodings of decimal numbers where each digit is represented by a fixed number of bits, usually four or eight. Sometimes, special bit patterns are used for a sign or other indications (e.g. error or overflow).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “binary-coded decimal” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.