Binary To ASCII
Learn how to decode binary to ASCII with So Frank binary to ASCII table. Includes binary numbers to ASCII examples for easy learning!
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Binary to ASCII: What It Is and Why You Need to Understand It
Binary and ASCII codes are two of the most commonly used coding systems in computing, yet they have some very distinct differences. Binary code is a system of binary digits (0s and 1s) that represent data or instructions in computers, while ASCII code is a set of characters represented by binary numbers, which makes it possible to transfer text-based information from one computer to another. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at binary and ASCII codes, exploring their relation, their differences, as well as providing examples of different applications.
What is ASCII and How Does it Relate to Binary Code?
ASCII was developed in order to standardize coding systems between computers, helping to minimize communication incompatibilities across different computer makes and models. ASCII code is used to represent text in computers and assigns standard numeric values to characters, including English letters (both upper-case and lower-case), numbers 0-9, punctuation marks such as parentheses, commas, asterisks etc., various control characters such as tab key etc., and blank space characters known as whitespace. These codes allow computers to translate from one language to another by changing the corresponding characters into their numerical equivalents. It also is used to translate computer text to human-readable text.
ASCII uses binary to represent the different characters. Each character is represented by 8 bits (1 byte) of binary code where each bit represents either a 0 or 1 depending on its position within the byte sequence. Standard ASCII is composed of 7 bits embedded within an 8-bit byte, with the last bit reserved as a “parity” bit to check for transmission errors. This allows for a total of 128 distinguished characters. Extended ASCII is also composed of 8 bits, but instead of using the eighth bit as a parity bit, it becomes available for extending the amount of supported characters, up to 256.
Using Binary and ASCII Together
By representing each ASCII character as a corresponding binary code, this allows computers to store and manipulate text in a binary format, which is the only format that digital devices can directly work with.
For example, when you type the letter 'A' on your keyboard, the computer converts it into its corresponding ASCII code (01000001) and stores it in its memory. When you open a text file or send an email containing the letter 'A', the computer reads the binary codes that represent the text and converts them back into human-readable characters using the ASCII encoding standard.
ASCII to Binary Conversion Table
| Char | Description | Decimal | Binary | Char | Description | Decimal | Binary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | 48 | 00110000 | A | Capital A | 65 | 01000001 |
| 1 | One | 49 | 00110001 | B | Capital B | 66 | 01000010 |
| 2 | Two | 50 | 00110010 | C | Capital C | 67 | 01000011 |
| 3 | Three | 51 | 00110011 | D | Capital D | 68 | 01000100 |
| 4 | Four | 52 | 00110100 | E | Capital E | 69 | 01000101 |
| 5 | Five | 53 | 00110101 | F | Capital F | 70 | 01000110 |
| 6 | Six | 54 | 00110110 | G | Capital G | 71 | 01000111 |
| 7 | Seven | 55 | 00110111 | H | Capital H | 72 | 01001000 |
| 8 | Eight | 56 | 00111000 | I | Capital I | 73 | 01001001 |
| 9 | Nine | 57 | 00111001 | J | Capital J | 74 | 01001010 |
| K | Capital K | 75 | 01001011 | ||||
| a | Small a | 97 | 01100001 | L | Capital L | 76 | 01001100 |
| b | Small b | 98 | 01100010 | M | Capital M | 77 | 01001101 |
| c | Small c | 99 | 01100011 | N | Capital N | 78 | 01001110 |
| d | Small d | 100 | 01100100 | O | Capital O | 79 | 01001111 |
| e | Small e | 101 | 01100101 | P | Capital P | 80 | 01010000 |
| f | Small f | 102 | 01100110 | Q | Capital Q | 81 | 01010001 |
| g | Small g | 103 | 01100111 | R | Capital R | 82 | 01010010 |
| h | Small h | 104 | 01101000 | S | Capital S | 83 | 01010011 |
| i | Small i | 105 | 01101001 | T | Capital T | 84 | 01010100 |
| j | Small j | 106 | 01101010 | U | Capital U | 85 | 01010101 |
| k | Small k | 107 | 01101011 | V | Capital V | 86 | 01010110 |
| l | Small l | 108 | 01101100 | W | Capital W | 87 | 01010111 |
| m | Small m | 109 | 01101101 | X | Capital X | 88 | 01011000 |
| n | Small n | 110 | 01101110 | Y | Capital Y | 89 | 01011001 |
| o | Small o | 111 | 01101111 | Z | Capital Z | 90 | 01011010 |
| p | Small p | 112 | 01110000 |
Using Binary and ASCII In Embedded Systems Applications
Binary and ASCII codes are used for specific purposes in computing applications. Because binary requires fewer transistors than other coding systems, it is often an efficient way to process data in embedded systems, making it ideal for control systems or embedded processors.
Using Binary for CPU Applications
Going into this further, binary plays a key role in the operation of the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer.
In the CPU, data and instructions are represented in binary form, as a sequence of 0s and 1s. This binary code is processed by the CPU, which performs arithmetic and logical operations on the data, based on the instructions provided by the program being executed. For instance, when a program is written in a high-level language, such as C or Python, it is translated into machine code, which consists of binary instructions that the CPU can understand and execute.
ASCII for Representing Text Data
ASCII provides a standardized and efficient way to represent text in embedded systems, allowing them to perform tasks such as displaying information on a screen, communicating with other systems, or processing user input.
For instance, for data transmission, ASCII is used to represent text that is transmitted between different systems or devices. As ASCII provides a standardized method for encoding each character numerically, it ensures that the same character is represented both ways across the communication channel.
Additionally, ASCII is helpful for engineers working with embedded systems that include a user interface. These user interfaces may display text characters on a screen, so human-readable characters encoded using ASCII help engineers to ensure that the characters are displayed correctly.
Similarly, in a system that generates log files or error messages, ASCII may be used to represent text data in a format that can be easily read and understood by humans. In this case, ASCII is often used to represent letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and other symbols, along with other control functions such as line breaks and indentation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, binary and ASCII codes are both essential elements of computing. While binary is the most basic form of coding that computers use to interpret data, ASCII provides a more comprehensive way for machines to understand human-readable text. Both binary and ASCII have their own strengths when it comes to coding applications, but understanding the differences between them can help developers create better programs with fewer errors.