<p>Ask a computer to store a decimal whole number in binary and it will do it without any fuss. A decimal fraction, however, that's another thing. In this episode, we will present a method called Packed Binary Coded Decimal, or BCD, that is used to represent decimal values in binary by storing each digit in its own nibble.</p>

Ask a computer to store a decimal whole number in binary and it will do it without any fuss. A decimal fraction, however, that's another thing. In this episode, we will present a method called Packed Binary Coded Decimal, or BCD, that is used to represent decimal values in binary by storing each digit in its own nibble.

Episode 2.4 - Packed Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

Geek Author presents educational series covering computer organization, computer architecture, and embedded system design.  Each episode is a concise step taking the listener on a journey from the foundations of digital logic up to computer architecture and finally to system level input and output. The series is presented by engineer, author, and educator David Tarnoff. After a career in industry designing motherboards and BIOSes, David began teaching hardware concepts to students of computer science. Twenty-five years later, he's taking that content and providing it to anyone with an interest in what makes a computer tick.

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Geek Author presents educational series covering computer organization, computer architecture, and embedded system design. Each episode is a concise step taking the listener on a journey from the foundations of digital logic up to computer architecture and finally to system level input and output. The series is presented by engineer, author, and educator David Tarnoff. After a career in industry designing motherboards and BIOSes, David began teaching hardware concepts to students of computer science. Twenty-five years later, he's taking that content and providing it to anyone with an interest in what makes a computer tick.

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Episode 2.4 - Packed Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

Episode 2.4 - Packed Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)