Binary

1. A base 2 8-bit number system represented by the numeric values of 0 or 1, also known as ON or OFF, and is the primary language that computers use to communicate. Below is an example of the maximum 8-bit value of 255, which is 11111111 in binary. To get this value add each column, so 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 + 128 = 255.

Value:	128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
ON/OFF:	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

Tip: Counting on a computer normally start with 0, instead of 1. Therefore, counting all the bits does equal 255, however, if you start at 0, it is really 256.

Below is another example of 10001101, which is 141 or 1 + 4 + 8 + 128.

Value:	128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
ON/OFF:	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1

Additional information and examples of Binary and hexadecimal conversions.

2. While in a ftp session, binary, is also a command that switches the file transfer mode to binary.

Also see: .BIN, Base, BCD, Binary file, Bit, Decimal, Hexadecimal, Least significant bit, Machine language, Most significant bit, Native language, Negation, Nibble, Octal, OFF, ON, Qubit, Two's complement