The binary number system which is the foundation of binary language or binary code has a long history that goes up to the end of the 17th century. The binary number system involves the use of just 2 symbols 1 and 0 and works on base 2 just like the decimal number system, which works on base 10.
The simplicity of this number system makes it ideal to be used in logic systems and circuitry. There are many contributors to the advanced binary language which is being used in the modern era. The binary number system enables computers to process swiftly, which won’t be possible otherwise.
In this article, we would try to take an in-depth look at the history of binary language. We will also discuss the advantages and applications of using binary language. We will also discuss the role of binary translator tools and why we need these tools. A detailed discussion about binary language is given below:
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History of Binary Language:
The credit for shaping modern binary code which is based on the binary number system goes to a German logician and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz. He is more famous because of his work in calculus. However, he has also done an excellent job with the introduction of the modern binary number system. He took inspiration from the ancient Chinese transcript ‘I Ching’ and further worked on it and discussed it in his article or transcript named “Explication de l’Arithmétique Binaire”. The title of this article means “Explanation of Binary Arithmetic” in English.
Another popular contributor to the advancement of binary language or code was British Mathematician George Boole. He published a paper in the middle of the 19th century with the title “The mathematical analysis of logic” that describes logic in terms of algebra. It was the foundation of Boolean algebra used to explain logic and circuits theoretically.
The algebraic system proposed by George Boole was primarily based on the binary system. It gave expressions to definitive states like yes & no and on & off. He also discussed some basic operations like AND, OR, and NOT. These operations are the essential parts of algebra, and further operations in Boolean algebra are derived from the combinations of these operations.
The Boolean algebraic system went unnoticed until a student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is an esteemed institution, noticed that the Boolean algebra being studied was a lot similar to electric circuits. He discussed this in his thesis in 1937. This was the point when the use of binary code became inevitable in multiple practical applications like computer technology, electric circuits, and various other real-life applications.
Applications of Binary Language:
Binary language based on the binary number system is finding its use in multiple places. Here are some applications of Binary code:
Machine Language:
As we all know, machine language is directly interpreted by the hardware of computer systems and smart appliances. It is also considered the lowest and most basic level of programming language. It was used to program computers in the initial years. It is usually written in the form of hexadecimal combinations of binary digits or bits.
Manufacturers design computers that are able to obey and understand just one language which is machine code. The machine code is denoted in computers through strings of binary digits. O means the absence of voltage, while 1 indicates the presence of voltage. Computers are primarily controlled with the help of electric signals. Therefore machine language is understood and interpreted by computers swiftly.
ASCII code:
ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange was introduced in 1963. This code specified the method for electronic devices to display various characters, including upper case and lower case alphabets of English, numbers, and punctuation symbols. This code was based on strings of 7 bits initially but with a further extension in ASCII code, the length of strings was set to 8 bits.
This extension was due to the addition of characters from foreign languages in the ASCII code. If you have to define ‘Null’ in ASCII code, you will represent it by 00000000 string of bits.
UTF-8:
It is the advanced code for the representation of symbols on the computer and it has replaced ASCII. It assigns a specific bit sequence to each existing Unicode character. As the number of symbols and figures used in computer systems for the sake of information. There are different languages and regions with their own character encoding systems. UTF-8 is supposed to combine all these encoding systems under one code. Therefore, international communities working towards internet standards, W3C, and Engineering Task Force are working on binding all encoding systems together.
Internet Protocols:
The binary number system is also used in assigning Internet Protocols and IPs. Binary numbers are the basic building block of the IP addressing system. IPs are generated using binary numbers. There are two further types of IPs. These types are IPv4 and IPv6.
These IPs are further categorized into various classes and categories. These classes are denoted as A, B, and C. Each level represents a different number of hosts and network addresses.
Circuitry:
The binary system is also used in the circuitry of networking systems, computers, and smart appliances. As machines and circuits are controlled using electric pulse, they only recognize two types of signals or states which are on and off.
Computers, for example, make calculations based on electric pulses and flipping switches. There is the implementation of Boolean algebra behind these switches, which enables computers to understand the initial inputs and work on the processes to give desired outputs.
In circuits, if a system of 5v is implemented, a voltage lesser than 5v means on or off, while more than 5v would be considered as yes and on. This is how the hardware of machines and smart systems get signals for operations.
Visual Data:
The world these days gives more importance to visual data like images than written data. The visual data we see on computer displays also work hand in hand with the binary number system. Here is how!
Binary numbers or bits are used in the encoding of visual data or images. A dedicated binary line is used to give instructions to each pixel. If an image is being displayed on a 16-bit screen, then each pixel would be instructed with specific instructions encoded in terms of bits regarding which color should be displayed through that pixel. Salient colors of various pixels combine to make a meaningful image on the screen.
As the screen is 16 bits, it would make 2^16 combinations of colors. This number means there could be possibly more than 65 thousand outcomes. The binary number system controls the pixels.
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Benefits:
The benefits of binary code or language are written as follows:
- It improves the turnover and the speed of computers. Computers work swiftly because they have to interpret machine language which is based on bits. Bits are a representation of on and off signals, which makes it easier for computers to understand and process complex calculations.
- The circuitry also works on a binary system, which requires only two-wire links to represent on and off states. Supposes, if we used the decimal system in the implementation of circuits, it would have become a mess. Who could be able to understand that hairballs are made as a result of countless wires and transistors? The simplicity of the binary number system enables us to understand the logic behind circuits, thanks to Boolean algebra. It also enables us to save a lot of space and energy because of the simplicity of circuits.
- The binary system is the foundation of Boolean algebra which gives mathematical expressions to logic. This enables us to implement logic systems in machines and hardware of multiple smart devices. Including intelligent home control devices, IoT, and various other advanced forms of technology. Robotic systems are also efficient because of the implementation of logic and their ability to understand the basic situations of Boolean algebra like AND, OR, and Not.
Binary Translators:
A binary translator allows you to interpret binary codes by converting them to the desired output. You can use this binary code translator for various purposes. You can convert binary to ASCII using this tool.
You can also use it to understand the meaning of extended binary expressions used in computers to represent a string of information. By using the binary code translator tool, you can simply translate binary into the English language.
You can also use the binary translator for the conversion of binary to text, which would enable you to understand the representation of various symbols like numbers and punctuation symbols.
These binary translator tools are easily available on the internet. Any user can access them to get basic knowledge about binary language or binary code. It would enable you to understand the representation of basic characters in binary code.
Conclusion:
The binary number system holds a critical position in technological advancements and our daily life as well. Gottfried Leibniz laid the foundation of modern binary code through his work on the binary number system. George Boole further worked on it and used the binary number system to give algebraic expressions to the logic.
The binary number system is used in various applications like ASCII encoding, Computer systems, Machine language, circuits, and a lot of other uses. The binary number system provides benefits because of its simplicity.
You can use any binary translator to interpret and understand the binary code. These tools are available on the internet. Use these tools to enhance your knowledge of the binary language. We hope this article would be useful for you in understanding the importance of binary language.
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