FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max.

marks: 86

1. Binary patterns can be interpreted in a number of different ways. A main memory

location contains the binary pattern 10011100. What is its denary value if it represents:

(a) An unsigned integer?

(1)

(b) A two’s complement integer?

(1)

(c) An unsigned fixed point number with the binary point after the 4th bit?

(2)
(Total 4 marks)

2. Why is the Hexadecimal number system used in a computer context?

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................
(Total 1 mark)

3. The binary pattern 1011 1111 0010 could be interpreted in a number of different ways.

(a) State its hexadecimal representation. ........................................................................

(1)

(b) State its value in denary if it represents a two’s complement integer.

....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) State its value in denary if it represents an unsigned fixed point binary number
with
4 bits after the binary point.

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

....................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

4. The binary pattern 1001 1000 0100 can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

(a) Convert the binary pattern to hexadecimal.

....................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 1 marks)

5. The table below shows the contents of three memory locations.

Address Memory contents

56 0011 0111
57 1000 1001
58 1100 0000

If the binary codes each represent a pure binary integer, what are the denary numbers
stored at locations 56 and 57?

Address Memory contents Denary

56 0011 0111
57 1000 1001
(Total 2 marks)

6. Figure 1 shows an area of main memory storing a text file which is about to be sent to a
printer.

Figure 1

Address Contents
0
1
...
...
150 0100 0101
151 0101 1000
152 0100 0001
153 0100 1101

Table 1

ASCII Code Table

Character Decimal Character Decimal Character Decimal

<Space> 32
A 65
B 66
C 67
D 68
E 69
I 73
J 74
K 75
L 76
M 77
N 78
R 82
S 83
T 84
U 85
V 86
W 87

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

F 70 O 79 X 88
G 71 P 80 Y 89
H 72 Q 81 Z 90

(a) Assuming the first character to be printed is held at address 150, show the first
four characters to be printed on the page. Use Table 1.

....................................................................................................................................
(3)

(b) Figure 2 shows there are two printers available on the PC and they are connected
to the computer. One is connected to port A, the other to port B.

Figure 2

The cable which connects to port A has 4 wires and connects to a USB printer.

The cable which connects to port B has 25 wires of which eight are used for
sending data bits.

(i) What does USB stand for?

..........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 4 marks)

7. The binary pattern 0100 0000 1110 can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

(a) State its hexadecimal representation. ........................................................................

(1)

(b) State its value as a decimal number if it represents a signed binary integer using
two’s complement representation.

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(c) State its value as a decimal number if it represents an unsigned fixed point number
with four bits after the binary point.

....................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

8. A programming language has two different data types for storing positive integers.

Data type Integer1 uses a single byte to store data.

Data type Integer2 uses two consecutive bytes to store data.

(a) The program statement below defines a variable NoOfAccidents.

Var NoOfAccidents : Integer1 ;

What is the largest value which can be assigned to NoOfAccidents?

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Two more program statements are:

Var JourneyMileageA : Integer1 ;

Var JourneyMileageB : Integer1 ;

Interpreter software uses address 600 for storing a value for JourneyMileageA. See
Figure 1.

Figure 1

Address Contents
600 0101 0001
601 1010 1010
602 1111 1100
603
604
~ ~
~ ~
700 0000 0010
701 0000 1010
702
703

(i) State the denary value for the stored binary value.

JourneyMileageA =..........................................................................................
(1)

(ii) The program statement:

JourneyMileageB := 138 ;

stores the data value for JourneyMileageB at address 603.

What binary value will be stored at location 603?

..........................................................................................................................
(1)

(c) Another program statement is:

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

Var TotalMileage : Integer2 ;

The interpreter software uses locations 700 and 701 to store a value for
TotalMileage with the most significant byte stored at location 700. See Figure 1.

What is the denary value assigned to TotalMileage?

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d) Programs also work with character data.

ASCII Code Table

Character Decimal Character Decimal Character Decimal

<space> 32
A 65
B 66
C 67
D 68
E 69
F 70
G 71
H 72
I 73
J 74
K 75
L 76
M 77
N 78
O 79
P 80
Q 81
R 82
S 83
T 84
U 85
V 86
W 87
X 88
Y 89
Z 90

(i) Using the ASCII code table shown above, what is the 7-bit binary ASCII
code for character ‘B’?

..........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) When a parity bit is included, character codes are stored as 8-bit binary
numbers where the most significant bit is a parity bit. This system will use
even parity.

Describe how the parity bit is used during data transmission of a single
character.

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

9. (a) A system stores integers in 16 bits. Using binary representation, show the steps of
subtracting 6 from 18, using two’s complement.

....................................................................................................................................
.

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.
(4)
(Total 4 marks)

10. Bit patterns can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

(a) A computer word contains the bit pattern 0001 0111.

What is its decimal value if it represents a pure binary integer

....................................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(b) A computer system uses odd parity. The most significant bit (MSB) is used as a
parity bit. The ASCII value for the character ‘!’is decimal number 33.

(i) What would be the 8-bit binary pattern to represent the character ‘!’?
MSB

(2)
(Total 3 marks)

11. (a) How many bytes are 1

Kilobyte? ................................................................................
(1)

(b) A computer system uses 2 bytes to store a number.

(i) What is the largest pure binary integer it can

store? .........................................
(1)

What is the bit pattern if the number 37 is to be stored as

(ii) a pure binary integer?

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

(1)

(c) The ASCII coding system uses seven bits to code a character.
The character digits 0 to 9 are assigned the decimal number codes 48 to 57.
An extra bit is used as a parity bit.
A computer system uses the most significant bit (MSB) as a parity bit for each
byte and works with even parity.

(i) What is the bit pattern if the digits 37 are to be stored as characters?

(3)

(ii) Explain how the parity bit is used by this computer system.

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

12. Some personal computers are referred to as 32-bit machines. This means their word
length is 32 bits.

(a) What is a word in this context?

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) State the different values for one

bit. .........................................................................
(1)

(c) Give three different interpretations which can be associated with a pattern of bits
in a 32-bit word.

1 .................................................................................................................................
.

2 .................................................................................................................................
.

3 .................................................................................................................................
.
(3)
(Total 5 marks)

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

13. (a) Sound can be stored in a computer system. In order to store signals from a
microphone in a form that the computer system can use, a special piece of
hardware is needed.

(i) Give the name of this special piece of hardware.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(ii) Describe the way that sound is coded in a computer system.

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(2)

(b) Graphics can also be stored in a computer system. What is meant by each of the
following terms?

(i) Bit-mapped graphics;

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(ii) Vector graphics.

..........................................................................................................................
.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(c) Give two advantages of vector graphics over bit-mapped graphics.

1 .................................................................................................................................
.

2 .................................................................................................................................
.
(2)

(d) (i) How are alphabetic characters represented in a computer system?

..........................................................................................................................

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

..........................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(ii) Name one character coding system.

..........................................................................................................................
.
(1)
(Total 9 marks)

14. Bit patterns can be interpreted in a number of different ways.    A computer word
contains the bit pattern 0011 0110.

(a) What is its decimal value if it represents a pure binary integer

....................................................................................................................................
.
(1)

(b) (i) The ASCII value for the character ‘2’ is 50.    What is the character stored in
the computer word 0011 0100?

..........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Name one other standard coding system for coding information expressed in
character or text-based form.

.........................................................................................................................
(1)

(c) One method of storing graphics in a computer system is as vector graphics.

(i) Name one other method.

..........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Describe how a black-and-white image would be stored using your method.

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

15. (a) A binary pattern might represent a decimal integer or a decimal real number.    In a

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

computing context, give an example of

(i) a decimal integer ..............................................................................................

(ii) a decimal real number ......................................................................................

(iii) The binary data 00110111 represents an unsigned real number in fixed point
form, with the binary point between bits 1 and 2, e.g. 1101.11. Convert this
number into decimal, showing all your working.

(4)

(b) Convert the binary data 10110111 00111110 into hexadecimal.

(1)

(c) Give one example of where hexadecimal numbers are used, and explain why they
are used here rather than binary numbers.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.

....................................................................................................................................
.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

16. How many bytes are in a Kilobyte?

.............................................................................................................................................
..
(Total 1 marks)

17. (a) Bit patterns can be interpreted in a number of different ways. A computer word
contains the bit pattern 0101 1001. What is its decimal value if it represents:

a pure binary

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

integer; ..................................................................................................
(1)

(b) A binary pattern in a 16 bit word can represent different forms of information,
such as pure binary or BCD, as above, or two ASCII characters. Name three
different forms of information, excluding those given above.

1..................................................................................................................................
.

2..................................................................................................................................
.

3..................................................................................................................................
.
(3)
(Total 4 marks)
18. (a) A unique numerical code, occupying a single byte, is generated for each key
pressed on a computer's keyboard.
What is meant by a byte?

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) In one coding system, the character digits 0 to 9 are assigned the decimal number
codes 48 to 57 and the letters A to Z the decimal number codes 65 to 90.
Which keys produce the following codes?

(i) 0100 0001..................................................................................................

(1)

(ii) 0011 1001................................................................................................

(1)

(c) A number is entered at the keyboard as a sequence of character digits. This sequence is processed to
convert the code representation into its decimal integer value using the following algorithm:

Number  0
While more character digits Do
get next character digit
and store its ASCII code in the variable Code
Number  Number * 10 + Code – 48
EndWhile

Complete the trace table for the sequence 7321.

Code Number

– 0

55 7

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FunTech Binary & Coding-1 Max. marks: 86

(6)
(Total 9 marks)

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