The Decimal system (base-10) is the standard numerical representation used by humans, consisting of digits 0 through 9. While humans intuitively use decimal numbers, digital electronics and computers operate using the binary system (base-2), which processes data using only 0s and 1s.
In programmable power supply applications, data conversion occurs automatically in the background. When a user enters a command such as VOLT 12.5 into a control program, the decimal number 12.5, the control software converts this decimal value into a binary format that the internal microcontroller can process.
The power supply's microcontroller uses this binary data to drive the Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), producing the precise analog output voltage. Conversely, when measuring output, the Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) generates binary data, which is converted back into decimal format for user monitoring. Understanding the conversion between decimal, binary, and hexadecimal formats is fundamental to digital control programming.
The following table illustrates the relationship between binary, hexadecimal, and decimal numbers.
| Binary numbers | Hexadecimal | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 100 | 4 | 4 |
| 101 | 5 | 5 |
| 110 | 6 | 6 |
| 111 | 7 | 7 |
| 1000 | 8 | 8 |
| 1001 | 9 | 9 |
| 1010 | A | 10 |
| 1011 | B | 11 |
| 1100 | C | 12 |
| 1101 | D | 13 |
| 1110 | E | 14 |
| 1111 | F | 15 |