Programmable

Logic Controllers
 Chapter 3

Number Systems
And Codes
 Decimal System

The radix or base of a number system determines

the total number of different symbols or digits
used by the system.

The decimal system has a base of 10.

In the decimal system, 10 unique numbers or

digits ( 0 through 9) are used: the total number
of symbols is the same as the base, and the symbol
with the largest value is 1 less than the base.
 Decimal System

The decimal system can be summarized as follows:

Ten digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Base: 10

Weights: 1, 10, 100, 1000, …(powers of base 10)

 Decimal System
Weighted value in the decimal system
 Binary System
The binary system has a base of 2.

The only allowable digits are 0 and 1

Digital Signal Waveform: with digital circuits it is easy

to distinguish between two voltage levels - +5 V and O V,
which can be related to the binary digits 1 and 0.

Volts +5 High (H) (1)

0 Low (L) (0)

Time
 Binary System

The binary system can be summarized as follows:

Two digits: 0, 1

Base: 2

Weights: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …(powers of base 2)

 Binary System Decimal Binary

Since the binary system uses only 0 0000

two digits, each position of a binary
1 0001
number can go through only two
changes, and then a 1 is carried to
2 0010
the immediate left position.
3 0011
To express the number in the 4 0100
binary system requires many 5 0101
more digits than in the decimal 6 0110
system. 7 0111
8 1000
Converting For Binary To Decimal
 Converting For Binary To Decimal

Another Method
In the binary number
when you see a 1, multiply
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
that 1 times the value that
is directly over it. Where
you see a 0 in the box,
just ignore it.

If we add only those numbers which have a binary 1

in the box under them, we come up with
128+32+8+4+1 which equals 173.
 Bits – Bytes - Words
Each digit of a binary number is known as a bit.

A group of 8 bits is known as a byte.

A group of bits that 16-Bit Word

occupies one or more storage
MSB
locations and is treated as a unit is Bit
known as a word.

A 16-bit word is made up of two bytes (Upper and Lower).

The least Upper

significant
Byte bit (LSB) is the digit that represents
LSB
the smallest value.

The most significant bit (MSB) is the digit that represents

the largest value.
 PLC Processor Memory Size
The size of the programmable controller relates to the
amount of user program that can be stored.

The 1 K word memory

size shown can store
1,024 words, or 16,380
(1,024 x 16) bits of
information using
16-bit words or 32,768
(1,024 x 32) using
32 bit words.
Converting For Decimal To Binary
 Binary Representation Of Data
Even though the binary system has only two digits,
it can be used to represent any quantity that can be
represented in the decimal system. Computer memory
is then a series of binary 1s and 0s.
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 Negative Numbers
In the binary system it is not possible to use positive
and negative symbols to represent the polarity of a
number.
One method is of representing a binary number as
either a positive or negative value is to use an extra digit,
or sign bit, at the MSB of the number. In the sign bit
position, a “0” indicates that the number is positive,
and a “1” indicates a negative number.

Sign
Sign Decimal
Decimal
Bit Magnitude
Bit MagnitudeBits
Bits Value
Value
 Negative Numbers

Another method of expressing a negative number in a

digital system is by using the complement of a binary
number. To represent a negative number in 1's
complement you simply take the numbers magnitude
and flip all the bits (i.e. 1 becomes 0, and 0 becomes 1).

+3 binary representation: 0011

-3 binary representation: 1100 (1’s complement)

 Negative Numbers

The most common way to express a negative binary

number is to show it as a 2’s complement number. The
2’s complement is the binary number that results
when 1 is added to the 1’s complement.

+3 binary representation: 0011

-3 binary representation: 1100 (1’s complement)

-3 binary representation: 1101 (2’s complement)

 Octal System
The octal numbering system can be summarized
as follows:

Eight digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Base: 8

Weights: 1, 8, 64, 512, …(powers of base 8)

The octal number system is sometimes used

because 8 data bits make up a byte of information
that can be easily addressed by the PLC user or
programmer.
 Octal System
The Allen-Bradley PLC-5 family of PLCs uses
the octal numbering systems for addressing
of I/O modules.

I:2/16 O:3/22
 Octal System
The digits range from 0 to 7; therefore, numbers
8 and 9 are not allowed!
 Converting Octal To Decimal
As in all other numbering system, each digit in an
octal number has a weighted decimal value
according to its position.
 Converting Octal-to-Binary
Octal is used to handle large binary numbers. One octal
digit is used to express three binary digits.
 Hexadecimal System
The hexadecimal (hex) numbering system can
be summarized as follows:

Sixteen digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F

Base: 16

Weights: 1, 16, 256, …(powers of base 16)

The hex numbering system is used in PLCs because

a word of data often consists of 16 data bits, or
two 8-bit bytes.
 Hexadecimal-to-Decimal Conversion
To convert a hexadecimal number to its decimal
equivalent, the hexadecimal digits in the columns are
multiplied by the base 16 weight.
 Hexadecimal-to-Binary Conversion
Using the hex numbering system allows the status
of a large number of binary bits to be represented
in a small space such as a PLC programming display.
 BCD (Binary-Coded Decimal) System

The BCD (Binary-Coded Decimal) numbering system

provides a convenient way of handling large numbers
that need to be inputted to or outputted from a PLC.

There is no easy way to go from binary to decimal

and back. The BCD system provides a means of
converting a code readily handled by humans (decimal)
to a code readily handled by equipment (binary).
Examples Of Numeric
Values In:
Decimal,
Binary,
BCD,
and Hexadecimal,
Representation
 BCD Representation Of Decimal Number

Conversion from Decimal to BCD is straightforward.

You merely use 4 bits to represent each decimal digit.
 BCD Thumb-Wheel Switch Interface
A decimal number
The circuit board is selected
has one connection
for each bit’s
weight plus a
common

The thumb-wheel
switch outputs the
equivalent 4-bits
of BCD data
Typical PLC Number Conversion Instruction

Convert To Decimal Instruction

This instruction will convert the binary bit pattern

at the source address N7:23, into a BCD bit pattern
of the same decimal value as the destination address,
O:20. The instruction executes every time it is scanned
and the instruction is true.
 Gray Code
The Gray code is a special type of binary code that does
not use position weighting.

It is set up so that as we progress from one number to

the next, only one bit changes. For this reason, the Gray
code is considered to be an error-minimizing code.

Because only one bit changes at a time, the speed of

transition for the Gray code is considerably faster
than that for codes such as BCD.
 Gray Code
Gray codes are used with with position encoders for
accurate control of the motion of robots, machine tools,
and servomechanisms.
The encoder disk is attached
Typical Encoder Disk to a rotating shaft and outputs
a digital Gray code signal that
is used to determine the position
of the shaft.
 ASCII Code

ASCII stands for American Standard Code for

Information Interchange. It is an alphanumeric code
because it indicates letters as well as numbers.

The keystrokes
on the keyboard
of a computer are
converted directly
into ASCII for
processing by the
computer.
 Parity Bit
Some PLC communications systems use a parity bit
to check the accuracy of data transmission. For example,
when data are transferred between PLCs, one of the
binary bits may accidentally change states.

Parity is a system where each character transmitted

contains one additional bit known as a parity bit. The bit
may be binary 0 or binary 1, depending on the number
of 1’s and 0’s in the character itself.

Two systems of parity are normally used:

odd and even.
Odd parity Parity Bit
means that the
total number of
binary 1 bits in
the character,
including the
parity bit, is odd.

Even parity
means that the
total number of
binary 1 bits in
the character,
including the
parity bit, is even.
 Binary Addition

When adding with binary numbers, there are only

four conditions that can occur.
 Binary Addition

When adding larger binary numbers, the resulting

1’s are carried into higher-order columns.
 Binary Subtraction
To subtract from larger binary numbers, subtract
column by column, borrowing from the adjacent
column when necessary. Remember that when
borrowing from the adjacent column, there are
two digits, i. e., 0 borrow 1 gives 10.
 Binary Subtraction
To subtract using the 1’s complement:
1. Change the subtrahend to 1’s complement
2. Add the two numbers
3. Remove the last carry and add it to the number

1’s complement
 Binary Multiplication

When multiplying binary numbers, there are only

four conditions that can occur.

0x0=0

0x1=0

1x0=0

1x1=1
 Binary Multiplication

To multiply numbers with more than one digit,

form partial products and add them together.

101
x 110
000
101
101
11110
 Binary Division

The process for dividing one binary number by

another is the same for both binary and decimal
numbers.
111
10 1110
10
11
10
10
10
00
Typical PLC Add, Subtract,
Multiply, and Divide Instructions
 PLC Data Comparison Instructions
Are used to compare the relative magnitude of two
quantities.

At times devices may need to be controlled when they

are less than, equal to or greater than other data values
or set points used in the application, like timer and
counter values.

A = B (A equals B)

A > B (A is greater than B)

A < B (A is less than B)