Digital Electronics - Number Systems and Codes - Discussion

Binary number system has 2 characters.

Decimal number system has 9 characters.

Octal number system has 8 characters.

Hexa Decimal number system has 16 characters.

Bit = 0 or 1;

Nibble = 0000 to 1111 ; (any 4 bits btw these).

Byte = 0000 0000 to 1111 1111 (any 8 bit btw those limits).

Similarly, Word = any 16 bit.

So the maximum value of hexadecimal number system is F.

And the equivalent value of F in binary is 1111.

Which is the maximum value for a nibble. And so a hex can be referred as a nibble.

@ALL

0xAF Here A is a hex digit and F is a hex digit.

A represents 10 in decimal or 1010 in Binary.
F represents 15 in decimal or 1111 in Binary.

AF combination represents 175 in decimal or 10101111 in Binary (1 byte of information).

Here each hex digit represents 4 bits, nibble is consist of 4 bits.

Hence the answer.

Note:

int a = 175;
int a = 0xFA;

Here both of the above statements are same.

All hexadecimal number starting from 0=0000, 1=0001, 2=0010, 3=0011 & soon till A=1010, B=1011, C=1100, D=1101, E=1110, F=1111 i.e upto F.

All digits of hexadecimal number system can be represented in 4 digits not more than that needed,

& 1 nibble = 4 bits,

Hence 1 hex digit sometimes referred to as nibble here in the Qus as a(n).

The digits from A to F can be represented by 4 bits. So

A =1010
B=1011
C=1100
D=1101
E=1110
F=1111

Any hex digits take 4 bits.

1 hex = 16.

Nibble = group of 4 bits.

Then how One hex digit is sometimes referred to as a (n) : Nibble.

@Sundar

You gave an excellent explanation. Thank you.

What do you mean by one hex digit?

One nibble is equal to 4 bits.

Thanks @Sandhya.