Appendix E / E.3 / E.3.2

E.3.2 Hexadecimal Representation

Long binary numbers quickly become difficult to read and interpret. To simplify notation, engineers frequently use hexadecimal (base-16) representation.

Hexadecimal uses sixteen symbols: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F, where: A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, and F=15.

Each hexadecimal digit corresponds exactly to four binary bits (a nibble), making conversion straightforward.

So, for example 11011010₂ grouped into four-bit groups is 1101 and 1011. Converting each group: 1101=D and 1010=A. Therefore 11011010₂ = DA₁₆. Similarly, FF₁₆ = 11111111₂ = 255₁₀.

Hexadecimal notation is widely used in:

• Memory addressing.
• Microprocessor programming.
• Packet headers.
• Error-control coding representations.
• Network protocol specifications.

Because each hex digit represents exactly four bits, it provides a compact and readable representation of binary data while preserving exact bit structure.