What are the steps to convert
1 - 1111 1100 - 100 0010 1010 1010 0000 1100, a 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation standard to decimal?
1. Identify the elements that make up the binary representation of the number:
The first bit (the leftmost) indicates the sign,
1 = negative, 0 = positive.
1
The next 8 bits contain the exponent:
1111 1100
The last 23 bits contain the mantissa:
100 0010 1010 1010 0000 1100
2. Convert the exponent from binary (from base 2) to decimal (in base 10).
The exponent is allways a positive integer.
1111 1100(2) =
1 × 27 + 1 × 26 + 1 × 25 + 1 × 24 + 1 × 23 + 1 × 22 + 0 × 21 + 0 × 20 =
128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 0 + 0 =
128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 =
252(10)
3. Adjust the exponent.
Subtract the excess bits: 2(8 - 1) - 1 = 127,
that is due to the 8 bit excess/bias notation.
The exponent, adjusted = 252 - 127 = 125
4. Convert the mantissa from binary (from base 2) to decimal (in base 10).
The mantissa represents the fractional part of the number (what comes after the whole part of the number, separated from it by a comma).
100 0010 1010 1010 0000 1100(2) =
1 × 2-1 + 0 × 2-2 + 0 × 2-3 + 0 × 2-4 + 0 × 2-5 + 1 × 2-6 + 0 × 2-7 + 1 × 2-8 + 0 × 2-9 + 1 × 2-10 + 0 × 2-11 + 1 × 2-12 + 0 × 2-13 + 1 × 2-14 + 0 × 2-15 + 0 × 2-16 + 0 × 2-17 + 0 × 2-18 + 0 × 2-19 + 1 × 2-20 + 1 × 2-21 + 0 × 2-22 + 0 × 2-23 =
0.5 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0.015 625 + 0 + 0.003 906 25 + 0 + 0.000 976 562 5 + 0 + 0.000 244 140 625 + 0 + 0.000 061 035 156 25 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 000 953 674 316 406 25 + 0.000 000 476 837 158 203 125 + 0 + 0 =
0.5 + 0.015 625 + 0.003 906 25 + 0.000 976 562 5 + 0.000 244 140 625 + 0.000 061 035 156 25 + 0.000 000 953 674 316 406 25 + 0.000 000 476 837 158 203 125 =
0.520 814 418 792 724 609 375(10)
= -64 688 291 259 284 960 965 058 460 359 342 424 064
1 - 1111 1100 - 100 0010 1010 1010 0000 1100, a 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation standard to a decimal number, written in base ten (float) = -64 688 291 259 284 960 965 058 460 359 342 424 064(10)
Spaces were used to group digits: for binary, by 4, for decimal, by 3.