1. Is this a positive or a negative number?
1111 1111 1100 0000 is the binary representation of a negative integer, on 16 bits (2 Bytes).
In a signed binary in one's complement representation, the first bit (the leftmost) indicates the sign, 1 = negative, 0 = positive.
2. Get the binary representation of the positive (unsigned) number.
* Run this step only if the number is negative *
Flip all the bits of the signed binary in one's complement representation (reverse the digits) - replace the bits set on 1 with 0s and the bits on 0 with 1s:
!(1111 1111 1100 0000) = 0000 0000 0011 1111
3. Map the unsigned binary number's digits versus the corresponding powers of 2 that their place value represent:
215
0 214
0 213
0 212
0 211
0 210
0 29
0 28
0 27
0 26
0 25
1 24
1 23
1 22
1 21
1 20
1
1111 1111 1100 0000(2) = -63(10)
The signed binary number in one's complement representation 1111 1111 1100 0000(2) converted and written as an integer in decimal system (base ten):
1111 1111 1100 0000(2) = -63(10)
Spaces were used to group digits: for binary, by 4, for decimal, by 3.