| Aspect | Pure Binary | BCD | |--------|-------------|-----| | Storage efficiency | ~3.32 bits/digit (log2 10) | 4 bits/digit (waste ~20%) | | Arithmetic speed | Fast (native CPU) | Requires adjustment steps (~2-5x slower) | | Decimal rounding | Inexact for fractions | Exact to given digits | | Conversion overhead | Binary ↔ ASCII needed | Direct to display (no conversion) |
The 8051 has a (Decimal Adjust) instruction that operates on the accumulator after addition. bcd commands
: The 6502’s decimal mode is famously broken on the CMOS version (65C02) but works on NMOS (original). Many emulators replicate the bug. | Aspect | Pure Binary | BCD |
: Lists all current boot entries in the BCD store. bcd commands