data representation

• data formats - specifications of converting data into computer-usable form, define different way human data may be represented, store and processed by computer
• data formats (computer) - process and store all forms of data in binary format
• data formats (human communication) - includes language, images and sounds
• computing system data - are complex devices, dealing with a vast array of information categories, help to store, present and modify text, audio, images and graphics, video
• computer systems are finite machines (store limit amount of information) - goal is to represent enough of real world data to satisfy our computational needs, information can be represented in digital and analog
• analog data - a continuous representation analogous to the actual information it represents, no breaking or gap between
• digital data -discrete representation, breaking information into separate elements, gap between
• EMI - electromagnetic interference
• binary representation - number composed only digits 0 and 1
• why binary representation - less expensive and complex, more reliable and electronic signals are easier to maintain
• alphanumeric code -ASCII, unicode
• ASCII - american standard code for information interchange, 7-bit code
• unicode - a superset of ASCII, use 16 bit per character