Complement Modes And Unsignedmode - HP -16C Owner's Handbook Manual

Section 3: Number and Display Control 29
Note: Regardless of the current number base mode, the
internal representation of numbers is always binary.
Switching between number modes changes the display only,
not the calculator's internal representation of the value.*
Temporary Display (""SHOW"')
To temporarily view the displayed value in another base, press
SHOW {[HEX], [DEC], [OCT], [BIN]}. The converted form of the number
will be shown as long as you hold down the number base key.
Keystrokes Display
[HEXJF F h
1111 b
(f)JSHOW [OCT] (hold) 17 o
(release) 1111 b
Complement Modes and Unsigned Mode
The HP-16C provides three conventions for representing numbers:
1's Complement mode, 2's Complement mode, and Unsigned mode.
The 2's Complement mode is the default mode when the calculator
is first turned on or after Continuous Memory is reset. Once a mode
is set, it remains in effect until you change it or until Continuous
Memory is reset. (All examples in this handbook use 2's
Complement unless otherwise indicated.)
In the binary representation of a signed number, the leftmost or
most significant bit with respect to word size serves as the sign bit:
0 for plus and 1 for minus. In Decimal mode, a negative number is
displayed with a minus sign.
*The keystroke sequence on page 35 shows how number base mode, word size, and
complement mode affect the display without affecting the calculator's internal binary
representation of a number in Integer mode.