Binary Counting
Digital electronic devices use a special system of counting called the "Binary System". Numbers in the binary system are represented by a series of ones and zeros. Electronic devices use digital components to store and manipulate numbers. Using eight bits (binary digits) a binary counter can count from 0 to 255.
Each bit in the binary system represents a power of 2. The rightmost bit represents 20 (1), the next bit to the left represents 21 (2), the next bit to the left represents 22 (4), and so on. The leftmost bit represents 27 (128).
For example, the binary number 00001010 represents the decimal number 10. The rightmost bit is 0 x 20 = 0, the next bit to the left is 1 x 21 = 2, the next bit to the left is 0 x 22 = 0, and the leftmost bit is 1 x 23 = 8. Adding these together gives 0 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 10.
The colored squares represent digital switches. If a switch is red it is off, if it is green it is on.