- Published 8/2/2022
- 2nd Edition
Timeless and accessible, Code can show anyone how computers really work. You'll gain a depth of understanding rivaling that of electrical engineers, as you come to recognize the beauty and elegance that made the computer one of the past century's greatest human achievements. Charles Petzold has fully updated his classic guide to reflect dramatic changes to the experience of computing, modernize cultural and technology references throughout, add even more powerfully intuitive 2-color line drawings, and present five new chapters.
Code, Second Edition first establishes what numeric codes are, and then walks you one "baby step" at a time through the basic theoretical and applied concepts required to construct a simple computer. For more effective learning, Petzold describes rudimentary digital technology, while also revealing how today's world of media and connectivity was built through the pervasive use of numeric codes.
Sample Pages
Download the sample pages (includes Chapters 6 and 11)
Table of Contents
1. Best Friends
2. Codes and Combinations
3. Braille and Binary Codes
4. Anatomy of a Flashlight
5. Communicating Around Corners
6. Telegraphs and Relays
7. Our Ten Digits
8. Alternatives to Ten
9. Bit by Bit by Bit
10. Logic and Switches
11. Switches and Gates
12. A Binary Adding Machine
13. But What About Subtraction?
14. Feedback and Flip-Flops
15. Relays, Tubes, and Transistors
16. Bytes and Hex
17. Displaying Hex Digits
18. An Assemblage of Memory
19: Automating Arithmetic
20. Jumps and Calls
21. Computer 2.0
22. Characters and Decimals
23. Peripherals
24. Languages Low and High
25. Everything is a Code
Errata
We've made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this book and its companion content. Any errors that have been confirmed since this book was published can be downloaded below.
Download the errata (135 KB .doc)
Download replacement figures:
Chapter 8, Figure 52 (2 KB .svg)
Chapter 11, Figure 5 (125 KB .svg)
Chapter 11, Figure 6 (152 KB .svg)
Chapter 11, Figure 7 (156 KB .svg)
Chapter 11, Figure 19 (116 KB .svg)
Chapter 20, Figure 14 (1 KB .svg)
Chapter 23, Figure 01 (1 KB .svg)
Chapter 23, Figure 01 (9 KB .svg)
Chapter 23, Figure 15 (83 KB .svg)
If you find an error, you can report it to us through our Submit errata page.
