float_binary_conversion

Pair functions to convert a floating number to a single precision, double precision, or arbitrary size bit representation and convert a single, double or arbitrary size bit string back into a number.

This repository contains 2 Matlab functions:

float2binary.m converts a floating number to its binary string representation as a single precision, double precision or arbitrary size bit string.

binary2float.m converts a single precision, double precision or arbitrary size bit string back to a floating number.

Here are some use cases:

% pi as single precision (32 bits: 1 sign, 8 exponent, 23 mantissa):

>>float2binary(pi)

ans =
'01000000010010010000111111011010'

% pi as double precision (64 bits: 1 sign, 11 exponent, 52 mantissa):

>>float2binary(pi,'d')

ans =
'0100000000001001001000011111101101010100010001000010110100011000'

% pi as arbitrarily selected 10 bit exponent and 28 bit mantissa digits (+1 sign = 39 bits)

>>float2binary(pi, 10, 28)

ans =
'010000000001001001000011111101101010100'

% convert single precision bit string back to a number

>>binary2float('01000000010010010000111111011010')

ans =
3.14159250259399

% convert double precision bit string back to a number

>>binary2float('0100000000001001001000011111101101010100010001000010110100011000', 'd')

ans =
3.14159265358979

% convert arbitrary size exponent and mantissa bit string back to a number

>>binary2float('010000000001001001000011111101101010100', 10, 28)

ans =
3.14159265160561