2.9 Sign Extension, Zero Extension, Contraction, and Saturation
Because two's complement format integers have a fixed length, a small problem develops. What happens if you need to convert an 8-bit two's complement value to 16 bits? This problem and its converse (converting a 16-bit value to 8 bits) can be accomplished via sign extension and contraction operations.
Consider the value −64. The 8-bit two's complement value for this number is $C0. The 16-bit equivalent of this number is $FFC0. Now consider the value +64. The 8- and 16-bit versions of this value are $40 and $0040, respectively. The difference between the 8- and 16-bit numbers can be described by the rule, "If the number is negative, the H.O. byte of the 16-bit number contains $FF; if ...
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