thank you for the response. Why should the decimal value 100 be loaded into the B register? everywhere in my text book shows the value 10. here is the code from the book

RAM_ADDR    EQU 40H
ASCI_RSULT  EQU 50H
COUNT       EQU 3

;------------MAIN PROGRAM
        ORG 0
        ACALL BIN_DEC_CONVRT
        ACALL DEC_ASCI_CONVRT
        SJMP  $

;----------CONVERTING BIN (HEX) TO DEC (00-FF TO 000-255)
BIN_DEC_CONVRT:
MOV	R0, #RAM_ADDR
MOV	A, P1
MOV	B, #10
DIV	AB
MOV	@R0, B
INC	R0
MOV	B, #10
DIV	AB
MOV	@R0, B
INC	R0
MOV	@R0, A
RET
      	
      ;-------CONVERTING DEC DIGITS TO DISPLAYABLE ASCII DIGITS
       
      DEC_ASCI_CONVRT:
MOV	R0, #RAM_ADDR
MOV	R1, #ASCI_RSULT
MOV	R2, #3
BACK:	MOV	A, @R0
ORL	A, #30H
ACALL	SEND
MOV	@R1, A
INC	R0
INC	R1
DJNZ	R2, BACK
RET
 

I'm not saying that i don't believe you, just that I wish the instructor would have pointed out that mistake in the book instead of confusing everyone. originally in the above code the MOV A, P1 instruction was to move the value from the dip switches on the 8051. i had changed it to port 2 cause i wasnt really sure where to get the data to convert. the only other place i can think of is TL0.