diff --git a/doc/informal.tex b/doc/informal.tex
index 531bab63..69ff1029 100644
--- a/doc/informal.tex
+++ b/doc/informal.tex
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ def bin2gray(width, B, G):
 
     width -- bit width
     B -- input intbv signal, binary encoded
-    G -- output intbv signal, gray encoded
+    G -- output intbv signal, Gray encoded
     """
     while 1:
         yield B
@@ -254,10 +254,10 @@ def bin2gray(width, B, G):
 
 \end{verbatim}
 
-This code introduces a few new concepts. The string in triple
-quotes at the start of the function is a \dfn{doc string}. This is
-standard Python practice to document function and other
-code. Also, we use a third form of the \keyword{yield} statement:
+This code introduces a few new concepts. The string in triple quotes
+at the start of the function is a \dfn{doc string}. This is standard
+Python practice for the structured documentation of code. Moreover, we
+use a third form of the \keyword{yield} statement:
 \samp{yield \var{signal}}. This specifies that the generator should
 resume whenever \var{signal} changes value. This is typically used to
 describe combinatorial logic.
diff --git a/myhdl/intbv.py b/myhdl/intbv.py
index 83651c4b..65040bed 100644
--- a/myhdl/intbv.py
+++ b/myhdl/intbv.py
@@ -26,7 +26,13 @@ __date__ = "$Date$"
 import sys
 maxint = sys.maxint
 from types import StringType
-   
+
+def _int2bitstring(num):
+    if num == 0:
+        return "0"
+    if num == 1:
+        return "1"
+    return _int2bitstring(num // 2) + _int2bitstring(num % 2) 
 
 class intbv(object):
     __slots__ = ('_val', '_len')
@@ -73,6 +79,11 @@ class intbv(object):
             res._len = basewidth + width
         return res
 
+    # conversion to binary string
+    def bin(self):
+        return _int2bitstring(self._val)
+        
+
     # copy methods
     def __copy__(self):
         return intbv(self._val)