Byte
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A byte is a collection of eight bits (a binary value of 0 or 1) or two nybbles. A nybble is represented by single digit from 0 to F (sixteen numbers, thus hexadecimal). As such, bytes are represented by a two-digit number from 00 to FF (totalling 256 possible values).
There are two bytes in a word and four bytes in a double-word (or long word). Additionally, 1024 bytes make a kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes make a megabyte, 1024 megabytes make a gigabyte, 1024 gigabytes make a terabyte, etc.
Units
- Bytes
- 1024 bytes = 1 KB (kilobyte)
- 1024 KB = 1 MB (megabyte)
- 1024 MB = 1 GB (gigabyte)
- 1024 GB = 1 TB (terabyte)
- Bits
- 1024 bytes = 1 KBit (kilobit)
- 1024 KBits = 1 MBit (megabit)
- 1024 MBits = 1 GBit (gigabit)
- 1024 GBits = 1 TBit (terabit)
- Conversion
- 8 bits = 1 byte
- 8 KBits = 1 KB (kilobyte)
- 8 MBits = 1 MB (megabyte)
- 8 GBits = 1 GB (gigabyte)
- 8 TBits = 1 TB (terabyte)
Examples
- Nybbles represent single pixels in Mega Drive graphics.
- Bytes represent ASCII characters.
- Words represent one color in a Mega Drive palette.
- Double-words are used as absolute pointers in Mega Drive programming.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the rate at which data is transferred, typically expressed in bytes per second:
- 1 KB/s = 1000 bytes/sec
- 1 MB/s = 1000 KB/s
- 1 GB/s = 1000 MB/s
- 1 TB/s = 1000 GB/s
Bandwidth (or bitrate) can also be expressed in bits per second:
- 1 Kbps = 1000 bits/sec
- 1 Mbps = 1000 Kbps
- 1 Gbps = 1000 Mbps
- 1 Tbps = 1000 Gbps