24-bit computing
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2009) |
| Computer architecture bit widths |
|---|
| Bit |
| Application |
| Binary floating-point precision |
| Decimal floating-point precision |
In
address buses, or data buses
of that size.
Notable 24-bit machines include the
CDC lower 3000 series, SDS 930 and SDS 940, the ICT 1900 series, the Elliott 4100 series, and the Datacraft minicomputers/Harris H series.[1]
The term SWORD is sometimes used to describe a 24-bit data type with the S prefix referring to sesqui.[citation needed]
The range of unsigned integers that can be represented in 24 bits is 0 to 16,777,215 (FFFFFF16 in hexadecimal). The range of signed integers that can be represented in 24 bits is −8,388,608 to 8,388,607.
Usage
The IBM
32-bit general registers and arithmetic. The early 1980s saw the first popular personal computers, including the IBM PC/AT with an Intel 80286 processor using 24-bit addressing and 16-bit general registers and arithmetic, and the Apple Macintosh 128K with a Motorola 68000
processor featuring 24-bit addressing and 32-bit registers.
The
Z80. [citation needed
]
The
6502.[2]
Several fixed-point
memory space: program memory, data memory X, and data memory Y.[3]
ATHENA computer, the UNIVAC 1824 guidance computer, etc. Those designers selected a 24-bit word length because the Earth is roughly 40 million feet in diameter, and an intercontinental ballistic missile guidance computer needs to do the Earth-centered inertial navigation calculations to an accuracy of a few feet.[4][failed verification
]
OpenCL has a built-in intrinsic for multiplication (mul24()) with two 24-bit integers, returning a 32-bit result. It is typically much faster than a 32-bit multiplication.[5]
See also
- Catena, a term used for a 24-bit unit of data on the Bull Gamma 60 computer
References
- ^ Savard, John. "Real Machines with 24-bit and 48-bit words". Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Brett Tabke (1996). "A 6502 Programmer's Introduction to the 65816". Commodore World magazine. No. 16.
- ^ "24-BIT. DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR. FAMILY" (PDF).
- ^ "UNIVAC 24-bit computer genealogy".
- ^ "integerFunctions(3) Manual Page". www.khronos.org.