SMC Networks SMC7204BRA manual Appendix B, Bits and bytes, Definition bit and byte

Appendix B

Bits and bytes

Computers handle binary numbers by grouping them into units of distinct sizes. The smallest unit is called a bit, and the most commonly used unit is called a byte.

Definition (bit and byte):

A bit is a single binary digit, i.e., 0 or 1. A byte is a group of eight consecutive bits (the number of bits can vary with computers, but is almost always eight), e.g., 11011001. The value of a byte ranges from 0 (00000000) to 255 (11111111).

The following shows the values of the eight digits in a byte along with a sample value:

128's	64's	32's	16's	8's	4's	2's	1's
1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1

The decimal value of this byte is 173 (128 + 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 173).

174