24-bit computing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:42, 17 May 2024

Revision as of 00:30, 18 June 2025

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{{N-bit|24|(3 octets)}}

Notable '''24-bit''' machines include the [[CDC 924]] – a 24-bit version of the [[CDC 1604]], [[CDC 3000|CDC lower 3000 series]], [[SDS 930]] and [[SDS 940]], the [[ICT 1900 series]], the [[Elliott Brothers (computer company)|Elliott]] 4100 series, and the [[Datacraft Corporation|Datacraft]] minicomputers/[[Harris Computer Systems|Harris]] H series.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/cp0303.htm | title = Real Machines with 24-bit and 48-bit words | access-date = 2011-02-11 | last = Savard | first = John| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110107183451/http://quadibloc.com/comp/cp0303.htm| archive-date= 7 January 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>

The term SWORD is sometimes used to describe a 24-bit data type with the S prefix referring to [[wikt:sesqui|sesqui]].{{cn|date=October 2018}}

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== Usage ==

The IBM [[System/360]], announced in 1964, was a popular computer system with 24-bit addressing and [[32-bit]] general registers and arithmetic. The early 1980s saw the first popular personal computers, including the [[IBM Personal Computer AT|IBM PC/AT]] with an [[Intel 80286]] processor using 24-bit addressing and [[16-bit computing|16-bit]] general registers and arithmetic, and the [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] [[Macintosh 128K]] with a [[Motorola 68000]] processor featuring 24-bit addressing and 32-bit registers. Some late-1980s Apple computers such as the [[Macintosh SE/30]] and [[Macintosh IIx]] retained some 24-bit code in their [[ROMs]] despite being advertised as 32-bit computers. These computers require the installation of the [[MODE32]] memory manager to address more than 8Mb of RAM.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=L. E. M. |date=1989-01-19 |title=Mac SE/30 |url=https://lowendmac.com/1989/mac-se30/ |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Low End Mac |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=L. E. M. |date=1988-09-19 |title=Mac IIx |url=https://lowendmac.com/1988/mac-iix/ |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Low End Mac |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[eZ80]] is a microprocessor and microcontroller family, with 24-bit registers and therefore 24-bit linear addressing, that is [[binary-code compatibility|binary compatible]] with the [[8-bit|8]]/16-bit [[Z80]]. {{cn|date=September 2015}}