Software → Digital Logic
Byte
A group of eight bits commonly used as a basic addressable unit of memory.
Motivation
Byte solves the problem of grouping bits into a practical addressable unit of data.
Where it fits
Byte belongs to computer architecture and data representation.
Mental model
A byte is usually eight bits and is commonly the smallest addressable unit of memory.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all characters are one byte.
- Confusing byte with bit in bandwidth and storage measurements.
Related concepts
Byte connects to bit, memory address, RAM, encoding, and file size.