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A nibble (or less commonly, nybble) is the computing term for the aggregation of four bits, or half an octet (an octet being an 8-bit byte). As a nibble contains four bits, there are sixteen (24) possible values, so a nibble corresponds to a single hexadecimal digit (thus, it is often referred to as a "hex digit" or "hexit"). A full byte is represented by two hexadecimal digits; therefore, it is common to display a byte of information as two nibbles. The nibble is often called a "semioctet" or a "quartet" in a networking or telecommunication context. Originally, the word computing was synonymous with counting and calculating, and a science that deals with the original sense of computing mathematical calculations. ...
A bit refers to a digit in the binary numeral system (base 2). ...
In computer technology and networking, an octet is a group of 8 bits. ...
8-bit refers to the number of bits used in the data bus of a computer. ...
A byte is commonly used as a unit of storage measurement in computers, regardless of the type of data being stored. ...
In mathematics and computer science, base-16, hexadecimal, or simply hex, is a numeral system with a radix or base of 16 usually written using the symbols 0–9 and A–F or a–f. ...
In mathematics, hexadecimal or simply hex is a numeral system with a radix or base of 16 usually written using the symbols 0–9 and A–F or a–f. ...
A computer network is a system for communication between computers. ...
Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ...
The term "nibble" originates from the fact that the term "byte" is a pun on the English word "bite". A nibble is a small bite, which in this context is humourously construed as "half a bite". The alternative "nybble" spelling parallels the spelling of "byte". It has been suggested that dajare be merged into this article or section. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
Historically, there have been cases where the term "nybble" was used for a set of bits fewer than 8, but not necessarily 4. In the Apple II microcomputer line, much of the disk drive control was implemented in software. Writing data to a disk was done by converting 256-byte pages into sets of 5-bit or, later, 6-bit nybbles; loading data from the disk required the reverse. Note that the term byte also had this ambiguity; at one time, byte meant a set of bits but not necessarily 8. Today, the terms "byte" and "nibble" ("nybble") generally refer to 8- and 4-bit collections, respectively, and are not often used for other sizes. The 1977 Apple II, complete with integrated keyboard, color graphics, sound, a plastic case and eight expansion slots. ...
See also
The binary numeral system (base 2 numerals) represents numeric values using two symbols, typically 0 and 1. ...
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