One byte. Different meanings.
Click any bit to toggle between 0 and 1, then try the three instructions below.
Unsigned integer
65
ASCII character
A
Memory · address 0
01000001
65
CPU register R
00000000
0
Click a bit to change the byte. The same bits can represent a number or a character.
Simplified 8-bit model · ASCII characters · Instructions shown as text
Explore how a computer uses bits. Click any 0 or 1 to change the byte and see its number and ASCII character.
Then try these three steps:
LOAD copies the byte from memory into the register.
ADD 1 increases the number in the register by one.
STORE copies the result back to memory.
Start with A and follow these steps to turn it into B. Click Reset to A to try again.