What is the unit of information transmission in the computer?

The information transmission in the computer is in units of words.

word

In a computer, a string of numbers is processed or operated as a whole, which is called a computer word. A word is usually divided into several bytes (each byte is usually 8 bits). In memory, usually one word is stored in each cell, so each word is addressable. The length of a word is expressed by numbers.

In the arithmetic unit and controller of a computer, transmission is usually carried out in units of words. Words appear in different addresses and have different meanings. For example, the word sent to the controller is an instruction, and the word sent to the arithmetic unit is a number.

word size

Word length refers to the number of digits contained in each word of a computer. There are two types of word lengths according to different computers: fixed and variable. Fixed word length, that is, the word length is fixed in any case; Variable word length, within a certain range, its length is variable.

Computational word length refers to the number of binary digits it can handle at one time. The speed at which a computer processes data is naturally related to the number of bits it can process at a time and the operation speed. If the word length of one computer is twice as long as that of another computer, even if the two computers have the same speed, the former can finish twice the work of the latter in the same time. Generally, the word length of a large computer is 32-64 bits, that of a small computer is 16-32 bits, and that of a microcomputer is 4- 16 bits. Word length is an important factor to measure computer performance.

byte

Bytes refer to a small group of adjacent binary numbers. Usually 8 bits are one byte. It is a small unit that constitutes information and participates in the operation as a whole. It is smaller than a word and is the unit that constitutes a word. In a microcomputer, how many bytes are usually used to represent the storage capacity of a memory.

In a word, information is usually transmitted in units of (words) in computers.

Not bytes! Not at all!

Supplement:

word size

The representation of numbers in the computer is called machine number, which is expressed in binary. The number of binary digits representing the number of machines is called the word length of the computer, which is the information unit for the computer to store, transmit and process data. Different computers have different word lengths, including 8 bits, 16 bits, 32 bits and 64 bits. The influence of word length and number of bits on the computer: the longer the number of bits, the more data can be input in the same time, thus making the machine have faster speed and larger main memory capacity; It can also make the computer support more instructions and more functions. In short, the bigger the word length, the better the computer performance.

Ask those students who think it is bytes and bits to carefully review the knowledge in the textbook "Fundamentals of Computer Application Technology in Colleges and Universities". Have you slept in class?