If a computer has 2k of memory

In summary, the first and last address are 0 and 1999 but the answer was 0 and some other number which i don't remember (it wasnt 1999 haha). The correct number for the last address and why isn't it 1999 since there are 2000 bytes in a 2k ram is 2047.
  • #1
jaydnul
558
15
What would the first and last address be? I said 0 and 1999 but the answer was 0 and some other number which i don't remember (it wasnt 1999 haha) What is the correct number for the last address and why isn't it 1999 since there are 2000 bytes in a 2k ram?
 
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  • #2
lundyjb said:
What would the first and last address be? I said 0 and 1999 but the answer was 0 and some other number which i don't remember (it wasnt 1999 haha) What is the correct number for the last address and why isn't it 1999 since there are 2000 bytes in a 2k ram?

In computers "K" mean 1024. Why do you think that might be?
 
  • #3
Ahh so 2047? Does that mean a gig is 1,024,000,000 bytes?
 
  • #4
Nevermind, I realized my error after i hit post
 
  • #5
Get one of those cheap TI calculators that has BIN, OCT and HEX buttons.
You'll quickly become fluent.
 
  • #6
lundyjb said:
Ahh so 2047? Does that mean a gig is 1,024,000,000 bytes?

AGAIN, I ask ... why do you think that might be?
 
  • #7
lundyjb,

In general when discussing RAM, EEPROM and FLASH memories the capacity is given in 2^X format. Therefore 2K represents 2^11 = 2048 Bytes. Assuming the starting address is 0x00, and the memory is organized as 8 bit words, the last address would be 0x7FF (2047d). Directly addressing this space would require an address width of 11 bits if it were organized as 8 bit words, 10 bits if it were organized as 16 bit words, 9 bits if it were organized as 32 bit words and 8 bits if it were organized as 64 bit words.

When working with digital electronics it is generally beneficial to work in powers of 2 (and Hexadecimal notation greatly facilitates this); this gives you the clearest indication of what is actually happening.

The confusion and dis-ambiguous nomenclature surrounding GB, Gigabyte, gibibyte, Gb and other similar terms is discussed @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabyte. In general gigabyte refers to 2^30 bytes when referencing pc memory (1,073,741,824 bytes) which is similar in value to the SI prefix "giga" which = 10^9 = 1,000,000,000.

One of the great travesties of marketing is that hard drives typically base capacity on SI units (ie, a 400GB HD = 400,000,000,000 bytes; however, Windows Operating systems report the hard drive capacity (and file sizes) in binary notation. As an example a "400GB" hard drive would likely be reported by windows to be a 372GB drive.

The final nebulous marketing scheme I will mention concerns data transmission rates. In almost every case from the early RS232 specifications to the bleeding edge SATA specifications, the transfer rate is defined as the number of bits per second. It might appear this means that the bytes per second is simply the bits per second divided by 8, but this, of course, is never possible in a serial transmission. At the very least a serial packet must have a "start condition" and a "stop condition". In many cases the packet length is a single 8 bit byte, so we have at the minimum, 1 start bit, 8 data bits and a stop bit. In noisy environments the addition of a parity bit is common, increasing the number of bits per byte to 11. There are lots communications standards and protocols, the common theme is that they all sound faster than they really are, lol.

LMAO, that was prolly a lot more than the OP was asking for, sorry for the verbosity.

Fish
 

1. How much memory is 2k?

2k of memory is equivalent to 2,048 bytes or 2 kilobytes. It is a relatively small amount of memory compared to modern computers, which typically have several gigabytes of memory.

2. What can I store in 2k of memory?

The amount of data that can be stored in 2k of memory depends on the type of data. For example, 2k of memory can store approximately 500 words or 4,000 characters of text, but only a few seconds of audio or video.

3. Is 2k of memory enough for a computer to function?

It depends on the type of computer and its intended use. 2k of memory is not enough for modern computers to function, but it may have been enough for early computers that performed basic tasks such as calculations and data storage.

4. How does 2k of memory compare to other units of memory measurement?

2k of memory is equivalent to 0.002 megabytes, 0.000002 gigabytes, or 0.000000002 terabytes. It is a very small amount of memory compared to modern units, which are typically in the gigabyte or terabyte range.

5. Can I upgrade a computer with only 2k of memory?

It is unlikely that a computer with only 2k of memory can be upgraded, as this amount of memory is typically built into the computer's hardware. In order to increase the amount of memory, the computer would need to be replaced or have additional memory added through external devices.

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