Mebibit

v · d · e Multiples of bits
SI decimal prefixes		Binary usage	IEC binary prefixes
Name (Symbol)	Value		Name (Symbol)	Value
kilobit (kbit)	103	210	kibibit (Kibit)	210
megabit (Mbit)	106	220	mebibit (Mibit)	220
gigabit (Gbit)	109	230	gibibit (Gibit)	230
terabit (Tbit)	1012	240	tebibit (Tibit)	240
petabit (Pbit)	1015	250	pebibit (Pibit)	250
exabit (Ebit)	1018	260	exbibit (Eibit)	260
zettabit (Zbit)	1021	270	zebibit (Zibit)	270
yottabit (Ybit)	1024	280	yobibit (Yibit)	280
See also: Nibble · Byte · Multiples of bytes Orders of magnitude of data

The mebibit is a multiple of the bit, a unit of digital information storage, prefixed by the standards-based multiplier mebi (symbol Mi), a binary prefix meaning 2²⁰.^[1][2] The unit symbol of the mebibit is Mibit or Mib.

1 mebibit = 2²⁰ bits = 1048576bits = 1024 kibibits^[3]

This unit is most useful for measuring RAM and ROM chip capacity.

The mebibit is closely related to the megabit which equals 10⁶ bits = 1,000,000 bits, but is sometimes used to denote the mebibit value in traditional computer technology writing.^{[citation needed]} Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, video game manufacturers would sometimes report the amount of internal cartridge ROM (in megabits) on their packaging. 1 megabit equaled 128 kibibyte; 8 megabits were 1 mebibyte of ROM containing game instructions and data.

The binary prefixes are not part of the International System of Units (SI).

See also

• Mebibyte
• Mebibit per second

References

1. ^ International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC 60027-2 (2000-11) Ed. 2.0
2. ^ A.J. Thor (2000). "Prefixes for binary multiples" (PDF). Metrologica 37 (81): 81. doi:10.1088/0026-1394/37/1/12. http://iopscience.iop.org/0026-1394/37/1/12/pdf/0026-1394_37_1_12.pdf. 
3. ^ Definitions of the SI units: The binary prefixes