Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC3120 C952 Computer Architecture Practice Exam

Big Endian architecture specifies that the most significant byte of a multi-byte data type is stored at the lowest memory address. In this way of organizing data, when a multi-byte value is stored, the byte that holds the highest order (the most significant byte) is placed in the memory location that is accessed first. This method allows for easier reading of the data when it is examined in memory because the most significant parts are encountered first.

For example, if a 32-bit number is represented as four bytes, it would be organized in memory starting with the most significant byte, followed by the subsequent less significant bytes. This approach contrasts with Little Endian, where the least significant byte is stored at the lowest memory address. Understanding this concept is crucial for tasks involving low-level data manipulation, interoperability between different systems, and communication protocols, where data representation consistency is essential.