In
computer architecture,
31-bit integers,
memory addresses, or other data units are those that are 31
bits wide. Perhaps the only computing architecture based on 31-bit addressing is one of computing's most famous and most profitable. In 1983,
IBM introduced 31-bit addressing in the
System/370-XA
mainframe architecture as an upgrade to the 24-bit physical and virtual, and transitional 24-bit-virtual/
26-bit physical, addressing of earlier models. This enhancement allowed address spaces to be 128 times larger, permitting programs to address memory above 16
MiB (referred to as "above the line").