Real mode
Operating mode of all x86-compatible CPUs / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Real mode, also called real address mode, is an operating mode of all x86-compatible CPUs. The mode gets its name from the fact that addresses in real mode always correspond to real locations in memory. Real mode is characterized by a 20-bit segmented memory address space (giving 1 MB of addressable memory) and unlimited direct software access to all addressable memory, I/O addresses and peripheral hardware. Real mode provides no support for memory protection, multitasking, or code privilege levels.
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Before the introduction of protected mode with the release of the 80286, real mode was the only available mode for x86 CPUs;[1] and for backward compatibility, all x86 CPUs start in real mode when reset, though it is possible to emulate real mode on other systems when starting in other modes.