a32

A32 is a designation that can refer to multiple things depending on context. The most common reference in technical literature is ARM A32, the 32-bit instruction encoding used by ARM processors. In ARM architecture, A32 refers to the 32-bit instruction set state (often described as AArch32 in modern documentation) used for most ARMv7-A and ARMv7-R code, and it is supported in ARMv8-A in its AArch32 compatibility mode. A32 instructions are fixed 32-bit wide and are typically contrasted with T32 (Thumb) encodings, which emphasize code density, and with A64 (ARMv8-A 64-bit) encodings. The A32 encoding includes traditional data-processing, memory access, and control-flow instructions and supports conditional execution via condition codes. It forms the basis for running legacy 32-bit code on newer ARM cores.

Beyond computing, A32 may appear in other domains as a nonstandard shorthand. In aviation discourse, A32 is sometimes used informally to refer to the Airbus A320 family, though official aircraft designations use A320, A321, A318, and related suffixes. Other uses can include product or model codes in various industries, in which case the precise meaning is determined by the surrounding material.

Because A32 is not unique to a single field, clarification from context is essential when interpreting the term.