1. What is Hex XOR?

The XOR (exclusive OR) operation is a bitwise operation that compares two binary numbers. For each bit, the result is 1 if the bits are different, and 0 if they are the same. This calculator performs XOR on hexadecimal values.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator performs the following steps:

Where:

• Hex1 — First hexadecimal input
• Hex2 — Second hexadecimal input
• ⊕ — Bitwise XOR operation

Explanation: The calculator converts the hex values to binary, performs XOR on each corresponding bit, then converts the result back to hexadecimal.

3. Importance of XOR Operation

Details: XOR is fundamental in cryptography, error detection, and digital logic circuits. It's used in encryption algorithms, checksums, and parity checks.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter two hexadecimal values of any length. The calculator will pad shorter values with leading zeros to match the length of the longer value before performing the XOR operation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What characters are valid in hex input?
A: Valid characters are 0-9 and A-F (case insensitive). The calculator will accept lowercase letters but display results in uppercase.

Q2: What happens if inputs are different lengths?
A: The shorter value is padded with leading zeros to match the length of the longer value before XOR is performed.

Q3: Can I XOR more than two values?
A: This calculator handles two values at a time. For multiple XOR operations, you can chain calculations.

Q4: What are some practical uses of XOR?
A: XOR is used in cryptography (e.g., one-time pads), RAID systems, error detection, and simple encryption algorithms.

Q5: How is XOR different from OR?
A: XOR is true only when inputs differ, while OR is true when either input is true. XOR excludes the case where both inputs are true.