[msm23]

The source http://imgur.com/DrEinPB states the problem using "256" not "2^8". I'm not sure if the tweeter is trying to be clever, but he isn't saving any characters by using the exponential notation.

If you're trying to save characters in a tweet, you don't have any savings in using exponential over decimal for base two until 2^14.

[masklinn]

Or the tweeter is smart enough to realise a likely origin of the limitation and uses that directly.

Considering the tweeter in question, I'd go with the second one.

[joneholland]

Except I doubt it's a bit math bug, or the warning would be very clear about 16, 32, 64 axle trains etc

It's likely that the axle count is stored as a 8-bit unsigned integer.

[masklinn]

> Except I doubt it's a bit math bug

What are you even talking about?

> It's likely that the axle count is stored as a 8-bit unsigned integer.

Which is exactly the point of writing it as 2^8…

[joneholland]

Somehow I read the original tweet as "by powers of 2" and not 2 to the 8th.

I blame my lack of morning coffee :)

[tlrobinson]

I think the author was just suggesting this is due to 256 causing an 8 bit unsigned integer to overflow.

[kps]

2⁸?

[Bromskloss]

See? It still takes three characters.