diff --git a/mio/lib/fmtout.c b/mio/lib/fmtout.c
index 11facdb..73b3999 100644
--- a/mio/lib/fmtout.c
+++ b/mio/lib/fmtout.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ floting-point conversion implementation*/
 
 /* Max number conversion buffer length: 
  * mio_intmax_t in base 2, plus NUL byte. */
-#define MAXNBUF (MIO_SIZEOF(mio_intmax_t) * 8 + 1)
+#define MAXNBUF (MIO_SIZEOF(mio_intmax_t) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE + 1)
 
 enum
 {
diff --git a/mio/lib/fmtoutv.h b/mio/lib/fmtoutv.h
index 5847f8c..8518f5c 100644
--- a/mio/lib/fmtoutv.h
+++ b/mio/lib/fmtoutv.h
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ static int fmtoutv (mio_t* mio, const fmtchar_t* fmt, mio_fmtout_data_t* data, v
 				#else
 					register int shift = i * MIO_SIZEOF(mio_oow_t);
 					mio_oow_t x = va_arg (ap, mio_oow_t);
-					num |= (mio_uintmax_t)x << (shift * 8);
+					num |= (mio_uintmax_t)x << (shift * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE);
 				#endif
 				}
 			#else
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ static int fmtoutv (mio_t* mio, const fmtchar_t* fmt, mio_fmtout_data_t* data, v
 				#else
 					register int shift = i * MIO_SIZEOF(mio_oow_t);
 					mio_oow_t x = va_arg (ap, mio_oow_t);
-					num |= (mio_uintmax_t)x << (shift * 8);
+					num |= (mio_uintmax_t)x << (shift * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE);
 				#endif
 				}
 			#else
diff --git a/mio/lib/mio-cmn.h b/mio/lib/mio-cmn.h
index d32c7bb..7450703 100644
--- a/mio/lib/mio-cmn.h
+++ b/mio/lib/mio-cmn.h
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
 #	error UNSUPPORTED SYSTEM
 #endif
 
+/* =========================================================================
+ * ARCHITECTURE/COMPILER TWEAKS
+ * ========================================================================= */
+
 #if defined(EMSCRIPTEN)
 #	if defined(MIO_SIZEOF___INT128)
 #		undef MIO_SIZEOF___INT128 
@@ -57,6 +61,20 @@
 #	endif
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && defined(__arm__)  && !defined(__ARM_ARCH)
+#	if defined(__ARM_ARCH_8__)
+#		define __ARM_ARCH 8
+#	elif defined(__ARM_ARCH_7__)
+#		define __ARM_ARCH 7
+#	elif defined(__ARM_ARCH_6__)
+#		define __ARM_ARCH 6
+#	elif defined(__ARM_ARCH_5__)
+#		define __ARM_ARCH 5
+#	elif defined(__ARM_ARCH_4__)
+#		define __ARM_ARCH 4
+#	endif
+#endif
+
 /* =========================================================================
  * PRIMITIVE TYPE DEFINTIONS
  * ========================================================================= */
@@ -318,6 +336,13 @@
 #	error UNKNOWN INTMAX SIZE
 #endif
 
+/* =========================================================================
+ * BASIC HARD-CODED DEFINES
+ * ========================================================================= */
+#define MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE (8)
+/* the maximum number of bch charaters to represent a single uch character */
+#define MIO_BCSIZE_MAX 6
+
 /* =========================================================================
  * BASIC MIO TYPES
  * =========================================================================*/
@@ -356,11 +381,15 @@ typedef mio_uintptr_t           mio_oow_t;
 typedef mio_intptr_t            mio_ooi_t;
 #define MIO_SIZEOF_OOW_T MIO_SIZEOF_UINTPTR_T
 #define MIO_SIZEOF_OOI_T MIO_SIZEOF_INTPTR_T
+#define MIO_OOW_BITS  (MIO_SIZEOF_OOW_T * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)
+#define MIO_OOI_BITS  (MIO_SIZEOF_OOI_T * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)
 
 typedef mio_ushortptr_t         mio_oohw_t; /* half word - half word */
 typedef mio_shortptr_t          mio_oohi_t; /* signed half word */
 #define MIO_SIZEOF_OOHW_T MIO_SIZEOF_USHORTPTR_T
 #define MIO_SIZEOF_OOHI_T MIO_SIZEOF_SHORTPTR_T
+#define MIO_OOHW_BITS  (MIO_SIZEOF_OOHW_T * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)
+#define MIO_OOHI_BITS  (MIO_SIZEOF_OOHI_T * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)
 
 struct mio_ucs_t
 {
@@ -519,11 +548,11 @@ struct mio_ntime_t
 
 /* make a bit mask that can mask off low n bits */
 #define MIO_LBMASK(type,n) (~(~((type)0) << (n))) 
-#define MIO_LBMASK_SAFE(type,n) (((n) < MIO_SIZEOF(type) * 8)? MIO_LBMASK(type,n): ~(type)0)
+#define MIO_LBMASK_SAFE(type,n) (((n) < MIO_SIZEOF(type) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)? MIO_LBMASK(type,n): ~(type)0)
 
 /* make a bit mask that can mask off hig n bits */
 #define MIO_HBMASK(type,n) (~(~((type)0) >> (n)))
-#define MIO_HBMASK_SAFE(type,n) (((n) < MIO_SIZEOF(type) * 8)? MIO_HBMASK(type,n): ~(type)0)
+#define MIO_HBMASK_SAFE(type,n) (((n) < MIO_SIZEOF(type) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)? MIO_HBMASK(type,n): ~(type)0)
 
 /* get 'length' bits starting from the bit at the 'offset' */
 #define MIO_GETBITS(type,value,offset,length) \
@@ -550,7 +579,7 @@ struct mio_ntime_t
  * \endcode
  */
 /*#define MIO_BITS_MAX(type,nbits) ((((type)1) << (nbits)) - 1)*/
-#define MIO_BITS_MAX(type,nbits) ((~(type)0) >> (MIO_SIZEOF(type) * 8 - (nbits)))
+#define MIO_BITS_MAX(type,nbits) ((~(type)0) >> (MIO_SIZEOF(type) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE - (nbits)))
 
 /* =========================================================================
  * MMGR
@@ -691,11 +720,11 @@ struct mio_cmgr_t
 #define MIO_TYPE_IS_UNSIGNED(type) (((type)0) < ((type)-1))
 
 #define MIO_TYPE_SIGNED_MAX(type) \
-	((type)~((type)1 << ((type)MIO_SIZEOF(type) * 8 - 1)))
+	((type)~((type)1 << ((type)MIO_SIZEOF(type) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE - 1)))
 #define MIO_TYPE_UNSIGNED_MAX(type) ((type)(~(type)0))
 
 #define MIO_TYPE_SIGNED_MIN(type) \
-	((type)((type)1 << ((type)MIO_SIZEOF(type) * 8 - 1)))
+	((type)((type)1 << ((type)MIO_SIZEOF(type) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE - 1)))
 #define MIO_TYPE_UNSIGNED_MIN(type) ((type)0)
 
 #define MIO_TYPE_MAX(type) \
diff --git a/mio/lib/utl.c b/mio/lib/utl.c
index 3feb08e..34b424d 100644
--- a/mio/lib/utl.c
+++ b/mio/lib/utl.c
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ mio_bch_t* mio_find_bchar_in_bcstr (const mio_bch_t* ptr, mio_bch_t c)
 
 mio_oow_t mio_byte_to_bcstr (mio_uint8_t byte, mio_bch_t* buf, mio_oow_t size, int flagged_radix, mio_bch_t fill)
 {
-	mio_bch_t tmp[(MIO_SIZEOF(mio_uint8_t) * 8)];
+	mio_bch_t tmp[(MIO_SIZEOF(mio_uint8_t) * MIO_BITS_PER_BYTE)];
 	mio_bch_t* p = tmp, * bp = buf, * be = buf + size - 1;
 	int radix;
 	mio_bch_t radix_char;