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LOSSARY
LOSSARY
LOSSARY
LOSSARY
39
binary digit
A 0 or 1, which reflects the use of the
binary numbering system. It is used because
the computer recognizes either of two
states, OFF or ON. The shortened form of
binary digit is bit.
bit rate
This refers to the number of binary digits,
or bits, transmitted per second (bps). It is
also referred to as transmission rate.
Communications channels using telephone
channel modems are established at set bit
rates, commonly 2400, 4800, 9600, 14,400,
28,800 and higher.
bits per second (bps)
This is the bits (binary digits) per second
rate. Thousands of bits per second are
expressed as kilobits per second or kbps.
buffer
A memory area set aside to be used as
temporary storage during input and output
operations. An example is the modem's
command buffer.
byte
A group of binary digits stored and
operated upon as a unit. In user
documentation, the term usually refers to 8-
bit units or characters. One kilobyte (KB)
is equal to 1,024 bytes or characters; 640
KB indicates 655,360 bytes or characters.
carrier
A tone signifying a connection the modem
can alter to communicate data across
telephone lines.
