Word
Description
Baud
a unit of measurement that represents the number of bits that can be sent or received over a telephone line or via a satellite signal per second. Baud is actually the maximum number of times per second that the signal shifts value. For example, a 56,000-baud modem takes 56,000-baud (56,000-bps) and encodes it into an audio signal whose actual signal is 14,000. To keep it simple, remember that the higher the baud rate, the faster the transmission of data. The challenge is that telephone lines are limited in their ability to transmit these signals. The term baud is losing popularity to the more accurate .bps. meaning bits per second.