Toshiba V.92 User Manual
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Glossary
5.375 x 8.375 ver 2.4.0
bits per second (BPS): A way of measuring the speed at which
information is passed between two devices. This is the basic
measure used in modem communications. This is similar, but not
identical, to the baud rate. See also baud.
buffer: An area of memory where information is held until it can be
processed. Buffers are frequently used to compensate for the fact
that some parts of the system are faster than others. For example,
the computer sends information to a printer much faster than
even the fastest printer can handle it. A print buffer stores printer
information, enabling the computer to continue with other tasks.
As the printer prints a page, it looks in the buffer to see what to
do next.
bus: An electrical circuit that connects the microprocessor with
other parts of the computer, such as the video adapter, disk drives
and ports. It is the highway along which data flows from one
device to another. See also local bus.
busy: A code indicating the number called is busy.
byte: A sequence of eight bits. A byte is the smallest addressable
unit of data. Each byte represents an integer up to 255 in decimal
(11111111 in binary, or FF in hexadecimal), or a character (such
as a letter, numeral, or other symbol). See also binary, bit,
gigabyte, hexadecimal, kilobyte, megabyte.
C
carrier: A modem converts the digital signals of the personal
computer into analog signals to send them through the telephone
line. The analog signals are “carrier,” because they transport the
data. The analog frequency is determined by the individual
communication specifications.
capacity: The amount of information that can be stored in a
computer’s memory or on a storage device such as a hard disk,
diskette, or CD-ROM. Capacity is usually measured in terms of
kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). See also
gigabyte, kilobyte, megabyte.
checksum: A method of checking data errors. Data is divided into
blocks, and the total of the data in those blocks is checked to
determine whether the data has been correctly transmitted. The
total value is called checksum.