bit rate


The ratio of the number of bits that are transferred between devices in a specified amount of time, typically one second.

Bit rate is the same as data rate, data transfer rate and bit time.

Read Also:

  • bit-slice

    Refers to a type of microprocessor in which the MPU is split apart into CU (control unit) and ALU (arithmetic logic unit) chips.

  • bit stuffing

    The practice of adding bits to a stream of data. Bit stuffing is required by many network and communications protocols for the following reasons: To prevent data being interpreted as control information. For example, many frame-based protocols, such as X.25, signal the beginning and end of a frame with six consecutive 1 bits. Therefore, if […]

  • bit block transfer

    A transformation of a rectangular block of pixels. Typical transformations include changing the color or shade of all pixels or rotating the entire rectangle. Many modern video adapters include hardwired bit block transformations, which execute much faster than they do when executed by software routines.

  • bitwise operator

    An operator that manipulates individual bits. The operators that most people are familiar with, such as the addition operator (+), work with bytes or groups of bytes. Occasionally, however, programmers need to manipulate the bits within a byte. The C programming language supports the following bitwise operators: >> Shifts bits right

  • black hole

    Slang term for a router that goes down (offline) and whose absence goes undetected by other routers on the network. Packets that are forwarded to that router simply get dropped and never arrive at their destination. Black holes are unable to generate destination unreachable messages, so users are left unaware that data is being lost.


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