Technical Glossary -- (Kurt Smith)

Also known as: Bd Baud (Bd) was the traditional unit used to measure signalling speed or modulation rate on a communications channel, and it was first used to measure the speed of telegraph transmissions. The Baud was named after a French engineer, Jean-Maurice-Emile Baudot, and one Baud is equal to one signal change per second. Baud is often confused with the bit rate or Bits per Second (bps), and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, Bauds and bits are not always the same thing, as more than one bit may be transferred in one Baud. Nowadays Bits Per Second (bps) is used instead of Baud, because it is a more accurate measurement of the actual data transfer rate, and the Baud is best avoided

Baud Rate is a measure of the information carrying capacity or signalling rate on a communications channel, and is the maximum number of discrete signal events that can be transmitted per second. Baud Rate has often been used as a measure of the speed at which computers can transfer data through a modem. However, it is a term that has caused a lot of confusion, and some people have mistakenly used the term interchangeably with Bits per Second (bps). Bauds and bits are not always the same thing, as more than one bit may be transferred in one Baud. Nowadays Bits Per Second (bps) is used instead of Baud, because it is a more accurate measurement of the actual data transfer rate, and the Baud is best avoided

Also known as: Broadcast Control Channel Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is a downlink GSM Broadcast Channel (BCH). The BCCH is transmitted by a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) to provide the signalling information required by the MS (Mobile Station) to access and identify the network. The BCCH will include information such as the LAC (Location Area Code).

Also known as: Broadcast Channel Broadcast Channels (BCH) are downlink channels in a GSM system and are transmitted by the Base Transceiver Station (BTS). BCH provide signalling information, so that the Mobile Stations (MS) in the cell can locate, synchronise and access the network. Three types of BCH are used: Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH), Synchronisation Channel (SCH), and Frequency Correction Channel

n. advantage of a product or service, usually derived from its features

Also known as: Bit Error Ratio, Bit Error Rate Bit Error Rate or Bit Error Ratio (BER) is a measure of the accuracy of transmission for digital information in a telecommunications system. The BER is calculated as the number of bits that were in error, as a proportion of the total number of bits transmitted, or received, or processed over a given period of time. This figure can be used to indicate the Quality of Service for a service provider, and is typically of the order of one error bit in a billion (or 1 in 10 to the power minus 9).

Also known as: Bit Error Rate Test Bit Error Rate Test (BERT) is a device or test used to determine the Bit Error Rate for a particular transmission. The test is used to discover how many received bits of data were in error, as a ratio of the total number of bits received. The result is usually a very small number, typically one in a billion (or 10 to the power minus 9).

n. signboard, usually outdoors, for advertising posters

Also known as: Bit Bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data used in digital information systems, being allocated only a single value of either 0 or 1, i.e. an "off" or an "on" state. In the data communication field bits are counted using the decimal number system, and so other units of bits are kilobit (1,000 bits), Megabit (1,000,000 bits) and Gigabit (1,000,000,000 bits). The term "Bit" is derived from a combination of b(inary) and (dig)it