baud

A term referring to the speed at which computers communicate. Officially, it is the number of changes in an electronic signal per second. Since the number of changes usually is the same as the number of bits sent or received per second, bps and baud are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference, which is very often confused. Many 1200bps modems are advertised as 1200 baud, even though they operate at 600 baud. They send out 2 bits 600 times a second, which means that it is 600 baud. However, since it is so often misunderstood, you can assume that when you see "baud" it means bits per second, unless it is stated otherwise. The term comes from the scientist J.M.E.Baudot. See also bps, dibit.