["what's a baud?"]
That, at
least, *is* standardized.
But is it really? Assuming that we're talking about
an asynchronous
connection, there is a grand total of 256 possible valid symbols
transmitted in 10 bit-times (at 8N1, 2400 bits/second). So a modem
that transmits at a 2400 bps rate to its DTE or DCE is really only
working at 0.8*2400 or 1920 baud;
No, the line - the DTE data line, that is - is potentially changing
state 2400 times a second; ergo, 2400 baud. 20% of those bit times
convey almost no information when viewed at a higher level, but that is
irrelevant. ("Almost" because they do convey a little information,
namely, where character boundaries fall in the data stream - though
even that they convey imperfectly if characters are sent back-to-back.)
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