IBM XT 5160 Technical Reference page 375

binary. ( 1) Pertaining to a selection, choice, or condition that
has two possible values or states. (2) Pertaining to a fixed radix
numeration system having a radix of 2.
binary digit. (1) In binary notation, either of the characters 0 or
1. (2) Synonymous with bit.
binary notation. Any notation that uses two different characters,
usually the binary digits 0 and 1.
binary synchronous communications (BSC). A uniform procedure,
using a standardized set of control characters and control
character sequences for synchronous transmission of
binary-coded data between stations.
BIOS. Basic input/output system.
bit. Synonym for binary digit
bits per second (bps). A unit of measurement representing the
number of discrete binary digits transmitted by a device in one
second.
block. ( 1) A string of records, a string of words, or a character
string formed for technical or logic reasons to be treated as an
entity. (2) A set of things, such as words, characters, or digits,
treated as a unit.
block-check character (BCC). In cyclic redundancy checking, a
character that is transmitted by the sender after each message
block and is compared with a block-check character computed by
the receiver to determine if the transmission was successful.
boolean operation. (1) Any operation in which each of the
operands and the result take one of two values. (2) An operation
that follows the rules of boolean algebra.
bootstrap. A technique or device designed to bring itself into a
desired state by means of its own action; for example, a machine
routine whose first few instructions are sufficient to bring the rest
of itself into the computer from an input device.
bps. Bits per second.
Glossary-4