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APPENDIX A
GLOSSARY
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Acoustic Coupler A device with earmuff-like cups that uses a
telephone to hear tones sent or received by a computer to the
telephone network; used in over-the-phone transmission of data
between computers. Also called acoustic modem.
Analog Data Electronic information that bears an exact relation¬
ship to the original information. For example, a telephone
electronic signal carries an analog data representation of the
human voice.
ASCII Abbreviation for American Standard Code for Information In¬
terchange (pronounced ask-ee). Each standard 8-bit information
code represents a single alphabetical character or a number.
ATASCII Atari's specialized version of the ASCII code, developed
to handle the ATARI Computer's enhanced graphics capability.
Asynchronous Data Transmission Transfer of data in which each
transmitted character is preceded by a start bit and a stop bit.
Baud A variable unit of data transmission, usually equal to one bit
per second.
Baud rate The speed at which data is transferred between
computers or communications equipment.
Bit Short for binary digit. A number in a numerical system having
two (2) as its base. The values are 0 and 1, which correspond to
ON and OFF.
Bit Rate The speed at which bits are transmitted. Expressed in bits
per second (bps); often synonymous with baud rate.
BBS Abbreviation for Bulletin Board System.
Buffer A storage device which holds data temporarily. Often used
to compensate for different speeds in data transmission rates. For
example, data received at 1200 bps may be stored momentarily
before it is printed at a lower speed.
Carrier A continuous electronic frequency capable of being
modulated - or varied - with an information-carrying signal.
Dedicated Lines Telephone lines used exclusively for telecom¬
munications. User leases a dedicated line by paying a set fee
rather than per-call or per-minute charges.
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