glossary:kilo_k
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| glossary:kilo_k [2009/01/16 18:02] – created eechris | glossary:kilo_k [2011/01/14 12:47] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
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| + | ====== Kilo (k) ====== | ||
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| + | [[SI unit]] prefix meaning 1,000 (or one thousand). In networking terms, the //kilo// prefix is normally associated with the link capacity ([[bandwidth]]) of a low speed network link, such as RS-232 serial link, or a domestic telephone modem. In this context the term //baud// is often used to define the "line speed", | ||
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| + | A common error made by computing students is to assume that, because powers of two are used everywhere else, it is used in the definition of bandwidth too. That is 1 kbit/s should be 2^10 (= 1,024) bit/s: it isn't! The SI system uses the prefix //ki// (pronounced kibi) to represent 2^10: thus when computer manufacturers quote file-sizes in terms of kilobytes (when they **do** intend to mean that 1 kbyte is 1024 bytes) they should actually use 1 kibyte. | ||
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| + | ---- | ||
| + | [[Glossary]] : [[glossary# | ||
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