Baud rate and bits per second (bps) are terms used to describe the rate of data transmission in communication systems, particularly in serial communication.

Baud Rate:

• Baud rate refers to the number of signaling events (such as voltage or frequency changes) that occur per second in a communication channel. It indicates the rate at which the signal level changes, representing the symbol rate or signaling rate.
• In asynchronous serial communication, baud rate determines the speed at which data is transmitted over the communication channel. Each signaling event represents one symbol or one unit of data.
• Baud rate is expressed in units of baud (symbols per second). For example, a baud rate of 9600 means that 9600 signaling events occur per second.
• It's important to note that baud rate and bits per second (bps) are not always the same, especially in asynchronous communication where each symbol may represent multiple bits of data due to the inclusion of start and stop bits.

Bits per Second (bps):

• Bits per second (bps) refers to the number of bits of data that can be transmitted per second over a communication channel. It indicates the actual data transfer rate, representing the number of bits transmitted or received per unit of time.
• In serial communication, bits per second represents the effective data rate, accounting for factors such as the number of bits per symbol, start and stop bits, and any overhead associated with the communication protocol.
• Bits per second is commonly used to measure the speed of digital data transmission in various communication systems, including serial communication, network communication, and data storage.
• Bits per second is expressed in units of bps (bits per second). For example, a data transfer rate of 9600 bps means that 9600 bits of data are transmitted or received per second.

In summary, baud rate and bits per second are related but distinct concepts used to describe the rate of data transmission in communication systems. Baud rate refers to the number of signaling events per second, while bits per second refers to the actual data transfer rate in terms of bits of data transmitted or received per second.