Glossary

Note that these definitions apply specifically to printers. If a word is italicized, see that topic for more information.

application program

A software program that helps you carry out a particular task, such as word processing or financial planning.

ASCII

Acronym for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standardized coding system for assigning numerical codes to letters and symbols.

auto line feed

When this feature is enabled using a DIP switch or external control through the parallel connector, the printer will automatically feed the paper one line after receiving a CR code.

baud rate

A measure of the speed of data transmission. Usually expressed in bits per second or bps.

bidirectional printing

Printing in which the print head alternates printing a line left to right then the next line right to left, and so on. Because the head prints in both directions, the overall printing speed increases by eliminating wasted (non-printing) movement.

binary

See number systems.

bit

A binary digit (0 or 1), which is the smallest unit of information used by a printer or computer. See also number systems.

buffer

See input buffer and memory.

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