Bit time
Encyclopedia
Bit time is a concept in computer network
ing. It is defined as the time it takes for one bit to be ejected from a Network Interface Card (NIC) operating at some predefined standard speed, such as 10 Mbit/s. The time is measured between the time the logical link control
layer 2 sublayer receives the instruction from the operating system
until the bit actually leaves the NIC. The bit time has nothing to do with the time it takes for a bit to travel on the network medium, but has to do with the internals of the NIC.
To calculate the bit time at which a NIC ejects bits, use the following:
bit time = 1 / NIC speed
To calculate the bit time for a 10 Mbit/s NIC, use the formula as follows:
bit time = 1 / (10 * 10^6)
= 10^-7
= 100 * 10^-9
= 100 nanoseconds
The bit time for a 10 Mbit/s NIC is 100 nanoseconds. That is, a 10 Mbit/s NIC can eject 1 bit every 100 nanoseconds.
Bit time is distinctively different from slot time
, which is the time taken for a pulse to travel through the longest permitted length of network medium.
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
ing. It is defined as the time it takes for one bit to be ejected from a Network Interface Card (NIC) operating at some predefined standard speed, such as 10 Mbit/s. The time is measured between the time the logical link control
Logical Link Control
The logical link control data communication protocol layer is the upper sub-layer of the data link layer in the seven-layer OSI reference model...
layer 2 sublayer receives the instruction from the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
until the bit actually leaves the NIC. The bit time has nothing to do with the time it takes for a bit to travel on the network medium, but has to do with the internals of the NIC.
To calculate the bit time at which a NIC ejects bits, use the following:
bit time = 1 / NIC speed
To calculate the bit time for a 10 Mbit/s NIC, use the formula as follows:
bit time = 1 / (10 * 10^6)
= 10^-7
= 100 * 10^-9
= 100 nanoseconds
The bit time for a 10 Mbit/s NIC is 100 nanoseconds. That is, a 10 Mbit/s NIC can eject 1 bit every 100 nanoseconds.
Bit time is distinctively different from slot time
Slot time
Slot time is a concept in computer networking. It is twice the time it takes for an electronic pulse to travel the length ofthe maximum theoretical distance between two nodes...
, which is the time taken for a pulse to travel through the longest permitted length of network medium.