This baud rate calculator works out how many bytes per second a serial (UART) line actually carries, for console cables, out-of-band management, modems and microcontrollers, and how long a transfer takes. It runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type is sent to our server.
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Table of Contents
Why 115200 baud is not 14,400 bytes per second
Each character on an asynchronous serial line is framed: one start bit, the data bits, an optional parity bit and one or two stop bits. 8N1 (8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit) uses 10 bits per byte, so 115200 baud carries 11,520 bytes per second, not 14,400.
| Frame | Bits per character | Bytes/s at 9600 | Bytes/s at 115200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8N1 | 10 | 960 | 11,520 |
| 7E1 | 10 | 960 | 11,520 |
| 8E1 | 11 | 873 | 10,473 |
| 8N2 | 11 | 873 | 10,473 |
| 8E2 | 12 | 800 | 9,600 |
Common serial settings
- Cisco, Juniper and most network console ports: 9600 8N1 by default.
- Linux servers with a serial console: often 115200 8N1 (
console=ttyS0,115200n8). - Connect from Linux with
screen /dev/ttyUSB0 9600orminicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 9600.
How we checked it
We verified the frame maths on 11-12 October 2026 (115200 8N1 = 11,520 bytes/s, 9600 8E2 = 800 bytes/s) and the time for 1 MiB at 115200 8N1 (1 min 31 s).
Frequently asked questions
How many bytes per second is 9600 baud?
960 bytes per second with 8N1, because each byte takes 10 bits on the wire.
Is baud the same as bits per second?
On a normal UART serial line each symbol carries one bit, so baud equals bits per second. On modems that encode several bits per symbol they differ.
What does 8N1 mean?
8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit: the most common serial format.