Embedded Systems

UART Baud Rate Explained

Understand UART baud rate, clock dividers, baud error and reliable serial communication.

What is baud rate?

UART baud rate defines how many symbols are transmitted per second.

Clock divider

Microcontrollers generate UART baud rate by dividing a peripheral clock.

Baud error

Small baud error is usually acceptable, but large error can cause framing errors.

Practical checks

Both devices must use the same baud rate, data bits, parity and stop bits.

Design notes

For long cables or noisy environments, consider lower baud rates or RS-485 transceivers.

Use the calculator

Try the related tool and calculate your own values instantly.

Open UART Baud Rate Calculator