Clock rate defines how many pulses a timing signal generates per second. It dictates the fundamental speed limit of a synchronous digital circuit, as each operation requires at least one clock cycle to complete. A higher clock rate means faster processing but also increases power consumption and heat generation.
Heard on the job
We had to drop the clock rate on the memory bus to fix the stability issues.
Also heard as
- clock frequency
Do not mix it up with
- Clock speed: Clock rate usually refers to the physical signal frequency on a bus or pin, while clock speed often refers to the internal operating frequency of a processor.