The Morse code It is a communication system born in the 19th century that has revolutionized the transmission of remote information. It is a coding system which represents letters, numbers and punctuation signs through a combination of Points (·) And lines ( -)also called “dit” And “Dah”. Designed by Samuel Morse and perfected by Alfred Vail, the intermittence code also called Alphabet Morse, represented the first step towards digital communication and was one of the first remote communication methods.
The origins of the Morse code: when, by whom and why it was conceived
Samuel Morsethe US painter and inventor, began to take an interest in telegraphy in 1832 and in 1835 he had already developed the first projects in this field, but it was thanks to the collaboration with Alfred Vailtechnician and inventor, that things changed. Vail developed a system in which each letter or symbol was sent individually using a combination of points, lines and breaks.
A short break (or a space) separates letters in the same message, and one longer break separate words. The system was presented publicly in 1837 and improved in 1838, the year in which Morse deposited the telegraph patent. On May 24, 1844, on the first telegraphic line between Baltimora and Washington, the first message was sent:
“What hath God Wrutht?“
(What did God do?), Taken from the book of numbers.
To transmit the word SOS (request for international rescue) will write: ··· –– ··· (three points, three lines, three points)
How the Morse alphabet works
The Morse code can be transmitted through several channelsadapting to very different technological and environmental contexts. The most common modalities include sound transmission, visual And tactile: In the first case, the points and lines are rendered through Short and long soundsoften used on radio and telegraphia, an “dit” (short sound) for the point, and a “dah” (long sound) for the line; in the visual transmissionparticularly used in the naval field, as in reports with torches or position lights, they are used Short and long flashes; in the tactile shapeused by blind people or in situations where sounds or lights are not usable, they are used short and long pressure on the body (e.g. via vibrotattil devices). Regardless of the vehicle, the temporal rules are fundamental, this makes the Morse a universal languageaccessible even in extreme environmental conditions.
The terminal code in history
During the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, the Morse code became The standard for long distance communications. Was widely used in railwayin maritime and military communications. During the Second World WarMorse code radio and telegraphy was vital for the transmission of messages between war ships and naval foundations. It was above all his ability to work with simple equipment and in conditions of weak signal to make it indispensable in scenarios of this time.
It is true that with the advent of more advanced technologies, such as the communication via satellite and internetthe use of the Morse code has decreased up to be replacedin 1999, from Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) as a standard for emergency maritime communications. However, the Morse code continues to live thanks to radio amateurs, enthusiasts and in educational areas, representing a symbol of the history of communications.
