Teletyping

Teletyping refers to the transmission of typed text between two or more machines over a telegraphic circuit. These machines, known as teletypewriters or teleprinters, function similarly to typewriters but are equipped with electronic components for sending and receiving messages. A teletypewriter encodes characters typed on its keyboard into a series of electrical signals that are then transmitted over a communication line, typically a wire. At the receiving end, another teletypewriter decodes these signals and prints the corresponding characters onto paper.

The concept of teletyping emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a development of the telegraph. Early systems used Morse code, but later advancements introduced character-based encoding schemes, such as the Baudot code and eventually ASCII. Teletypewriters were widely used for sending text-based messages over long distances before the advent of more modern communication technologies like fax machines and digital data networks. They found applications in news dissemination, business communication, and military messaging, providing a reliable and relatively low-cost method for transmitting written information. The distinctive sound of a teletypewriter printing was once a familiar part of many offices and newsrooms.