Teleprinter

A teleprinter is an electro-mechanical typewriter invented by [Howard L. Krum]? which can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point through a simple eletrical communications channel.

Teleprinters used the 5-bit Baudot code (also known as IA2) to represent their character set.

The Baudot code was used asychronously with start and stop bits: the asynchronous code design was intimately linked with the electro-mechanical design of the first teleprinters.

Some teleprinters used [punched tape]? to record and replay messages. This was useful for situations in which access to the communication channel was at a premium.

Teleprinters were also used as the first interactive [computer terminals]?.

External references:

• http://www.peine.net/telex/