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How to Create and Decipher Morse Code, Even if you’ve Never Tried it Before!

How to Create and Decipher Morse Code, Even if you’ve Never Tried it Before!

 

Using the Lasec Education AppMechanic and the Appshed Morse Code applications you can easily create and decipher Morse code. The apps will change any text into Morse code which you can send via LED lights and sound effects. But, before you put your Morse code-creating skills to the test, let's take a trip back in time and learn about how this method of telecommunication came about.

 

WHAT IS MORSE CODE?

 

As the predecessor to email, texts and other instant messaging communications and platforms, we think Morse code deserves a bit of praise. International Morse Code was first created in 1851 by a conference of European nations. It was used in the Vietnamese and Korean wars as well as World War II. It was even used up until the 1990s by the shipping industry to determine and communicate the safety of the seas.

One of the most interesting cases of the use of the Morse code came during the Vietnam War from an American Navy pilot, Jeremiah Denton. Jeremiah was able to spell out the word "torture" in Morse code just by blinking in sequence. You may be thinking, "why did he pick this means of communication to say that he was being tortured?" Turns out that Jeremiah was made to appear on North Vietnamese TV and forced into declaring that his captors were treating him well in enemy territory. Who knew that Morse code could literally be life-saving?!

Morse Code is a representation of letters of the alphabet, numbers, and even punctuation marks through dots, dashes, and spaces which are arranged in a specific pattern. These patterns make up codes that can be transmitted as electrical pulses which differ in length. Other forms of representations of morse code are through mechanical or visual signals, such as flashing lights that use pauses between each signal. 

 

Below is an example of how morse code is represented:

Chart of the Morse code 26 letters and 10 numerals

(Source: Morse code)

 

"SOS" is probably the most well-known and emblematic Morse code phrase. Originally used by German telegraphers in 1905, it became a globally recognized distress signal. Again, you may be wondering why? The reason for this is because it is an easy series of letters to remember. We can see from the diagram above that the Morse code for "SOS" is a simple "...---..." (dot-dot-dot-dash-dash-dash-dot-dot-dot), which can be easily recalled even when in very serious situations.

 

Now that you have an idea of how Morse code came about, let's see what fun we can have with this way of communication in the digital age!

 

How to Use the Lasec Education Appmechanic and the Appshed Morse Code Applications to Create and Decipher Morse Code

 

STEP 1: Use an LED or Buzzer and Pin 8 of the IoT board to make the connection:

  • Plug the RED wire from the LED into pin 8 (D-row)
  • Plug the Black wire from the LED into pin 8 (G-row) 

IoT board connection

STEP 2: Connect the IoT board on the AppMechanic to your device via WiFi.

Connect IoT board to device

STEP 3: You will see the settings button in the top right corner of the app turn green when the device is connected.

Navigate back to the home screen and type in your word or message

STEP 4: You can select the rate in which the morse code is played by clicking on the Rate 20 (default) Rate 5 will make the morse code play slower.

Tap to Pay Morse Code

STEP 5: Once you are ready, tap PLAY.

 

STEP 6: The LED or Buzzer attached to Pin 8 will play out the code you wrote in the message box.

 

Watch this video of the International Morse Code playing "Danger ahead":

 

 

Let us know in the comments if you have tried this?!  If you have purchased an AppMechanic, don't forget to submit your project ideas to us. We are looking to share talented users' work with other users through our website.

To submit your project on the App do the following:

  • Navigate to the home screen of the App
  • Click on projects
  • Scroll down to user-made project
  • Click on submit your project

 

 We will be watching this space and rewarding great ideas!

Download AppMechanic on the Google Play StoreView AppMechanic in Web Browser

 

 

Contact our Sales Solutions Specialists at educationsales@lasec.com to find out more about our product offerings.

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