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    Tap Code

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    Shubhangi
    Cryptology

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Tap Code

    Uploaded by

    Shubhangi
    240 views2 pages
    Cryptology

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Cryptology

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    240 views2 pages

    Tap Code

    Uploaded by

    Shubhangi
    Cryptology

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    SearchWikipedia

    Tapcode
    Romanalphabettapcode
    1 2 3 4 5
    1 A B C/K D E
    2 F G H I J
    3 L M N O P
    4 Q R S T U
    5 V W X Y Z
    Thetapcodetable

    Thetapcode,sometimescalledtheknockcode,isawaytoencodetextmessagesonaletter-by-letterbasisinaverysimple
    way.Themessageistransmittedusingaseriesoftapsounds,henceitsname.

    Thetapcodehasbeencommonlyusedbyprisonerstocommunicatewitheachother.Themethodofcommunicatingisusuallyby
    tappingeitherthemetalbars,pipes,orthewallsinsideacell.

    Contents

    Design

    ThetapcodeisbasedonaPolybiussquareusinga55gridoflettersrepresentingallthelettersoftheLatinalphabet,exceptfor
    K,whichisrepresentedbyC.

    Thelisteneronlyneedstodiscriminatethetimingofthetapstoisolateletters.

    Eachletteriscommunicatedbytappingtwonumbers

    thefirstdesignatingtherow

    theseconddesignatingthecolumn

    Forexample,tospecifytheletter"B",onetapsonce,pauses,andthentapstwice.

    Ortocommunicatetheword"water",thecipherwouldbethefollowing(thepausebetweeneachnumberinapairissmallerthan
    thepausebetweenletters):

    W A T E R
    5,2 1,1 4,4 1,5 4,2

    Theletter"X"isusedtobreakupsentences,and"K"foracknowledgements.

    Becauseofthedifficultyandlengthoftimerequiredforspecifyingasingleletter,prisonersoftendeviseabbreviationsand
    acronymsforcommonitemsorphrases,suchas"GN"forGoodnight,or"GBU"forGodblessyou.[1]

    Bycomparison,Morsecodeishardertosendbytappingorbangingbecauseitrequirestheabilitytocreatetwodifferently
    soundingtaps(representingtheditsanddahsofMorsecode).AMorsecodenovicewouldalsoneedtokeepa"cheatsheet"until
    heorsherememberseveryletter'scode,whichthecaptorswouldlikelyconfiscate.Tapcodecanbemoreeasilydecodedinone's
    headbymentallyusingthetable.Forexample,ifyouhearfourknocks,youwouldthinkAFLQasthecountincreasedthen
    afterthepause,youhearthreeknocksandthinkQRStoarriveattheletterS.

    History
    TheoriginsofthisencodinggobacktothePolybiussquareofAncientGreece.Asthe"knockcode",aCyrillicscriptversionis
    saidtohavebeenusedbynihilistprisonersoftheRussianczars.[2]TheknockcodeisfeaturedinArthurKoestler'sclassic1941
    workDarknessatNoon.[3]

    UnitedStatesprisonersofwarduringtheVietnamWararemostknownforhavingusedthetapcode.ItwasintroducedinJune
    1965byfourPOWsheldintheHaLPrison"HanoiHilton"prison:CaptainCarlyle"Smitty"Harris,LieutenantPhillipButler,
    LieutenantRobertPeel,andLieutenantCommanderRobertShumaker.[1]Harrishadheardofthetapcodebeingusedby
    prisonersinWorldWarII[4]andrememberedaUnitedStatesAirForceinstructorwhohaddiscusseditaswell.[1]

    InVietnam,thetapcodebecameaverysuccessfulwayforotherwiseisolatedprisonerstocommunicate.[4]POWswouldusethe
    tapcodeinordertocommunicatetoeachotherbetweencellsinawaywhichtheguardswouldbeunabletopickupon.Theyused
    ittocommunicateeverythingfromwhatquestionsinterrogatorswereasking(inorderforeveryonetostayconsistentwitha
    deceptivestory),towhowashurtandneededotherstodonatemeagerfoodrations.Itwaseasytoteachandnewlyarrived
    prisonersbecamefluentinitwithinafewdays.[5][6]Itwasevenusedwhenprisonersweresittingnexttoeachotherbutnotallowed
    totalk,bytappingonanothers'thigh.[6]Byovercomingisolationwiththetapcode,prisonerswereabletomaintainachainof
    commandandkeepupmorale.[4]

    References

    1.^abc" 'ReturnwithHonor':TheTapCode" .AmericanExperience.PBS.1999.Retrieved2008-04-08.

    2.^DavidKahn,TheCodebreakersTheStoryofSecretWriting.1967.ISBN978-0-684-83130-5.

    3.^Koestler,Arthur,DarknessatNoon(1941).TranslatedbyDaphneHardy.Seepage19oftheBantamPublishingpaperback,
    1981printingformoreinfo.

    4.^abcStaffSgt.JasonTudor(1998-03-18)."Vets,Flyersdiscussideology,timeinPOWcamps" .AirForceNewsService.
    Retrieved2008-04-08.

    5.^McCain,JohnMarkSalter(1999).FaithofMyFathers.RandomHouse.pp.21112.ISBN0-375-50191-6.

    6.^abBrace,ErnestC.(1988).ACodetoKeep:ThetruestoryofAmerica'slongestheldcivilianprisonerofwarinVietnam.St.
    Martin'sPress.pp.17172,18788.ISBN0-7090-3560-8.

    Externallinks

    OnlineTapCodeEncoder/Decoder

    RussianPrisonTapCodes

    http://www.premioceleste.it/opera/ido:260668/ ArtistAnDegrida'sTapCodeartisticillustration.

    Lastedited11daysagobyTentinator

    ContentisavailableunderCCBY-SA3.0 unlessotherwisenoted.

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