In teleprinter communication (Murray/baudot-based telegraph systems), how many bits per character does the Murray code use for encoding?

Introduction / Context:
Murray code, a refinement of the original Baudot telegraph code, was widely used in teleprinter (TELEX) machines to represent letters, digits, and control functions. Understanding how many bits per character it uses is foundational for studying classic data communications, character sets, and bandwidth calculations in early digital systems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The system is a teleprinter using Murray (Baudot-derived) code.
• We are asked for the number of bits per character used by this code.
• No parity or stop bits are included in the count; we focus on the code symbol length itself.

Concept / Approach:
Murray/International Telegraph Alphabet No. 2 (ITA2) represents each character using a fixed-length code word. Unlike ASCII (7-bit) or EBCDIC (8-bit), Murray code is a 5-bit code. Because 5 bits allow only 32 patterns, teleprinters use mode shift mechanisms (Letters and Figures) to extend the usable character set without increasing the bit-length per symbol.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the legacy teleprinter standard used: Murray/ITA2.Recall that the Murray code symbol is a fixed 5-bit word.Note that additional control (shift to Letters/Figures) expands the set without changing the 5-bit length.Therefore, the correct number of bits per character is 5.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare to other encodings: ASCII uses 7 bits; EBCDIC uses 8 bits. Telegraph-era Murray/ITA2 uses 5 bits plus shifts, consistent with historical teleprinter documentation and line-speed calculations (e.g., 50 baud Telex with start/stop framing around 5-bit payloads).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 4: Too few for Murray; would yield only 16 patterns.
• 9 or 25: Far larger than required and not historically used in teleprinters.
• None of the above: Incorrect because 5 is precisely correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing data word length with framed character length (which may include start/stop bits), or mixing Murray/ITA2 with ASCII/EBCDIC bit-widths.

Final Answer:
5