What Is the Binary Translator?
The Binary translator converts between different number bases. Use it for conversions including binary to Morse or Morse to binary.
How to Use the Binary Translator
- Choose your input and output format: Set your formats in the From and To boxes. You can convert between different bases (binary, decimal, hexadecimal, octal) or between Morse code and text.
- Instantly translate: Type or paste your message into the Input box (use spaces between each character for Morse text), or click the icon to upload a text file. The translation will automatically appear in the Output box. That's it!
- Use your translation: Click the icons to copy input or output to the clipboard or download the translation as a text file.
- Clear your session: Click the eraser icon in either box to clear the contents and start over.
What Are These Formats For?
| Encoding | Where it's used |
|---|---|
| Binary | Low-level data, bit flags, digital signals |
| Decimal | ASCII codes, protocol specs, byte counts |
| Octal | Classic UNIX permissions, compact binary view |
| Hexadecimal | Color codes, machine code, memory dumps |
| Morse code | Aviation, amateur radio, survival signaling |
| Text | Anything humans read |
Is Morse Code Binary?
Morse code looks binary because it uses just two symbols, dashes (-) and dots (.), to represent different characters. But it's not a true binary code because character codes have different lengths and timing affects how codes are interpreted.
- A dot is an electric (or audio) pulse lasting one unit of time.
- A dash lasts three units.
- Specific time gaps separate dots/dashes within a letter, letters within a word, and words within a message.
Timing is like a third symbol for Morse code, so Morse effectively uses three symbols, not two.
On the other hand, true binary encoding sticks to exactly two symbols (0 and 1) with no extra spaces or timing requirements.
How Does Text Convert to Binary?
There are three stages:
- Convert text to characters: "hello" becomes five separate characters: h, e, l, l, o.
- Convert the characters to numbers in hexadecimal: A common encoding is Unicode / UTF-8, where "hello" becomes 68, 65, 6C, 6C, 6F.
- Convert hexadecimal to binary: Each letter (hex code) becomes one byte (8 bits): 01101000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111. Now a computer can understand your greeting!