Semaphore Signaling Technology

Semaphore, or optical telegraph, technology was created as a way to convey information over long distances.  It used apparatus such as towers with pivoting blades, shutters, or paddles, or hand-held flags to send visual signals rapidly and accurately.  The information was encoded by the position of the mechanical elements.

The technology was developed in Europe during the late 17th Century when governments needed swifter and more reliable communications than post riders.  The first comprehensive semaphore system was built in France during the 1790s for military and government communications. The network included 555 stations and stretched over 4,800 kilometers.

Semaphore systems using hand-held flags were widely adopted and used in maritime applications during the early 19th Century and figured prominently in naval battles.  The technology is still in use by modern many navies and shipping fleets.  The technology also was adopted by armed forces during the U.S. Civil War, but was outmoded by telegraph and radio communications.

Today, CSE-Semaphore build on this heritage by providing advanced telemetry solutions that utilize Internet and Web server technologies for cost-effective monitoring and control applications.