SOH ASCII: Start of Header

The SOH (Start of Header) character in the ASCII code has the value 1 and is one of the control characters. Its original purpose was to mark the beginning of a header in a data transmission, particularly in older communication systems such as teletypes or transmission protocols. The header contained information about the message being sent, such as the address of the sender or recipient, before the actual content of the message.

Although its use has declined over time, the SOH character remains part of the ASCII standard set and has applications in systems that follow certain communication protocols.

ASCII code for the SOH character

Function of the SOH character in ASCII

• Start of a header: In data communications, it was used to signal the beginning of a header block, which typically contained metadata before the main message was sent.
• Data flow control: It was used to ensure that data transmission was carried out correctly by separating the different parts of a message.

Examples of use

1. Old communication protocols: In teletype systems or serial data transmissions, the SOH marked the beginning of the header section, which contained administrative information.
2. Data control in legacy systems: This feature was essential to separate different parts of a message and help manage data transmission in an orderly manner.

Aunque hoy en día el carácter SOH no tiene un uso frecuente en aplicaciones modernas, sigue siendo una parte importante del conjunto de caracteres de la tabla ASCII y su propósito inicial fue crucial para el desarrollo de los primeros sistemas de comunicación digital.

Although the SOH character is not widely used in modern applications today, it remains an important part of the ASCII character set and its initial purpose was crucial to the development of early digital communication systems.