|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hagelin Pin-wheel Mixer OTT CX-52/30 → ← C-52
30-character version of C-52
- this page is a stub
C-52/30 1 was a mechanical pin-and-lug cipher machine,
developed around 1952 by the Swede
Boris Hagelin and manufactured by
Crypto AG in Zug (Switzerland).
It is the 30-character variant of the standard
26-character C-52, and was intended for alternative languages,
such as Arabic (as featured on this page).
It should be considered the less-secure version of the
CX-52/30.
|
Like the standard C-52,
this machine has
six removable and pin-configurable cipher wheels,
each with a different coprime number of steps, plus a
rotating cage, or drum, with sideways movable bars with configurable tabs, or
lugs.
The main difference with the regular C-52, is that it is made for a
30-character alphabet, such as Russian 2 or Arabic. This affects the
letter selection disc at the front left, but also the double print head inside.
The machine shown here is the Arabic variant, that was intended for countries
like Iran and Saudi Arabia.
|
|
|
|
Because of the interchangeable cipher wheels, the C-52 was
more secure than predecessors like the M-209
and C-446. It is far less secure however, than its big
brother — the CX-52 — which features irregular stepping
and can optionally be converted for
One-Time Tape (OTT) operation.
The machine featured here, comes from the personal collection of
Hans Bühler, the
Crypto AG sales
representative who was arrested in Iran in 1992 and spent the next nine months
in prison.
|
-
This is not the official designator for this machine, which is listed on the
serial number tag simply as C-52. However, as the internal designator of the
30-character variant of the CX-52 was CX-52/30, we assume the same
'/30' suffix for the 30-character variant of the C-52.
-
The Russian (Cyrillic) alphabet has more than 30 characters, but 30
are generally enough to write comprehensible text. For example:
the Russian M-125 Fialka cipher machine
also uses 30 letters.
|
The diagram below gives a quick overview of the features of the C-52/30.
The machine is nearly identical to the standard C-52, but supports
30 different characters, rather than just 26. For this reason, the
letter selection disc at the front left, has 30 positions.
The machine was clearly intended for alternative languages with larger
alphabets, such as Arabic and Russian (Cyrillic).
|
|
|
|
Any links shown in red are currently unavailable.
If you like the information on this website, why not make a donation?
© Crypto Museum. Created: Sunday 16 February 2020. Last changed: Monday, 22 February 2021 - 13:57 CET.
|
 |
|
|
|
