Fialka (machine)

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Fialka
Fialka with punched tape
Fialka in Bletchley Park
Key washers
Fialka in the Army History Museum Vienna , detail.

The Fialka was a Soviet encryption machine using key disks , which was used in numerous Warsaw Pact countries . In the GDR , the Fialka M-125MN was used from the year 1968th The Fialka M-125-3MN was used gradually from 1978. From 1982 they were gradually replaced by the electronic T-310/50 in the GDR .

In the fall of 1990, in accordance with the agreement with the Soviet Union, all SAS and encryption devices from Soviet production were brought together centrally and handed over to the Western Group of the USSR in Germany . SAS and encryption technology that were not classified as “guaranteed security” devices, such as the Fialka M-125, were destroyed in the steel and rolling mill by the Soviet armed forces.

technology

The device looks like a teleprinter . It requires 24 volts direct voltage , the separate power pack works with 100 to 250 volts alternating voltage (50 to 400  Hz ).

There are two basic versions of the Fialka, the M-125 MN and the technically more sophisticated M-125 3MN.

The Fialka M 125 was used throughout the Warsaw Treaty area, but not in its communications network. It is an encryption device that was only used within the respective states. In the individual organizations (police, army, authorities, secret service) there were separate versions of the key disks. DV 040/0/010 also expressly states that the device should not be used for exchanging messages with other Warsaw Pact states; SAS and encryption devices with a higher security level were used for this, such as M 105 AGAT or T 206 MT WESNA.

The entry is made via a keyboard or via the 5-channel punched tape. The output takes place with the M-125 MN

  • a) printed on rubberized strips,
  • b) punched and printed on 5-channel punched tape paper.

The output on the M-125 3MN takes place

  • a) printed on rubberized strips
  • b) punched on 5-channel punched tape paper.
  • c) printed and punched, with the switch turned on the right side of the M-125 3MN.

The M-125 MN and 3MN have ten key washers. With the M-125 MN, only the key discs are changed in their order for the daily key setting. The M-125 3MN has key washers that can be dismantled, and rotatable and reversible wiring inserts. The outer ring can be adjusted according to the daily key.

A commutator is used as the input permutation. This permutes all 30 signals. In the case of the Enigma , a comparable input permutation was carried out through the plug board, in which a maximum of thirteen, but usually only ten cables were connected.

The ten counter-rotating key disks are designed for the Cyrillic alphabet and therefore have 30 contacts, in contrast to many western devices, whose rotors have 26 contacts, corresponding to the Latin alphabet . The keyboard of most devices has a double label so that it can be used for messages in Russian as well as in other languages ​​(e.g. German, Polish, Czech).

The M-125 MN has a small lever for language switching, with which the type head can be lowered or raised. When the type head is lifted, "Cyrillic" is activated. This is necessary because you need a Cyrillic character to generate the slogan key . The key washers are set on the reading bar with the spell key generated in this way.

In contrast, this lever no longer exists on the M-125 3MN. This machine is a two register machine. You can switch to the different registers by pressing the appropriate key (A ..., 1 ...). The M-125 3MN has two interchangeable type wheels (Latin <> Cyrillic).

The M-125 MN only encrypts mixed texts (Latin = letters and numbers) or only letters (Cyrillic). The M-125 3MN has 3 operating modes:

  • a) Mixed texts (30 characters) (letter texts)
  • b) Mixed texts with register switching (58 characters + 2 register switching)
  • c) Numerical texts 0 ... 9

An emulation / simulation of the M-125 MN can be found on the pages of the links below. The M-125 MN and the M-125-3MN are verified with the simulation of the version and are fully compatible.

literature

  • Eugen Antal & Pavol Zajac: Key Space and Period of Fialka M-125 Cipher Machine . Cryptologia. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia PA 39.2015,2 (April), pp. 126-144. ISSN  0161-1194 .
  • Klaus Schmeh : Code breakers versus code makers. The fascinating story of encryption. 2nd Edition. W3L-Verlag, Herdecke et al. 2008, ISBN 978-3-937137-89-6 .

Web links

Commons : Fialka  - collection of images, videos and audio files