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Pin-wheel Hagelin CX-52 CX-52/g B-62 →
Keyboard unit for C(X)-52
B-52 is a keyboard add-on for the Hagelin
C-52 and CX-52 cipher machines,
introduced in 1956 by Crypto AG (Hagelin) in Zug (Switzerland).
The device converts the manually operated one-letter-at-a-time
C(X)-52 into a much faster motor-driven cipher machine,
on which text can be entered like on a typewriter.
This is different from earlier machines like the M-209
and C-446, of which separate keyboard-versions
(BC-38, BC-543) were available.
Having an optional keyboard unit makes it more versatile [B].
The combination of C(X)-52 and B-52 was known as BC(X)-52.
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The device consists of a die-cast aluminium enclosure that measures
305 x 205 x 155 mm and weights 6600 grams. It has a bay in which a
C-52 or CX-52 cipher machine
can be installed.
At the left side is an (optional)
modifier, 1
which is basically a circular bakelite connector with 26 pluggable wires
that define the scrambling order of the input alphabet. Multiple
modifiers were often used to allow quick renewal of the (daily) KEY
at midnight. The modifier is compatible with the
re-arrangeable alphabet ring
on the CX-52, and should hold the same scrambled alphabet.
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The device could optionally be expanded with a 5-bit converter to
make it compatible with the
PEB-61 tape reader/puncher,
which is not present on the device shown here. This particular unit
was supplied in 1963 — together with a
special version of the CX-52 —
to the French Military Police, the Gendarmerie Nationale, 2 where it
was probably used as part of a fixed base station.
For this reason it carries an extra ID plate at the rear
with the name of René Presseq de Chauny. 3
The B-52 was succeeded in 1962
by the compatible B-62, which had a modernised interior.
➤ Watch the B-52 in action
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Hagelin called it a Modifikator or Modificator,
but since these words do not exists in the English dictionary, we have
translated it to Modifier.
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Direction de la Gendarmerie et de la Justice Militaire, Sous-Direction
de la Gendarmerie, Bureau technique.
The Gendarmerie Nationale is one of two national police forces in France.
It falls under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and has
military as well as civil tasks. It is also responsible for the protection
of the French President. The Gendarmerie is the successor to the
Maréchaussée [1].
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René Presseq de Chauny was Hagelin's distributor in Paris (France).
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Below is a quick overview of the features of the B-52. At the right is
a recessed panel
with the power controls and connections. It holds the
mains connection, the mains voltage selector, the mains fuse, the 12V
DC connection and the power switch. At the front edge is a
26-button keyboard (A-Z) of which one key
has a red cap to mark the SPACE character.
In this case the letter 'W' is used as SPACE. When a 'W' is required
in the text, it should be replaced by 'VV' (2 x 'V').
The actual cipher machine (C-52 or
CX-52) must be installed in the
bay behind the keyboard. When doing this, the controls at the left
side of the C(X)-52 must line up with the draving shafts of the B-52.
First align the two red lines of the
input letter driving shaft and set the letter dial of the
(C(X)-52 to its neutral position. Then install the C(X)-52 and
lock it in place.
The main driving shaft is self-synchronising.
The retaining bracket at the right keeps the C(X)-52 firmly in place.
The raised part at the left contains the complex driving mechanism,
of which the driving shafts are visible in the bay. The machine shown here
has a black circular plug at the left side
(not visible in the image). This is the modifier
that allows the input matrix to be altered, equivalent to altering
the order of the letter ring on the CX-52.
This feature is not available on all B-52 units.
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According to the
1957 spare parts catalogue [4]
and the 1961 service manual [3]
there were several versions of the B-52, known as Class
A, B, etc., that could be recognised by their serial number range.
As the B-52 in our collection (15298) does not fit in
these ranges, we assume that it belongs to the last class ('D' ?).
The differences are mainly related to manufacturing changes.
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Class A S/N 6101 - 6400 Class B S/N 6501 - 6999 Class C S/N 7000 - 7699 Class D S/N 7700 - ...
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This is the actual B-52 keyboard unit, which is bascially
a bay for a C-52 or CX-52
cipher machine. It has a mechanical section at the left – which
engages with the controls of the cipher machine – and a retaining
bracket at the right.
The device can be powered from the AC mains or from a
12V DC source such as the battery of a car. When not in use,
the B-52 was stowed in the transit case.
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Cipher machine
C-52 or CX-52
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The B-52 was designed as a carrier for the C-52
and CX-52 cipher machines. The machine
must be installed in the bay, in such a way that the driving shafts
at the left engage with the knobs on the left side of the cipher machine.
It is then secured with the retaining bracket at the right.
The machine can be left installed in the bay,
when the B-52 is stowed in the transit case.
➤ More about the C-52
➤ More about the CX-52
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The modifier is an optional expansion which allows the order of the input
alphabet to be changed. It is equivalent to the
re-arrangeable alphabet ring
on some versions of the CX-52.
The modifier consists of a circular black bakelite unit that can be
inserted into the left side
of the B-52. Inside the modifier
are 26 wires that are terminated at one end with a
miniature plug,
marked with one of the letters of the alphabet.
The wires can be re-arranged in any order.
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The service manuals of the B-52 is very rare, and was donated
anonymously in November 2018 [2]. It is the July 1961 edition
[C] that describes all variants that were known at the time.
The optional telegraphy interface (the blob) is not mentioned
in this version of the service manual. The spare parts were
listed separately.
➤ Download the service manual
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The service manual should be used in conjunction with
the spare parts catalogue shown here [D]. It is slightly older
than the service manual (1957) and only lists the spare parts
for serial numbers up to 6999.
➤ Download the spare parts list
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The interior of the B-52 is divided over two compartments —
one at the left
and one at the bottom
— that are easily accessible. The compartment
at the left can be accessed by removing three large bolts: one close to
the keyboard, one towards the rear and one at the bottom.
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After removing the three bolts, the protective cover can be removed.
Inside this compartment are the driving shafts for the cipher
machine and the timing mechanics. It is driven by an electromotor
that is located in the bottom section.
The image on the right provides a clear picture of the complex
mechanical timing unit of the B-52.
At the heart of this section is the commutator:
a circular printed circuit board with 26 contacts, and a notched
pertinax disc with a wiper contact that brushes over these contacts.
It ensures that the mechanism stops at the desired input letter.
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When present, the compartment at the left also holds the so-called
modifier, or modificator;
a cylindrical bakelite unit which is installed in a bakelite
recepticle that is mounted to the chassis.
It is visible at the far right in the image above, and allows
the input alphabet to be scrambled.
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With some effort it should be possible to remove the modifier
from the receptacle, by pulling its metal ring.
Once the modifier is out,
it can be opened by unscrewing the rounded top.
This reveals a set of 26 wires inside a ring
of 26 plugs, each marked
with a letter of the alphabet.
The plugs can be removed from the ring and can be re-seated in a
scrambled order, to mimic the operation of the
re-arrangeable letter ring
on the C(X)-52. If the wiring order was part of the KEY,
the user would probably prepare an extra modifier with
the new KEY and then swap it.
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Some versions of the B-21 had a built-in (electromechanical)
converter for connection of an
external tape unit. It translates the
26 signals from the keyboard into a 5-bit digital word and vice versa.
When this option present, it is visible as a bolted-on blob at the left
side of the B-52.
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In addition, there would be an extra connector at the rear for
connection to the external PEB-61 tape unit.
The option is not present on our B-52.
The compartment at the bottom can be accessed by removing six screws
from the bottom panel, after which the bottom can be taken off.
Inside this compartment are the mains transformer, a 12V DC motor,
a small electronic circuit, the keyboard wiring and the power
connectors for connecting to the 110/250V AC mains or a 12V DC
source, such as the battery of a vehicle.
It also holds the keyboard release mechanism.
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Although the B-52 is a marvel of mechanical engineering, the
driving mechanism at the left is sensitive to mechanical faillure,
such as a blocked or binding CX-52. In some cases this may even
damage the driving cogwheels, which are extremely difficult to
replace. It is therefore strongly adviced to check both the B-52 and the
C(X)-52 thoroughly, and ensure that they are both running fine
before powering the B-52. The later B-62 and
B-621 are improved
versions of the B-52, but they are nevertheless just as sensitive
to mechanical issues as the B-52. Be warned!
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The B-52 featured on this page was acquired in October 2021 together with
a special version of the Hagelin CX-52 cipher machine.
Both devices were used during the 1960s and 1970s by the
Gendarmerie Nationale — the French
Military Police — who obtained them in 1963.
Although they were in near mint condition, they had probably
been in storage for the last 30 or 40 years.
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The transit case had clearly collected a lot of dust and some of its metal
works were a bit rusty, but that was easily fixed. Inside it, the
foam pads that were supposed to keep the B-52 in place during transport,
had desintegrated and had affected the B-52's wrinkle-painted body.
The interior of the transit case was cleaned and the foam pads were replaced.
The foam residue was carefully removed from the body of the B-52 using a
mild solvent, dental tools and a lot of patience. Next, a
suitable power cable
was made, that fits the receptacle at the
right side panel.
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But before connecting the machine to the local mains, it had to be checked
thorougly, as otherwise permanent damage could be caused to the mechanics.
The bottom panel was removed and also the cover of the mechanical section
at the left side of the device, for a closer inspection.
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The first thing to be noted was the corrosion on the fuses. This
is in fact galvanic corrosion that occurs at places were different
metals are in contact with each other. This is quite common.
After replacing all fuses (primary, secondary and spares), it was
time to inspect the mechanical section at the left side of the unit.
There was no damage, but the moving parts were all very dry and
some of the shafts were binding somewhat.
All moving parts were treated with Gear-FLON® oil and grease
— both PFTE-based products that are frequently used by model
makers/hobbyists.
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Next, the unit was powered up and tested. When we were certain
that the B-52 was working properly, we installed a known-good
CX-52 in the bay, aligned its controls
and fastened the retaining bracket.
The combination of the two machines – BCX-52 – was then
powered up. After a fews tests we were able to encrypt a short
message and decrypt it with the same rotor settings.
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- Transit case cleaned and restored, foam parts replaced
- Exterior cleaned and foam residue removed
- Loose side plate refitted.
- Mains cable made
- All fuses replaced (corrosion)
- Mechanics greased and oiled
- Unit completely tested with a known good CX-52
- Distributor tag refitted on the storage case
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Mains power cable - 12V DC power cable
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Below is a short video impression of how the B-52 works. It shows the B-52
featured on this page with the original
CX-52 of the French military police
installed. The complete installation is known as BCX-52.
The cover over the left side has been removed to show the
internals in full operation.
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Crypto Museum: BXC-52 (B-52 with CX-52)
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The device can be powered directly from the AC mains, but you should
always check the voltage selector first, to ensure that it is set to the
local mains voltage.
Below is the pinout of the mains receptacle at the
right side of the device,
when looking into the receptacle.
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- 220V AC (1)
- 220V AC (2)
- Ground
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The device can also be powered by an external 12V DC source, such as
the battery of a car. Below is the pinout of the receptacle at the right
side of the machine, when looking into the receptacle.
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- +12V (+ terminal)
- 0V (- terminal)
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Device Keyboard unit Purpose CX-52 cipher machine Model B-52 Speed ~ 2.5 cps (25 wpm) Alphabet Depending on version/variant (26 or 30 characters) Mains 110, 115, 145, 220 or 250V AC Battery 12V DC Fuses Primary: 2.5A slow (2 cm), Secondary: 3A slow (3 cm) Dimensions 305 x 205 x 155 mm Weight 6600 grams (10.3 kg with C-52)
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Monday 25 October 2021. Last changed: Tuesday, 14 March 2023 - 09:03 CET.
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