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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #153016

Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs

From Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com>
Newsgroups alt.folklore.computers
Subject Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs
Date 2015-10-16 22:18 -0500
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <mvsej7$j2v$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <mvs9cb$oh6$1@frotz.eternal-september.org>

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On 10/16/2015 8:47 PM, David Griffith wrote:
> I've been toying with the idea of making a replica of the Enigma 
> encrypter using as much mechanical components as possible.  The most 
> complicated parts appear to making and wiring the rotors.  I suppose the 
> rotors could be turned by a solenoid instead of levers from the keys.
> 
> So, the rotors.  How feasable is it to make an Enigma rotor from 
> multi-layer PCB?
> 
The electrical part doesn't seem like it would be difficult, even with
just a 2-sided PCB. All but one of the rotors seem to be basically a
ring of 26 contact pads on each side, with arbitrary (but fixed)
interconnections between the sides. (The reflector would only need a
single-sided PCB, and jumper wires on the non-clad side.) You might
need to bring one side out to a (smaller) ring on the other side and
use jumper wires, I suspect it's not topologically possible without,
though you could probably do that by sandwiching several PCBs
together. Achieving good electrical connections between the rotors
would be interesting. Might need a divider between the rotors to hold
spring-loaded contacts to ride against the rotors, since you wouldn't
have the (presumably) spring-loaded contact pins of the original. Or
look at how (older) rotary switch contacts are made.

I'd think it would be the mechanical stuff (including getting the
contacts to the rotors to work well) that would be most challenging.

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Thread

Enigma rotor made of PCBs davidmylastname@acm.org (David Griffith) - 2015-10-17 01:47 +0000
  Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2015-10-16 22:18 -0500
    Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-10-19 13:11 +0000
  Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2015-10-16 21:44 -0600
  Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2015-10-21 11:35 -0500
    Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-22 11:38 +0000
      Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-22 16:18 +0100
        Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2015-10-22 18:22 +0000
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-10-22 17:32 -0700
        Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-23 14:14 +1100
      Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-10-22 11:48 -0400
      Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-10-22 11:08 -0700
      Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-23 14:21 +1100
        Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-10-23 10:43 +0200
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-23 11:06 +0000
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 10:00 -0500
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-23 16:22 +0100
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-23 17:27 +0000
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-10-23 13:40 -0400
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Stan Barr <plan.b@bluesomatic.org> - 2015-10-24 06:54 +0000
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-24 10:57 +0000
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2015-10-25 18:47 -0500
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-24 12:36 +1100
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-24 12:29 +1100
        Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 10:24 -0500
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2015-10-23 10:32 -0700
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 13:51 -0500
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-24 10:36 +0000
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-10-23 13:36 -0400
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2015-10-23 15:13 -0500
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> - 2015-10-23 20:25 +0000
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 15:51 -0500
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 15:59 -0500
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs David Wade <dave.g4ugm@gmail.com> - 2015-10-24 18:51 +0100
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2015-11-20 21:33 -0500
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2015-11-20 23:12 -0600
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-10-23 14:14 -0700
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Bob Eager <news0005@eager.cx> - 2015-10-23 22:10 +0000
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-10-24 09:10 +0200
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs JimP <solosam90@gmail.com> - 2015-10-23 19:19 -0500
              Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2015-10-23 20:13 -0500
                Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-10-24 09:13 -0400
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Greymaus <mausg@mail.com> - 2015-10-24 10:47 +0000
          Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2015-10-23 14:46 -0500
            Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-10-23 15:48 -0500
  Re: Enigma rotor made of PCBs barrym95838@yahoo.com - 2015-10-22 23:40 -0700

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