28:
353:
this caused less damage to the tapes. Speeds of up to 2000 characters per second were achieved for shorter tapes, but only 1000 for longer tapes. The tapes were guided past an array of photo-electric cells where the characters and other signals were read. Possible tape lengths on the bedstead were from 2000 to 11,000 characters.
551:(vacuum tubes) for the very small electrical currents arising from detectors in their nuclear disintegration experiments. Rutherford had got him to devote his attention to the construction of a reliable valve amplifier and methods of registering and counting these particles. The counter used gas-filled
352:
The "bedstead" was a system of pulleys around which two continuous loops of tape were driven in synchrony. Initially this was by means of a pair of sprocket wheels on a common axle. This was changed to drive by friction pulleys with the sprocket wheels maintaining the synchrony when it was found that
592:
Despite the success of
Colossus, the Robinson approach was still valuable for certain problems. Improved versions were developed, nicknamed Peter Robinson and Robinson and Cleaver after department stores in London. A further development of the ideas was a machine called Super Robinson or Super Rob.
570:
to count units of 16, 32, 48, 64; and slower relays to count 80, 160, 240, 320, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000. The count obtained for each run-through of the message tape was compared with a pre-set value, and if it exceeded it, was displayed along with a count that indicated the
361:
The perforated tapes were read photo-electrically at a "gate" which was placed as near as possible to the sprocket to reduce the effect of stretched tapes. Successive characters on the tape were read by a battery of ten photocells, an eleventh for the sprocket holes and two additional ones for the
511:
2 addition" (without carry) and "modulo 2 subtraction" (without 'borrow'). Note that modulo 2 addition and subtraction are identical. Some descriptions of Tunny decryption refer to addition and some to differencing, i.e. subtraction, but they mean the same thing.
571:
position of the key tape in relation to the message tape. The Wren operators initially had to write down these numbers before the next count that exceeded the threshold was displayed – which was "a fruitful source of error", so a printer was soon introduced.
121:
at
Malvern produced the high-speed electronic valve and relay counters. Construction started in January 1943, the prototype machine was delivered to Bletchley Park in June and was first used to help read current encrypted traffic soon afterwards.
233:
sequence was tried against the message. A count was amassed for each start position and, if it exceeded a pre-defined "set total", was printed out. The highest count was the most likely one to be the one with the correct values of
588:
realised that he could produce a machine that generated the key stream electronically so that the main problem of keeping two tapes synchronised with each other would be eliminated. This was the genesis of the
Colossus computer.
579:
The original Heath
Robinson was a prototype and was effective despite a number of serious shortcomings. All but one of these, the lack of "spanning" ability, were progressively overcome in the development of what became known as
901:
Spanning was the ability to limit consideration of the message tape to a defined section (or "span") in a situation in which it was known or suspected that there was an error in a particular part of the
1417:
519:. This required that the paper tape containing the ciphertext was tried against a tape that contained the component of the Lorenz cipher machine generated by the relevant two
51:
1256:
338:
318:
298:
275:
252:
228:
206:
186:
166:
141:
1174:
129:
for many purposes, including the methods used against the twelve-rotor Lorenz SZ42 on-line teleprinter cipher machine (code named Tunny, for tunafish).
74:
in-line cipher machine. Both the cipher and the machines were called "Tunny" by the codebreakers, who named different German teleprinter ciphers after
763:
1402:
736:
39:. On the right is the paper tape transport mechanism that was dubbed the "bedstead" because of a resemblance to an upended metal bed-frame.
661:
593:
Designed by Tommy
Flowers, this one had four bedsteads to allow for running four tapes and was used for running depths and "cribs" or
1044:
118:
188:
component of the key. By making the key tape one character longer than the message tape, each of the 1271 starting position of the
997:
168:
wheels of the Lorenz machine. This involved reading two long loops of paper tape, one containing the ciphertext and the other the
1075:
1103:
773:
746:
63:
20:
1369:
1156:
1007:
938:
928:
32:
1407:
1180:
87:
362:"stop" and "start" signals that were hand-punched between the third and fourth and fourth and fifth channels.
375:
106:
1192:
That version is a facsimile copy, but there is a transcript of much of this document in '.pdf' format at:
94:, who drew immensely complicated mechanical devices for simple tasks, similar to (and somewhat predating)
1412:
340:
component of the key to be removed and the resulting modified message attacked by manual methods in the
144:. This involved examining the first two of the five impulses of the characters of the message on the
1422:
556:
383:
1289:
1198:
818:
527:
s generated, with a high count indicating a greater probability of the starting position of the
1386:
1329:
667:
594:
91:
1309:
1241:
1053:
540:
323:
303:
283:
260:
237:
213:
191:
171:
151:
148:
tape and combining them with the first two impulses of part of the key as generated by the
27:
8:
114:
78:. It was mainly an electro-mechanical machine, containing no more than a couple of dozen
75:
523:
wheels at all possible starting positions. A count was then made of the total number of
1136:
508:
562:
The counters that Wynn-Williams designed for Heath
Robinson, and subsequently for the
1152:
1099:
1027:
1003:
934:
769:
742:
643:
563:
544:
126:
83:
1291:
The
Colossus: its purpose and operation: The machine age comes to Fish code breaking
1140:
1200:
Part of the "General Report on Tunny", the
Newmanry History, formatted by Tony Sale
1128:
762:
Igarashi, Yoshihide; Altman, Tom; Funada, Mariko; Kamiyama, Barbara (27 May 2014).
800:"Impulse" is the term used at Bletchley Park. Today one would say "the first two
613:
539:
Wynn-Williams had obtained his PhD at
Cambridge University for his work at the
320:
wheel starting positions for this message. This then allowed the effect of the
71:
55:
36:
1217:
1396:
1269:
1170:
1112:
1091:
1071:
585:
371:
110:
95:
47:
1132:
125:
As the
Robinson was a bit slow and unreliable, it was later replaced by the
1194:
386:
79:
59:
1365:
1349:
735:
Copeland, B. Jack; Bowen, Jonathan; Sprevak, Mark; Wilson, Robin (2017).
548:
390:
379:
138:
67:
1052:, Technical Papers, Bletchley Park National Codes Centre, archived from
137:
The basis of the method that the Heath Robinson machine implemented was
1233:
1166:
145:
102:
1305:
1285:
814:
552:
105:. The main engineering design was the work of Frank Morrell at the
1116:
389:
function in combining the various bit-streams. In the following "
341:
1096:
Colossus: The Secrets of Bletchley Park's Codebreaking Computers
820:
The Rebuild of Heath Robinson: Heath Robinson at Bletchley Park
1179:, UK Public Record Office HW 25/4 and HW 25/5, archived from
1176:
General Report on Tunny: With Emphasis on Statistical Methods
567:
1219:
General Report on Tunny With Emphasis on Statistical Methods
761:
101:
The functional specification of the machine was produced by
401:
represents "false". (At Bletchley Park these were known as
734:
801:
566:
used thyratrons to count units of 1, 2, 4, 8; high speed
382:(vacuum tubes) to implement the logic. This involved the
66:. This achieved the decryption of messages in the German
507:
Other names for this function are: "not equal" (NEQ), "
1418:
World War II military equipment of the United Kingdom
1244:
326:
306:
286:
263:
240:
216:
194:
174:
154:
1385:
Transcript of a lecture given by Prof. Tutte at the
516:
109:at Dollis Hill in North London, with his colleague
1250:
663:Bletchley Park National Code Centre: November 1943
332:
312:
292:
269:
246:
222:
200:
180:
160:
765:Computing: A Historical and Technical Perspective
644:"Artists and Inventors Inspired by Rube Goldberg"
1394:
547:. In 1926 he had constructed an amplifier using
1165:
968:
953:
911:
886:
842:
719:
692:
1046:Colossus and the Breaking of the Lorenz Cipher
487:
470:
453:
436:
425:
413:
847:54. Robinson: Bedsteads and Position Counting
724:3. Organisation: Machine Setting Organisation
614:"Robinson - The National Museum of Computing"
132:
52:Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS)
882:
880:
515:The combining unit implemented the logic of
82:, and was the predecessor to the electronic
1032:Colossus, Codebreaking, and the Digital Age
838:
836:
280:. With these values, settings of the other
1149:Colossus: Bletchley Park's Greatest Secret
999:Colossus: Bletchley Park's Greatest Secret
930:Colossus: Bletchley Park's Greatest Secret
688:
686:
684:
31:Working replica Heath Robinson machine at
1026:
877:
788:
119:Telecommunications Research Establishment
1358:
1278:
1262:
1090:
1070:
1036:
891:52. Development of Robinson and Colossus
871:
856:
854:
833:
707:
630:
574:
378:at Dollis Hill in North London. It used
300:wheels could be tried to break all five
86:. It was dubbed "Heath Robinson" by the
26:
1268:
1111:
983:
681:
600:
1403:Computer-related introductions in 1943
1395:
1146:
995:
926:
697:1. Introduction: Some historical notes
1364:
1354:Appendix 4: My Work at Bletchley Park
1348:
1327:
1214:, and a web transcript of Part 1 at:
860:
851:
1215:
1193:
813:
1098:, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
113:designing the "Combining Unit". Dr
16:Device used by the British in WW II
13:
1328:Small, Albert W. (December 1944),
1232:
1121:Annals of the History of Computing
1042:
90:who operated it, after cartoonist
64:cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher
21:Cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher
14:
1434:
365:
347:
1311:The rebuilding of Heath Robinson
1304:
1284:
33:The National Museum of Computing
1019:
989:
977:
962:
947:
927:Gannon, Paul (1 January 2007).
920:
905:
895:
865:
807:
794:
782:
356:
755:
728:
713:
701:
654:
636:
624:
606:
46:was a machine used by British
1:
996:Gannon, Paul (January 2007).
969:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
954:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
912:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
887:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
843:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
720:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
693:Good, Michie & Timms 1945
1077:A Brief History of Computing
531:key sequence being correct.
376:Post Office Research Station
107:Post Office Research Station
7:
741:. Oxford University Press.
534:
411:
10:
1439:
1173:; Timms, Geoffrey (1945),
1151:. London: Atlantic Books.
916:54. Robinson: Introduction
517:Tutte's statistical method
133:Tutte's statistical method
18:
943:– via Google Books.
414:
1117:"The Design of Colossus"
1331:The Special Fish Report
1133:10.1109/MAHC.1983.10079
70:cipher produced by the
1387:University of Waterloo
1252:
956:, pp. 354–362 in
595:known-plaintext attack
397:represents "true" and
334:
314:
294:
271:
248:
224:
202:
182:
162:
92:William Heath Robinson
40:
1408:Cryptanalytic devices
1253:
1251:{\displaystyle \chi }
1147:Gannon, Paul (2006).
648:www.rube-goldberg.com
575:Robinson developments
545:Sir Ernest Rutherford
370:This was designed by
335:
333:{\displaystyle \chi }
315:
313:{\displaystyle \chi }
295:
293:{\displaystyle \chi }
272:
270:{\displaystyle \chi }
249:
247:{\displaystyle \chi }
225:
223:{\displaystyle \chi }
203:
201:{\displaystyle \chi }
183:
181:{\displaystyle \chi }
163:
161:{\displaystyle \chi }
80:valves (vacuum tubes)
30:
1242:
1183:on 17 September 2010
601:References and notes
541:Cavendish Laboratory
387:"exclusive or" (XOR)
324:
304:
284:
261:
238:
214:
192:
172:
152:
1274:Of Men and Machines
115:C. E. Wynn-Williams
1413:English inventions
1361:, pp. 352–369
1281:, pp. 141–149
1265:, pp. 387–390
1248:
1216:Ellsbury, Graham,
1113:Flowers, Thomas H.
1028:Budiansky, Stephen
933:. Atlantic Books.
670:on 23 October 2017
564:Colossus computers
330:
310:
290:
267:
244:
220:
198:
178:
158:
41:
1350:Tutte, William T.
1105:978-0-19-284055-4
1092:Copeland, B. Jack
914:, p. 354 in
889:, p. 328 in
845:, p. 355 in
791:, pp. 58, 59
775:978-1-4822-2741-3
748:978-0-19-874782-6
722:, p. 290 in
549:thermionic valves
505:
504:
380:thermionic valves
127:Colossus computer
84:Colossus computer
1430:
1384:
1383:
1381:
1376:
1368:(19 June 1998),
1356:
1345:
1344:
1342:
1336:
1324:
1323:
1321:
1316:
1301:
1300:
1298:
1276:
1260:
1257:
1255:
1254:
1249:
1229:
1228:
1226:
1213:
1212:
1210:
1205:
1191:
1190:
1188:
1162:
1143:
1108:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1058:
1051:
1039:, pp. 52–63
1034:
1014:
1013:
993:
987:
981:
975:
971:, p. 26 in
966:
960:
951:
945:
944:
924:
918:
909:
903:
899:
893:
884:
875:
869:
863:
858:
849:
840:
831:
830:
829:
827:
811:
805:
798:
792:
786:
780:
779:
759:
753:
752:
738:The Turing Guide
732:
726:
717:
711:
705:
699:
695:, p. 33 in
690:
679:
678:
677:
675:
666:, archived from
658:
652:
651:
640:
634:
628:
622:
621:
610:
412:
339:
337:
336:
331:
319:
317:
316:
311:
299:
297:
296:
291:
276:
274:
273:
268:
253:
251:
250:
245:
229:
227:
226:
221:
207:
205:
204:
199:
187:
185:
184:
179:
167:
165:
164:
159:
1438:
1437:
1433:
1432:
1431:
1429:
1428:
1427:
1393:
1392:
1391:
1379:
1377:
1374:
1340:
1338:
1334:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1296:
1294:
1243:
1240:
1239:
1224:
1222:
1208:
1206:
1203:
1186:
1184:
1159:
1106:
1082:
1080:
1062:
1060:
1056:
1049:
1043:Carter, Frank,
1022:
1017:
1010:
994:
990:
982:
978:
967:
963:
952:
948:
941:
925:
921:
910:
906:
900:
896:
885:
878:
870:
866:
859:
852:
841:
834:
825:
823:
812:
808:
799:
795:
787:
783:
776:
760:
756:
749:
733:
729:
718:
714:
706:
702:
691:
682:
673:
671:
660:
659:
655:
642:
641:
637:
629:
625:
612:
611:
607:
603:
577:
553:Thyratron tubes
537:
409:respectively.)
368:
359:
350:
325:
322:
321:
305:
302:
301:
285:
282:
281:
279:
262:
259:
258:
256:
239:
236:
235:
232:
215:
212:
211:
210:
193:
190:
189:
173:
170:
169:
153:
150:
149:
142:"1+2 technique"
135:
23:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1436:
1426:
1425:
1423:Bletchley Park
1420:
1415:
1410:
1405:
1390:
1389:
1362:
1346:
1325:
1302:
1282:
1270:Randell, Brian
1266:
1247:
1230:
1171:Michie, Donald
1163:
1157:
1144:
1127:(3): 239–252,
1109:
1104:
1094:, ed. (2006),
1088:
1072:Copeland, Jack
1068:
1040:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1015:
1008:
988:
976:
961:
946:
939:
919:
904:
894:
876:
864:
850:
832:
806:
793:
789:Budiansky 2006
781:
774:
754:
747:
727:
712:
700:
680:
653:
635:
623:
604:
602:
599:
576:
573:
536:
533:
503:
502:
497:
492:
486:
485:
480:
475:
469:
468:
463:
458:
452:
451:
446:
441:
435:
434:
431:
428:
424:
423:
418:
367:
366:Combining unit
364:
358:
355:
349:
348:Tape transport
346:
329:
309:
289:
277:
266:
254:
243:
230:
219:
208:
197:
177:
157:
134:
131:
72:Lorenz SZ40/42
56:Bletchley Park
44:Heath Robinson
37:Bletchley Park
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1435:
1424:
1421:
1419:
1416:
1414:
1411:
1409:
1406:
1404:
1401:
1400:
1398:
1388:
1373:
1372:
1367:
1363:
1360:
1359:Copeland 2006
1355:
1351:
1347:
1337:, p. 108
1333:
1332:
1326:
1313:
1312:
1307:
1303:
1293:
1292:
1287:
1283:
1280:
1279:Copeland 2006
1275:
1271:
1267:
1264:
1263:Copeland 2006
1259:
1245:
1238:Appendix 7: ∆
1235:
1231:
1221:
1220:
1202:
1201:
1196:
1182:
1178:
1177:
1172:
1168:
1164:
1160:
1158:1-84354-330-3
1154:
1150:
1145:
1142:
1138:
1134:
1130:
1126:
1122:
1118:
1115:(July 1983),
1114:
1110:
1107:
1101:
1097:
1093:
1089:
1079:
1078:
1073:
1069:
1059:on 8 May 2012
1055:
1048:
1047:
1041:
1038:
1037:Copeland 2006
1033:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1011:
1009:9781782394020
1005:
1001:
1000:
992:
986:, p. 149
985:
980:
974:
973:13. Machines.
970:
965:
959:
955:
950:
942:
940:9781782394020
936:
932:
931:
923:
917:
913:
908:
898:
892:
888:
883:
881:
873:
872:Copeland 2006
868:
862:
857:
855:
848:
844:
839:
837:
822:
821:
816:
810:
803:
797:
790:
785:
777:
771:
768:. CRC Press.
767:
766:
758:
750:
744:
740:
739:
731:
725:
721:
716:
709:
708:Copeland 2006
704:
698:
694:
689:
687:
685:
669:
665:
664:
657:
649:
645:
639:
632:
631:Copeland 2006
627:
619:
618:www.tnmoc.org
615:
609:
605:
598:
596:
590:
587:
586:Tommy Flowers
583:
572:
569:
565:
560:
558:
554:
550:
546:
542:
532:
530:
526:
522:
518:
513:
510:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
454:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
432:
429:
426:
422:
419:
417:
410:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
388:
385:
381:
377:
373:
372:Tommy Flowers
363:
354:
345:
343:
327:
307:
287:
264:
241:
217:
195:
175:
155:
147:
143:
140:
130:
128:
123:
120:
116:
112:
111:Tommy Flowers
108:
104:
99:
97:
96:Rube Goldberg
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
38:
34:
29:
25:
22:
1378:, retrieved
1370:
1366:Tutte, W. T.
1353:
1339:, retrieved
1330:
1318:, retrieved
1310:
1295:, retrieved
1290:
1273:
1237:
1223:, retrieved
1218:
1209:20 September
1207:, retrieved
1199:
1187:15 September
1185:, retrieved
1181:the original
1175:
1148:
1124:
1120:
1095:
1081:, retrieved
1076:
1063:26 September
1061:, retrieved
1054:the original
1045:
1031:
1020:Bibliography
998:
991:
984:Randell 2006
979:
972:
964:
958:54. Robinson
957:
949:
929:
922:
915:
907:
897:
890:
874:, p. 64
867:
846:
824:, retrieved
819:
809:
796:
784:
764:
757:
737:
730:
723:
715:
710:, p. 65
703:
696:
672:, retrieved
668:the original
662:
656:
647:
638:
633:, p. 74
626:
617:
608:
591:
584:". However,
582:Old Robinson
581:
578:
561:
538:
528:
524:
520:
514:
506:
499:
494:
489:
482:
477:
472:
465:
460:
455:
448:
443:
438:
420:
415:
406:
402:
398:
394:
369:
360:
357:Tape reading
351:
139:Bill Tutte's
136:
124:
100:
98:in the U.S.
60:World War II
48:codebreakers
43:
42:
24:
1234:Newman, Max
674:21 November
391:truth table
68:teleprinter
1397:Categories
1371:Fish and I
1341:14 October
1306:Sale, Tony
1286:Sale, Tony
1225:3 November
1195:Sale, Tony
1167:Good, Jack
861:Small 1944
815:Sale, Tony
555:which are
146:ciphertext
103:Max Newman
19:See also:
1320:20 August
1297:20 August
1246:χ
1083:6 October
559:devices.
557:bi-stable
328:χ
308:χ
288:χ
265:χ
242:χ
218:χ
196:χ
176:χ
156:χ
117:from the
1352:(2006),
1197:(2001),
1141:39816473
1074:(2000),
1030:(2006),
817:(2001),
535:Counting
1380:7 April
1258:-Method
826:2 April
384:Boolean
374:of the
342:Testery
58:during
50:at the
1155:
1139:
1102:
1006:
937:
772:
745:
597:runs.
568:relays
509:modulo
433:A ⊕ B
421:OUTPUT
1375:(PDF)
1335:(PDF)
1315:(PDF)
1204:(PDF)
1137:S2CID
1057:(PDF)
1050:(PDF)
902:tape.
543:with
416:INPUT
88:Wrens
1382:2012
1343:2012
1322:2012
1299:2012
1227:2010
1211:2010
1189:2010
1153:ISBN
1100:ISBN
1085:2012
1065:2012
1004:ISBN
935:ISBN
828:2013
802:bits
770:ISBN
743:ISBN
676:2012
405:and
257:and
76:fish
1357:in
1277:in
1261:in
1129:doi
1035:in
529:chi
521:chi
393:",
62:in
54:at
35:on
1399::
1308:,
1288:,
1272:,
1236:,
1169:;
1135:,
1123:,
1119:,
1002:.
879:^
853:^
835:^
804:".
683:^
646:.
616:.
344:.
1161:.
1131::
1125:5
1012:.
778:.
751:.
650:.
620:.
580:"
525:0
500:0
495:1
490:1
483:1
478:0
473:1
466:1
461:1
456:0
449:0
444:0
439:0
430:B
427:A
407:•
403:x
399:0
395:1
278:2
255:1
231:2
209:1
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