Excel Enigma

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Number of letters 26
Reset Help
Rotor L M N
Notch q v e
Ring settings a a a Blue cells are input cells!
Rotor settings (start) s f d Encrypt
Rotor settings (current) s f d

Plaintext
w e t t e r v o r h e r s a g e
Cryptotext

Test of permutations
Plugboard S
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
r b c q s m g h i j t p f n o l d a e k u v w x z y

Right rotor R1
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
a j d k s i r u x b l h w t m c q g z n p y f v o e

Middle rotor R2
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
b d f h j l c p r t x v z n y e i w g a k m u s q o

Left rotor R3
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
e k m f l g d q v z n t o w y h x u s p a i b r c j

Reflector R
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
y r u h q s l d p x n g o k m i e b f z c w v j a t
Rotors and reflectors etc.

Plugboard S
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
r b c q s m g h i j t p f n o l d a e k u

Rotor I (Enigma I, 1930)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
e k m f l g d q v z n t o w y h x u s p a
Notch: q

Rotor II (Enigma I, 1930)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
a j d k s i r u x b l h w t m c q g z n p
Notch: e

Rotor III (Enigma I, 1930)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
b d f h j l c p r t x v z n y e i w g a k
Notch: v

Rotor IV (M3 Army, dec 1938)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
e s o v p z j a y q u i r h x l n f t g k
Notch: j

Rotor V (M3 Army, dec 1938)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
v z b r g i t y u p s d n h l x a w m j q
Notch: z

Reflector A (Wide)
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
e j m z a l y x v b w f c r q u o n t s p

Reflector B (Wide)
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
y r u h q s l d p x n g o k m i e b f z c

Reflector C (Wide)
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
f v p j i a o y e d r z x w g c t k u q s

Reflector B (Thin, 1940)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
 e n k q a u y w j i c o p b l m d x z v f

Reflector C (Thin, 1940)

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u
r d o b j n t k v e h m l f c w z a x g y
v w x y z
v w x z y

v w x y z
i b r c j

v w x y z
y f v o e

v w x y z
m u s q o

v w x y z
d c m w b

v w x y z
o f e c k

v w x y z
i k h g d

v w x y z
w v j a t

v w x y z
b n m h l

v w x y z
t h r g s

v w x y z
i p s u q
 Back to main page

Introduction to Excel Enigma

The German engineer Arthur Scherbius designed a electro-mechanical cipher-machine, which turned out to be the maybe mo
famous cipher machine in history. It's name is Enigma, and it was adopted by the German Navy in 1926. It was solved by the P
in the 1930's and later, when World War II started and the security of Enigma was increased, the British people took over in Bl
Park and solved Enigma on many occasions. It is assumed that their contribution shortened the War by about two years.

This Microsoft Excel VBA file is a simulator of the Enigma machine.

Setup instruction
First notice that input cells are blue! Start inputting the Number of letters in the blue cell in the upper left corner. If 8 is chosen
the alphabet will be consisting of the letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h. If 26 is chosen you get the whole english alphabet from
Next input the permutations associated with the plugboard, the three rotors and the reflector in Enigma in line 20, 24 28, 32 an
The permutations associated with the three rotors R1 (left), R2 (middle) and R3 (right) in line 24, 28 nd 32 are supposed to be
with "default settings", i.e. ring and rotor settings are all a's. The permutations of the rotors having specific ring and rotor
settings are denoted L (left), M (middle) and N (right). The ring and rotor settings of the these rotors can be set in line 8 and 9
Additionally each of these rotors has a notch (turnover), and they can be set in line 7. You can chose your own permutations,
if you like. However notice that the permutations associated with the plugboard as well as the reflector should be self-reciproca
meaning that if a letter, say a, maps to a letter say f, then f should map to a. To test if your permutations are consistent, you
can press the Test of permutations button. This will tell how many a's, b's, etc. are present in your permutation. Since a permu
should contain each letter exactly once, the permutation is consistent if a 1 shows up under each letter. If this is not the case
you need to edit the permutation. If you press the button once again, the test-information disappears! Remark however that
the plugboard and reflector permutations are not tested for reciprocity!

The tab Extra (Sheet 2), which you can access below, contains the permutations of the War rotors and reflectors
so you don't need to find their actual permutations on the Internet. You can just cut and paste them to the Enigma page (sheet
To avoid making the Bombe unnecessary complicated, I have restricted myself to three rotors and only one notch per rotor.
Therefore the program is not applicable for the true naval Enigmas. For the Army/Air Force Enigmas it works perfect, though.

Function instruction
Now on how to apply the simulator, after everything has been set up according to the above instructions. Start pressing the
Reset button. This will cause the simulator to delete the Cryptotext line. The rotor current settings are set to the user
defined start rotor settings. Now write the plain text in the blue line 13. This plain text is now being decrypted one
letter at a time, everytime you press the Encrypt button. At the same time the current rotor settings are updated in line 10.

Back to main page

d out to be the maybe most
926. It was solved by the Poles
sh people took over in Bletchley
by about two years.

eft corner. If 8 is chosen

english alphabet from a to z.
ma in line 20, 24 28, 32 and 36.
nd 32 are supposed to be
ecific ring and rotor
can be set in line 8 and 9.
your own permutations,
or should be self-reciprocal,
ons are consistent, you
rmutation. Since a permutation
er. If this is not the case
Remark however that

nd reflectors
o the Enigma page (sheet 1).
ly one notch per rotor.
it works perfect, though.

ons. Start pressing the

e set to the user
crypted one
re updated in line 10.