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Pocket-size electronic cipher machine
- wanted item
The ME-540 was a electronic pocket-size cipher machine, developed
and produced by Mils Elektronik
in Mils (Austria), probably in the mid-1980s,
as the successor to the PCCM-4000.
It had the look and feel of a Casio,
Radio Shack or Sharp pocket computer of the era.
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The device measures 227 x 95 x 30 mm and has an LCD screen at the top center.
Below the LCD are five rows of keys arranged in a matrix. Although the device
looks similar to a pocket computer of the 1980s, it is much thicker (30 mm
rather than just 5) in order to accomodate the electronics. It could be used
stand-alone, or in a more complete modular arrangement.
The image on the right shows the bare ME-540, without the printer and
the acoustic coupler [3]. In practice, it was often built inside an
executive style briefcase, together with the add-ons.
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The device is housed inside a bright blue plastic enclosure, with the
keyboard and display protruding at the top. At the right side is a socket
for the power supply unit, whilst a wide expansion slot is located at the
left side. The expansion slot can be used to connect the thermal printer
or the acoustic coupler (or both when using the right adapters as
shown below).
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The image on the right shows the ME-540 at the heart of a portable
cipher system, packed inside an executive style briefcase, ready for
use. The system shown here probably demonstrates the most complete
configuration. Apart from the ME-540, there is a mains power supply,
the thermal printer, the modem and several other modules.
The ME-540 was available in the standard Latin keyboard layout (e.g. QWERTY),
but was also available for other languages. The drawing
below shows the keyboard layout of the Arabic version.
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At present, we have no further information about the ME-540 available.
You can help us expanding this page, by supplying additional information,
such as the operator's instructions or -better- the actual ME-540 unit.
If you think you can help, please contact us.
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- Mils Electronic, Image of ME-540 pocket cipher machine
Retrieved June 2013.
- Mils Elektronik, ME 540 User Manual
15 pages. Date unknown, but probably mid-1980s.
- Crypto Museum, Images of ME-540 cipher machine
2 August 2013. Courtesy Mils Electronic.
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© Copyright 2009-2013, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Tuesday, 06 August 2013 - 19:36 CET
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![The ME-540 with accessories, packed inside a briefcase [1]](img/me540.jpg "The ME-540 with accessories, packed inside a briefcase [1]")
