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The device uses the SAVILLE encryption algorithm [1] – jointly developed by GCHQ and the NSA – and was approved for all levels of classification. When unkeyed, the KG-84 is unclassified, but remains a Controlled Cryptographic Item (CCI). It was succeeded in the mid-1990s by KIV-7. | | The KG-84 measures 38 x 19.5 x 19 cm and weighs approx. 10 kg. Its form factor allows two units to be installed side-by-side in a single 19" rack space. All controls are at the front, with the configuration settings hidden behind a hinged lid. All connections – with the exception of the U-229 key FILL socket – are located at the rear. The KG-84 was manufactuered in the United States by Bendix Communications Division, Pulse Engineering and E-Systems (now: Raytheon). The image on the right shows a typical KG-84A that has been in service at NATO until at least 1992. | | | The KG-84 (A/C) has a wide range of configuration options, most of which are hidden behind the hinged lid that covers the upper half of the front panel. In asynchronous mode, it can handle data rates between 50 and 9600 baud. In synchronous mode – using the internal clock – it can handle data up to 32,000 baud, and with an external clock connected it can even go up to 64,000 baud. Furthermore, the KG-84 is suitable for full-duplex, half-duplex and simplex communication. | | The KG-84 was developed in 1983 and was first introduced with the US Army and the US Navy in early 1984. Following the John Walker Incident — in which the KW-7 cipher machine had been compromised for many years — the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also introduced the KG-84 on its main communications circuits [6]. In 1988, the improved KG-84C was introduced, which offered several advantages over the KG-84 and KG-84A, including an improved handling of synchronisation on unstable HF radio links and the ability to handle the European telex protocol. | | | The device replaced earlier and ageing encryption systems, like the KW-7, KG-13, KG-30, KG-33 and the KG-34. The KG-84 was also used by NATO and, from 6 November 1989 onwards, by the Government of Australia [8]. The price for a single KG-84A unit in 1988, was US$ 5000. From the mid-1990s onwards, KG-84 was gruadually replaced by the smaller and more versatile KIV-7 — announced as an embeddable KG-84 module — which has the form factor of a CD-ROM player. | A × A 1 / 8  A 2 / 8  A 3 / 8  A 4 / 8  A 5 / 8  A 6 / 8  A 7 / 8  A 8 / 8  ❮ ❯ | The diagram below provides a quick overview of the controls at the front panel of the KG-84A. The upper half is covered by a hinged lid, behind which the configuration of the device can be set. Below the lid is the ON/OFF switch, the INITIATE switch and a compartment for the backup battery, which is needed for retaining the keys when the device is not powered externally. To the right of the battery compartment is the ZEROIZE switch. Activating this switch — pull out and push it down — purges the cryptographic keys instantly. As the KG-84 uses the highly secret SAVILLE cryptographic algorithm, its keys are 128 bits long (120 key bits plus 8-bit checksum). | | This means that a regular DS-102 compatible FILL device – such as the KYK-13 – can be used to transfer the keys. The KG-84 can hold up to four such Traffic Encryption Keys, or TEKs, selectable with a rotary switch at the bottom left. The image on the right shows a regular KYK-13 fill device connected to the U-229 FILL socket at the bottom right of the front panel of the KG-84. To transfer a key, the MODE selector of the KG-84 should be set to FILL-V and the desired key compartment should be selected with the rotary switch at the bottom left of the front panel. | | | Next, the corrsponding key compartment on the KYK-13 should be selected, after which the INITIATE button is pressed to start the transfer. Up to four keys can be loaded this way. Once all keys are installed, the MODE selector is set to the desired mode of operation, and the KYK-13 is removed again. The FILL socket is normally covered by a rubber cap, to keep its contacts clean. | - KG-84 Initial version of the KG-84 Dedicated Loop Encryption Device (DLED), introduced in 1984. RS-232 serial interface. Single-ended data signals.
- KG-84A Improved version of the KG-84. Suitable for use over landlines, microwave links and satellite. Supports TRI-TAC switched networks, RS-232 or RS-449 serial interface (strap selectable). Single-ended or balanced control signals. Addition of X-VAR mode. Improved remote keying. The device featured on this page, is of this type.
- KG-84C Same as KG-84A, but with improved HF capability, out-of-sync detection, asynchronous ciphertext, plaintext bypass and European Telex protocol.
| |  KYK-13 | |  KYX-15 | |  KOI-18 | |  CYZ-10 | |  UP-2101 | |  KLL-1 | | | The KG-84 is housed in a die-cast aluminium enclosure that mesasures 38 × 19.5 × 19 cm and weighs just over 10 kg. The interior is accessible from the top and from the bottom, by removing the bolted panels. The case has several shielded compartments for full RED/BLACK separation. | | At the bottom are two backplanes: one for the BLACK side and one for the RED side. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are inserted into this backplane from the top of the device. The diagram above gives a clear overview of the PCBs and the compartments into which they are installed. The compartments at the rear hold the PSU and the physical line interface. The compartments at the front hold the controls and their wiring to the backplane. At the centre are three further compartments: one for the black side, one for red and one for the interface between them. | | | With the exception of the Power Supply Unit (PSU), all board are removable and have a metal tag with their ID and serial number at the upper edge. They can be extracted by folding out the two plastic levers and lifting the board upwards. Only two boards are marked CCI (in earlier versions they were marked: CONFIDENTIAL). These boards contain the custom-made chips that hold the SAVILLE encryption algorithm. They are identical to the ones found in the KY-68 crypto phone. | | |
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