Breaking Enigma with an FPGA, Just like at Bletchly Park
A student project at Cornell University has successfully emulated the Bletchley Park cryptography apparatus using an FPGA. The project, undertaken by Erica Jiang, Kelvin Resch, and Isabella Frank, showcases the capabilities of modern technology in breaking historical codes. This initiative not only honors the legacy of Alan Turing but also serves as an educational tool for understanding cryptography.
- ▪The project emulates the entire Bletchley Park cryptography apparatus, not just the Bombe Machine.
- ▪FPGA technology allows for faster execution of fixed logic compared to traditional CPUs.
- ▪The students' work serves as a great learning opportunity and pays homage to historical cryptography efforts.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Breaking Enigma With An FPGA, Just Like At Bletchly Park No comments by: Tyler August May 30, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy The pioneering work done by Alan Turing and others at Bletchley Park in England was perhaps as important in the history of technology as it was the history of the war. Given the last 80-odd years of technological development, their revolutionary work should be within the realms of a student project — which it was, specifically in ECE 5760 at Cornell University. The work was done by [Erica Jiang], [Kelvin Resch], and [Isabella Frank]. Nowadays if someone told you there was a code to be broken, you wouldn’t be reaching for electromechanical devices, but you just might think of trying an FPGA.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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