The U-229 is a cable

connector Connector may refer to: Hardware *Plumbing * Electrical connector, a device for joining electrical circuits together (sometimes known as ports, plugs, or interfaces) ** Gender of connectors and fasteners ** AC power plugs and sockets, devices tha ...

currently used by the U.S. military for audio connections to field radios, typically for connecting a

handset A handset is a component of a telephone that a user holds to the ear and mouth to receive audio through the receiver and speak to the remote party using the built-in transmitter. In earlier telephones, the transmitter was mounted directly on ...

. There are five-pin and six-pin versions, the sixth pin version using the extra pin to power accessories. This type of connector is also used by the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...

to load

cryptographic keys A key in cryptography is a piece of information, usually a string of numbers or letters that are stored in a file, which, when processed through a cryptographic algorithm, can encode or decode cryptographic data. Based on the used method, the key c ...

into

encryption In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decip ...

equipment from a

fill device A fill device or key loader is a module used to load cryptographic keys into electronic encryption machines. Fill devices are usually hand held and electronic ones are battery operated. Older mechanical encryption systems, such as rotor machin ...

. It is specified by the detail specification MIL-DTL-55116D .

External links

U-229 pin-outs and information

MIL-DTL-55116 military specification

{{crypto-stub Military radio systems of the United States National Security Agency encryption devices Electrical signal connectors Military equipment introduced in the 1970s