Hardware random number generator
AssigneeAriel Scientific Innovations Ltd.
InventorsAmir Abramovich, Natan Kopeika, Daniel Rozban, Leeroy Solomon
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for generating a series of random numbers, comprising: operating a circuit comprising a low-pressure cold-cathode glow discharge lamp; and converting an analog current-noise signal in the circuit caused as a result of the operating to a digital data signal, wherein the digital data signal constitutes a series of random numbers. Also disclosed is a hardware random number generator circuit that generates, from noise caused by the operation of a low-pressure cold-cathode glow discharge lamp, a digital data signal that constitutes a series of random numbers.
Claims18
A method for generating a series of random numbers, comprising:
- operating a circuit comprising a low-pressure cold-cathode glow discharge lamp;
- obtaining an analog current-noise signal in said circuit as a result of said operating;
- using a high-pass current filter to filter out low-frequency components of the analog current-noise signal;
- and
- converting the filtered analog current-noise signal to a digital data signal, wherein said digital data signal constitutes a series of random numbers.
A random number generator circuit (10, 12, 14, 88), comprising:
- a. a low-pressure cold-cathode glow discharge lamp (16), having:
- a first lamp electrode (18), and a second lamp electrode (20);
- b. a low noise electrical power supply (44,46);
- c. a first line (22) for providing electrical connection between said first lamp electrode (18) and a first electrode of the electrical power supply;
- d. a second line (24) for providing electrical connection between said second lamp electrode (20) and a second electrode of an electrical power supply;
- and
- e. a high-pass current filter (76) configured to receive from said selected line an analog current-noise signal (28) caused as a result of the operation of said glow discharge lamp (16), and filter out low-frequency components of the analog current-noise signal;
- and
- f. electrically connected to a line selected from the group consisting of said first line (22) and said second line (24), a transimpedance unit (26) configured to:
- receive from said high-pass current filter, an analog current-noise signal (28) with a reduced intensity of low-frequency components, and
- to generate and output an analog voltage signal (30) that is representative of the variation of the filtered analog current-noise signal (28).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.