X Developer Keith Packard's ChaosKey Hardware RNG Is Almost Here

[starshipeleven]

As a matter of fact, an USB equipped TRNG can be obtained from hardware that is already on sale in large numbers at less than 10$, no need to design a special PCB or to solder anything. A Cypress PSOC 5LP already contains everything that is needed to design a /True/ Random Number Generator based on chaotic dynamics with USB output. The CY8CKIT-059 prototyping kit, that costs about $9 contains two PSOC 5LP microcontrollers and can be turned into a USB True Random Number Generator dongle by merely uploading an appropriate firmware on it. This was presented at the IEEE ISCAS 2016 conference as the paper "True Random Number Generators as Configware for Mixed Mode Programmable Systems on Chip" and provides over 300kbit/s of entropy. Full disclosure: I am the author. As soon as the paper is given a DOI and it is possible to do so, a sample firmware will be available.

I'm interested in this. Make sure Micheael makes an article about it, maybe send him a prototyping kit to test too lol.

[Iksf]

What sort of usage does this have? I understand the importance of random numbers in cryptography etc. However, what examples exist of people who would be looking at this thinking "This is exactly what I need for X"?

[duby229]

I'm interested in this. Make sure Micheael makes an article about it, maybe send him a prototyping kit to test too lol.

Are you an EET? It seems like it, you have a confident grasp on what you're talking about.

[starshipeleven]

Are you an EET? It seems like it, you have a confident grasp on what you're talking about.

Nope. I'm a tinkerer, it's more like an hobby, and my electronics skillset is much more limited.

I have a hot-air rework station + temp-controlled small-tip soldering iron and I know how to use them tho.

[liam]

The kernel can generate true random numbers just through high resolution timing of hardware events, but only a few low order bits at a time.
This would be useful if you used something like forward secrecy, however.

[Brane215]

As a matter of fact, an USB equipped TRNG can be obtained from hardware that is already on sale in large numbers at less than 10$, no need to design a special PCB or to solder anything. A Cypress PSOC 5LP already contains everything that is needed to design a /True/ Random Number Generator based on chaotic dynamics with USB output. The CY8CKIT-059 prototyping kit, that costs about $9 contains two PSOC 5LP microcontrollers and can be turned into a USB True Random Number Generator dongle by merely uploading an appropriate firmware on it. This was presented at the IEEE ISCAS 2016 conference as the paper "True Random Number Generators as Configware for Mixed Mode Programmable Systems on Chip" and provides over 300kbit/s of entropy. Full disclosure: I am the author. As soon as the paper is given a DOI and it is possible to do so, a sample firmware will be available.

So how do you know that that Cypress PSoC thingie is truely random ?

[Brane215]

Also, question for original theme - why USB ? It's not exactly the most appropriate way for such purpose- it's far too stranger firendly bus.

WHy not, for example, small PCIex1 card with cheap FPGA on it ?

[starshipeleven]

So how do you know that that Cypress PSoC thingie is truely random ?

Giving the speed it generates stuff with, it's not hard to do a statistical analysis of the output.

[starshipeleven]

Also, question for original theme - why USB ? It's not exactly the most appropriate way for such purpose- it's far too stranger firendly bus.

WHy not, for example, small PCIex1 card with cheap FPGA on it ?

because it's wildly unlikely to ever saturate USB 2.0 speed with its data transfer, and wasting a PCIe slot with that is retarded. Also, FPGAs are utter shit as far as opensource and security goes, not to mention various orders of magnitude more powerful and expensive than a simple cheap crappy opensourced microcontroller, while not offering any performance advantage.

EDIT: there are internal USB connectors for desktops, and mpcie -> usb adapters for laptops. But let me tell you something, this device is just begging to be soldered on unused USB pins of the mobo of a laptop.

[Nille_kungen]

Also, question for original theme - why USB ? It's not exactly the most appropriate way for such purpose- it's far too stranger firendly bus.

WHy not, for example, small PCIex1 card with cheap FPGA on it ?

Maybe because less and less people use desktop computers and with USB it will also work on laptops, laptop users may have needs for cryptography.