A random number generator (RNG) is an essential function for security solutions. The security strength of many systems and applications depends on a high quality RNG. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has proposed in document NIST800- 90C the construction of a qualified RNG as a combination of true random number seeds, deterministic generator methods and post-processing algorithms. However, a true high-quality random seed is hard to design. An entropy source must provide ideal randomness and be derived from physical sources. Moreover, according to NIST regulations, four separate entropy sources are needed to construct a fully qualified true random number generator (TRNG).
Our PUFtrng leverages the perfect randomness of NeoPUF to generate the qualified TRNG without the need for high-quality entropy sources. This allows for a simpler design to generate random bits and leads to efficient power consumption as well. Moreover, our circuit design enables PUFtrng to have the same level of randomness without the need for additional data post processing, leading to a high throughput bit rate.