Entropy Computation for Oscillator-based Physical Random Number Generators

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a complete set of algorithms aimed at the design and security evaluation of oscillator-based True Random Number Generators (TRNG). While depending on some TRNG design assumptions, the proposed algorithms use as inputs the statistical parameters of the underlying random physical process such as the clock jitter originating from the thermal noise and give a lower bound of the entropy rate of the generated bit stream as output. We describe the general structure of a TRNG composed of multiple free-running oscillators and samplers, the outputs of which are post-processed by an entropy conditioner. Depending on the specification of the entropy conditioner, which can usually be any Boolean function, we describe several algorithmic optimizations. We then explain how to compute and efficiently manage the entropy rate at the output of such a post-processing block and at the output of the generator as a whole.