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Hardware random number generators
by
Robert Davies
Statistics Research Associates Limited
This paper is about the testing and the applications of hardware random number generators.
A hardware random number generator is an electronic device that plugs into a computer and produces genuine random numbers. This is in contrast to the pseudo-random numbers produced by a random number computer program. Several hardware random number generators are available from commercial sources. They are used for generating keys for encryption, winning numbers for lotteries, selecting experimental designs and occasionally for statistical simulations.
Testing a hardware random generator differs from testing a pseudo-random number generator. In particular, if one knows the design of the generator one can tailor the tests to be appropriate for that design. The intended application may also be important when selecting the tests. On the other hand, some of the tests used for pseudo-random number generators aren’t very useful when applied to hardware random number generators.
The paper includes a description of a suite of tests and some examples from commercial random number generators.
Date received: August 15, 2000
Copyright © 2000 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cadt-17.