How to implement a (pseudo) hardware random number generator

Question

How do you implement a hardware random number generator in an HDL (verilog)?

What options need to be considered?

---

This question is following the self-an

Answer 1

This is a TRNG (True random number generator) that works on an FPGA. It is basically an LFSR type structure without the flip flops, so it is a combinatorial loop that runs continuously. The signal oscillates chaotically, when you combine several of these modules and XOR bits you get a truly random bit, since the jitter from each combines. The maximum clock rate you can run this at depends on your FPGA, you should test the randomness with a testing suite like diehard, dieharder, STS or TestU01.

These are called Galois Ring Oscillators(GARO). There are other TRNGs which use less power and area, but they are tricker to operate and write, usually relying on tuning delays to make a flipflop go metastable.

module GARO (input stop,clk, reset, output random);

(* OPTIMIZE="OFF" *)                    //stop *xilinx* tools optimizing this away
wire [31:1] stage /* synthesis keep */; //stop *altera* tools optimizing this away
reg meta1, meta2;

assign random = meta2;

always@(posedge clk or negedge reset)
if(!reset)
  begin
    meta1 <= 1'b0;
    meta2 <= 1'b0;
  end
else if(clk)
  begin
    meta1 <= stage[1];
    meta2 <= meta1;
  end

assign stage[1] = ~&{stage[2] ^ stage[1],stop};
assign stage[2] = !stage[3];
assign stage[3] = !stage[4] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[4] = !stage[5] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[5] = !stage[6] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[6] = !stage[7] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[7] = !stage[8];
assign stage[8] = !stage[9] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[9] = !stage[10] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[10] = !stage[11];
assign stage[11] = !stage[12];
assign stage[12] = !stage[13] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[13] = !stage[14];
assign stage[14] = !stage[15] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[15] = !stage[16] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[16] = !stage[17] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[17] = !stage[18];
assign stage[18] = !stage[19];
assign stage[19] = !stage[20] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[20] = !stage[21] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[21] = !stage[22];
assign stage[22] = !stage[23];
assign stage[23] = !stage[24];
assign stage[24] = !stage[25];
assign stage[25] = !stage[26];
assign stage[26] = !stage[27] ^ stage[1];
assign stage[27] = !stage[28];
assign stage[28] = !stage[29];
assign stage[29] = !stage[30];
assign stage[30] = !stage[31];
assign stage[31] = !stage[1];

endmodule