Vatanpreet Singh supervised by Dr. Azeemuddin Syed  received his Master of Science in  Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE). Here’s a summary of his research work on Random Number Generator Using Multistage Ring Oscillators and FFT-Based Noise Extraction:

Random Number Generators (RNG) serve as vital tools in various fields, particularly in cryptography and security applications, where the generation of high-quality random bitstreams is paramount. RNGs are essential for ensuring the unpredictability and security of cryptographic protocols and algorithms. They find applications in simulations, gaming, statistical sampling, and numerous other areas where randomness is required. In cryptography, RNGs play a critical role in generating cryptographic keys, initialization vectors, and nonces for secure communication and data encryption. However, the quality and randomness of generated numbers are crucial factors that directly impact the security of cryptographic systems. Traditional RNGs often rely on algorithms or physical sources of randomness, such as thermal noise or radioactive decay. In this thesis, we introduce a fresh method for generating such random bitstreams by harnessing the inherent noise characteristics of ring oscillators. Our study involved the implementation of ring oscillators with varying configurations (3, 5, and 7 stages), diverse geometries, and different startup voltages using Cadence. We measured their total output power, incorporating cumulative noise effects, and then exported these measurements to MATLAB for further analysis. By employing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)- based techniques, we extracted the overall noise characteristics for each ring oscillator. Utilizing this noise data, we produced separate random bitstreams consisting of 10 million bits for each of the 3-stage, 5-stage, and 7-stage ring oscillators. The final random bit stream, also comprising 10 million bits, was generated by performing bitwise XOR operations on the bitstreams produced by each ring oscillator. The randomness of these generated bitstreams was evaluated using the NIST 800-22 statistical test suite. Impressively, the resultant random bitstream displayed robustness and suitability for cryptographic applications, demonstrating the efficacy of our innovative approach. Leveraging the noise properties of ring oscillators, our method presents a reliable means of generating random bitstreams, with potential applications in secure communications and cryptography. These findings underscore the viability of employing ring oscillators as noise sources for random bit generation, highlighting their effectiveness in meeting stringent randomness criteria.

August 2024