Design and analysis of an arduino-based low-cost true random number generator

Abstract

This study covers the design and statistical randomness-based performance analysis of an Arduino-based True Random Number Generator (TRNG) that uses environmental analog noise as a randomness source. The environmental analog noise used as the randomness source was sampled from the Arduino's A_0-A_4 pins, mixed at the bit level, and then subjected to the SHA-256 hash function in the post processing stage. The 256-bit random number blocks obtained using this method were transferred via the serial port and converted into a format suitable for NIST SP-800-22 and Dieharder tests. In terms of statistical randomness, the random numbers achieved successful results in all NIST tests and in 93.94% of the Dieharder tests. However, Shannon entropy and bias analyses showed that the generated numbers did not carry structural patterns. The study demonstrates that reliable randomness can be obtained even under limited hardware and low energy conditions, showing that the developed structure provides an accessible and reproducible platform for educational use, embedded system security, and lightweight cryptographic applications.

Keywords

• True Random Number Generator (TRNG)
• Arduino
• Analog Noise
• Randomness Test
• Cryptography

Supporting Institution

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Ethical Statement

The author declare that they have complied with the scientific, ethical, and citation principles of the International Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences throughout all stages of the study.

Thanks

The author would like to thank the reviewers and editorial boards of the International Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences.

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