I am going to build a true random number generator ... - page 6.

DeathAndTaxes

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Gerald Davis

Quote from: Nagle on April 07, 2014, 03:28:12 PM

Quote from: DeathAndTaxes on April 07, 2014, 03:21:51 PM

Proving a PRNG is secure is a very difficult task and is impossible when the operating system is not built from source. Quantum mechanics are non-deterministic and thus provide an alternative method of generating randomness.

Of course. Are you using a noise diode or a radiation source?

Radiation source. I am planning on using Americium (Am-241) for safety reasons (reasonably available and an alpha emitter).

mufa23

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I'd fight Gandhi.

Had to google it. My coworkers and I couldn't figure it out.

cbeast

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Let's talk governance, lipstick, and pigs.

Quote from: OnkelPaul on April 07, 2014, 03:24:35 PM

My guess is it's a Geiger counter (I swear I did not check Google or anything else)...

Onkel Paul

That's what I would guess, or a tesla coil.

OnkelPaul

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Heh - almost right. Of course it's not the counter circuitry, just the detector tube...
Might be not so suitable after all - for really low radiation, the number of random bits per time unit might be too small, and for stronger radiation, I think they might have some saturation or dead time effect which prevents them to detect events that are too close together in time. But I may be wrong, this is all from very dim memory.
Commercial sources of randomness use thermal or quantum noise generated by semiconductor diodes as far as I know, those are much smaller and less fickle.
But as a fun project, this tube might be just the right thing...

Onkel Paul

murraypaul

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Quote from: iraszl on April 07, 2014, 03:28:40 PM

Nice project! Is this the first time anyone had this idea?

Ernie 1-4 have been running monthly premium bond draws for 57 years, so not quite, no

DeathAndTaxes

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Gerald Davis

Quote from: murraypaul on April 07, 2014, 03:27:54 PM

An example going back to 1957: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ERNIE#ERNIE

True they certainly aren't "new" however the availability of low cost micro controllers, design tools, and open source hardware means it is more economical to be done by a hobbyist.

iraszl

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Nice project! Is this the first time anyone had this idea?

Nagle

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Quote from: DeathAndTaxes on April 07, 2014, 03:21:51 PM

Proving a PRNG is secure is a very difficult task and is impossible when the operating system is not built from source. Quantum mechanics are non-deterministic and thus provide an alternative method of generating randomness.

Of course. Are you using a noise diode or a radiation source?

DeathAndTaxes

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Gerald Davis

Quote from: FrozenBit on April 07, 2014, 03:25:15 PM

Good luck, that kind of entropy will be hard to create by machine.

The entropy isn't created by a machine it is a created by the environment. The circuit would just record entropy which already exists.

murraypaul

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An example going back to 1957: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ERNIE#ERNIE

bananaControl

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Decentralize All The Things!

Quote from: DeathAndTaxes on April 07, 2014, 03:21:51 PM

Bonus points if you can figure out what it is without using google.

Some kind of radioactive source maybe?

FrozenBit

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PredX - AI-Powered Prediction Market

Good luck, that kind of entropy will be hard to create by machine.

OnkelPaul

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My guess is it's a Geiger counter (I swear I did not check Google or anything else)...

Onkel Paul

DeathAndTaxes

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Gerald Davis

Bitcoin relies on random numbers for keys and signatures. Clients may also rely on them for encryption (salt), and seed generation (HD wallets).

Proving a PRNG is secure is a very difficult task and is impossible when the operating system is not built from source. Quantum mechanics are non-deterministic and thus provide an alternative method of generating randomness.

I just need to wait for a missing component to arrive.

(Stupid broken image proxy - direct link http://i.minus.com/ibzPEHrUJ3pByt.jpg )
Bonus points if you can figure out what it is without using google.

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