October 01, 2012

Hardware-based random number generator seed for Arduino

 The quest for a truly random number follows an almost infinite number of paths, depending on the project budget or imagination of the creator. Another interesting method has been devised over at the 1474orchard site which promises interesting results. By using a 555 oscillator circuit cranked up to around 128 kHz and the output measured by an analogue input, the readings were samples and graphed for analysis. 


The results appeared similar to the waveform of the oscillator output, however after some statistical calculations on the bit values of the samples. it was shown that the distribution of bits 0 to 4 was quite even - and once isolated could be a good source for a random number. For information, detailed explanations and more visit the site here. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.


So if this sort of project intrigues you and you're new to Arduino, the first step is a solid board for your projects - our Freetronics Eleven - the Arduino-Uno compatible with low-profile USB socket, onboard prototyping space and easy to view LEDs:



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