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I was looking out for dedicated true random number generators and was surprised that there seem to be only very few around on the market. Anyone has experience here?
DrDu said:I had expected there to be a chip worth some cents which uses some noise source to generate random numbers. I wonder why they are so scarce and expensive?
DrDu said:159 Euros for a noise amplifier!
AlephZero said:All you need is a reverse biased semiconductor junction operating like a Zener diode, plus an amplifier
AlephZero said:Apart from cryptographic security they are non necessarily very useful either
AlephZero said:But if you want "true randomness", the hard part is making the circuit immune from any external influences - e.g. periodic fluctuations on the power supply rails etc. That's what costs real money.
DrDu said:The question is probably why there is so small a market for this kind of technology.
A dedicated random number generator is a device or software program specifically designed to produce random numbers. It uses various algorithms and mathematical formulas to generate sequences of numbers that appear to be random.
Dedicated random number generators work by using a seed value, which is an initial input, to generate a sequence of numbers. This seed value is then used as the starting point for the algorithm to generate a series of seemingly random numbers.
Dedicated random number generators are specifically designed for generating random numbers, whereas regular random number generators are often included as a feature in other software programs. Dedicated generators also undergo extensive testing and certification to ensure their randomness and security.
Dedicated random number generators are used in many scientific fields, such as statistics, cryptography, and simulations. They provide a source of unbiased and unpredictable numbers, which are essential for conducting experiments and analyzing data.
While dedicated random number generators produce numbers that appear to be random, they are actually generated using algorithms and mathematical formulas. These algorithms are designed to produce sequences of numbers that closely mimic randomness, but they are not truly random in the strict sense of the word.