[sdiy] analog loses another niche

[Walker Shurlds]

I was thinking something similar.  Looks less like they've digitized
the entropy source and more like they've miniaturized a good
replacement for the A/D conversion step.

Walker

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:18:39 -0700
Veronica Merryfield <veronica.merryfield at shaw.ca> wrote:

> 
> On 2010-06-30, at 4:38 PM, Tim Parkhurst wrote:
> > 
> > In theory, only the analog source is TRULY random. However, digital
> 
> Hmmm - I am not sure that any source is truly random, just that we
> don't understand it enough.
> 
> For instance, if one were to be able to construct a coin flipping
> machine such that all the parameters were repeatable (flick position,
> flick force, starting conditions, wind/air etc), that the results
> would be predictable.
> 
> The Intel source in the original post is really an analogue source.
> They are sampling the analogue signal during the state switch, which
> for given starting conditions and well known parameters, is likely to
> give the same result if sampled at the exact same time - effects such
> as trace length, capacitance and so on aren't changing providing the
> environment is steady, but it isn't - temperature, other gate
> activity affecting power rail levels and so on.
> 
> Junction breakdown, avalanching, zenering and so on look to be random
> but are they, or is it just that we don't understand it enough. Even
> at the atomic level, I very much doubt it is truly random. The very
> fact that some devices are better than others would suggest that that
> design and manufacturing can control it, just unpredictably.
> 
> However, this all said, the effect is useful and looks to be random.
> 
> As to pseudo digital sources, very long sequence systems can make
> very credible noise sources for synth uses, as can FM. But then so
> does a modem negotiation :)
> 
> Vrnc
> 
> 
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