[Cryptech Tech] Avalanche noise test boards

[Benedikt Stockebrand]

Hi folks,

after a rather busy week at a new customer:

Fredrik Thulin <fredrik at thulin.net> writes:

> On Monday, August 18, 2014 06:12:40 AM Randy Bush wrote:
>> 
>> i assume that both you and benedikt will be able to produce and record
>> test streams.
>
> Absolutely - the idea with the additional boards was to get more eyes on the 
> randomness at the hardware level. Sorry for not being specific.

Yes, I'll get to it Real Soon Now[TM].

>> how do we evaluate them?
>
> Excellent question. I know where to start, but not the full path.

As far as I'm concerned, and not necessarily in any particular order:

- Send out the boards for Warren, Fredrik and Joachim.  (Don't ask---I
  once thought getting stuff from China was bad, but by now...)

- Keep generating more extensive amounts of test data.

- Solder up the various Zeners/BJTs to allow testing for production
  tolerances etc.

- Do an SMD board design.

- Get an SMD soldering oven to test for aging effects on the components
  and speed up SMD soldering.

- Do several videos on the topic.  Next one, hopefully this weekend, is
  on entropy and its relevance, another one is a walkthrough for the
  circuit, and yet another one on the firmware.

- Hack up some better testing code.  I've got some ideas on this, but
  it'll take some time.

- Keep writing on that paper to allow others to evaluate the entire
  thing.

- Go to various events (DeNOG, 31C3, RIPE-69, ...) and spread the word.


Cheers,

    Benedikt

-- 
Benedikt Stockebrand,                   Stepladder IT Training+Consulting
Dipl.-Inform.                           http://www.stepladder-it.com/

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