[Cryptech Tech] Noise board on Novena

[Fredrik Thulin]

On Tuesday, September 23, 2014 02:02:47 PM Joachim Strömbergson wrote:
> Aloha!
> 
> Fredrik Thulin wrote:
> > Bit-banging, although preferably with less than 32 parallel data
> > lines, would probably be easier if we didn't have to care about other
> > people, but I think we should care.
> > 
> > Let me hear your arguments for something else than SPI =)
> 
> I think you are skipping over the more important issue - that if we
> should or if we shouldn't require a specific interface to external
> entropy sources. I say that we shouldn't enforce a specific interface,
> but adapt to/accept whatever interface e given entropy source requires
> and its designer fancies. At least to some degree. Not so sure a GBE
> interface would be very good.
>
> This means that if _you_ want to use SPI to provide access to your
> entropy source board and can provide the FPGA entropy provider module
> for Cryptech that encapsulates the SPI interface then go for it

In an open design, there will always be the possibility for those with enough 
know-how to rip something out or plug something new in.

The needed know-how is significant if we are talking about making an entropy 
provider FPGA core that speaks to an external entropy source.

If we provide FPGA entropy providers who can talk one or more of these rather 
standard interface protocols with external entropy sources, that would be 
caring for a lot of people not capable of writing FPGA cores. Just sayin.

/Fredrik