FPGA-Based Implementation of Lightweight Block Ciphers

This research explores the design and FPGA-based implementation of several lightweight block cipher architectures, emphasizing their performance metrics. Two lightweight block ciphers, consisting of internal block lengths of 16 bits and 32 bits, were implemented on FPGA platforms using the Virtex-7 device family. Their performance was compared to existing lightweight block ciphers-including Present, Simon, Prince, Rectangle, and Hummingbird-in terms of area, power consumption, and delay. The results demonstrated that the modified Hummingbird cipher, with 16-bit and 32-bit block lengths, exhibited superior efficiency, occupying less space, and consuming less power than its counterparts. Consequently, the enhanced efficiency and reduced resource requirements of the modified Hummingbird cipher position it as an optimal lightweight block cipher for resource-constrained environments. This marks a significant advancement in developing cryptographic solutions on FPGA platforms.