Secured Lightweight TRNG Design Using Encrypt Flip-Flop Architecture

The development of a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) is crucial for enhancing security in a cryptographic system, or in general where high unpredictability is insisted upon. True randomness remains as elusive as it has always been since current approaches are complex and depend primarily on unique physical phenomena such as quantum effects, light, or electrical currents. This paper is centered on the design of a lightweight TRNG that produces incalculable bitstreams for secure applications, such as payment systems and secure identification, to generate cryptographic keys and ensure secure operations without excessive computational load. Our implementation utilizes an Encrypt Flip-Flop and Von-Neumann technique to leverage the non-linearity. By making use of purely digital components of the VLSI framework, the proposed TRNG model was implemented on PYNQ-Z2 FPGA board. The proposed TRNG met all NIST SP 800–22 and AIS31 statistical test requirements, which recorded a Hamming distance of 47.98%, demonstrating its robustness and suitability for practical secure applications. Additionally, to further validate its reliability, scatter plots of both the 8-bit and 64-bit variants were included. This delivers a practical, lightweight, and strong solution for secure communication and other applications demanding significant randomness, such as printed electronics, wearables, or IoT devices.