FPGA based implementation of a perturbed Chen oscillator for secure embedded cryptosystems

Area of Science:

• Chaos theory
• Cryptography
• Hardware security

Background:

• Pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs) are crucial for secure communication.
• Existing chaotic systems may require enhancements for robust cryptographic applications.
• Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) offer efficient hardware implementation for security systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a perturbed Chen oscillator (PCO) for enhanced PRNG performance.
• To develop and implement a PCO-based PRNG on an FPGA for embedded cryptosystems.
• To validate the randomness and security of the PCO-generated numbers.

Main Methods:

• A constant perturbation term was added to the Chen chaotic system.
• The perturbed Chen oscillator was realized on a XILINX Artix-7 FPGA using Xilinx System Generator (XSG).
• The generated pseudo-random numbers were tested using NIST and TestU01 test suites, alongside key sensitivity analysis.

Main Results:

• The perturbation significantly improved the chaotic properties of the Chen system.
• The FPGA implementation demonstrated efficient resource utilization.
• The PCO-derived PRNG successfully passed rigorous statistical tests (NIST, TestU01).
• Key sensitivity tests confirmed the suitability for cryptographic applications.

Conclusions:

• The perturbed Chen oscillator (PCO) provides a straightforward and efficient method for generating high-quality pseudo-random numbers.
• The PCO-based PRNG is well-suited for multimedia security and embedded cryptosystems.
• This approach enhances the security and randomness of PRNGs for critical applications.