Random number generator with the FPGA

[elguille]

Hello. I found this

http://github.com/zdavkeos/whirlyfly

It is a random number generator for FPGA, so I thought about great quality Montecarlo simulations in the Parallella, e.g. for particle or medical physics simulations. How flexible is it gonna be to use the FPGA for other stuff, like this RNG? Looking the typical diagram I understand that the epiphany chip is available through the FPGA in the zynq . But I am not sure how it works and how is the FPGA going to be reprogrammed.

[9600]

[bswiec]

If all you are looking for is a random number generator, this is overkill (you don't need uart stuff).

Can be implemented with a LFSR which only needs a handful of gates and registers. Just a few slices in the PL.

[tnt]

lfsr is only pseudo random.
He's talking about true random numbers.

[elguille]

bswiec: You are right about the UART. I am guessing the FPGA could put the random stream right into the RAM or something. So I guess it would take few logic cells . But still using the whirlygig thing to get better random numbers .

Thanks 9600 I'll take a look at platform reference.

[elguille]

Has anyone idea of how much logic cells are taken by each block in the diagram shown in the platform reference ?

The AXI-Master, slave , the e-link, the HDMI controller, etc .

[rtrogan]

[shodruk]

HDMI controller is so ... huge.

Can we use Parallella in various FPGA configurations?

For example, No HDMI on Parallella, and we get more space to implement our own circuit.

And if we can control Raspberry Pi from Parallella, we get GPU and HDMI output for Parallella without consuming FPGA slice.

[hamster]

[tnt]

The board has an external PHY. you just need to push the RGB data bits in //