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I need a random number generator. How would I make a random number generator circuit? What would be the best(i.e. smallest, least number of parts) way to make one?

Voltage Spike
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parzival
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    Please use capital letters in the right places (both title and question) if you want to look serious about this. You also need to show what your research taught you and what you didn't understand. – Transistor Oct 20 '17 at 22:19
  • http://www.fdk.com/cyber-e/pdf/HM-RAE001.pdf and https://42xtjqm0qj0382ac91ye9exr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IntelRNG.pdf – jonk Oct 20 '17 at 22:20
  • A resistor is an excellent random number generator, 1 part. So is a diode – Voltage Spike Oct 20 '17 at 22:27
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    You didn't specify the distribution of random numbers, if you wanted your signal digitized ect. This means you probably haven't put much thought into this, and also means after the first person that posts an answer will get shot down when your requirements change. – Voltage Spike Oct 20 '17 at 22:32
  • well... thanks for all your kind and thoughtful comments! – parzival Oct 20 '17 at 22:44
  • what do you need the random numbers for, to flash Christmas tree lights 'randomly' or to generate cryptographically secure numbers? The requirements for each are rather different. An amplified resistor into an ADC is truly random, given certain difficult to obtain and difficult to prove isolation conditions. A PRNG programmed on an MCU is great for flashing tree lights. – Neil_UK Oct 21 '17 at 06:30
  • https://hackaday.com/2014/02/10/the-two-component-random-number-generator/ – Bruce Abbott Oct 21 '17 at 07:23
  • get two digital barometers. read them both. if a>b, record 0, if a<b record 1. repeat. – dandavis Oct 21 '17 at 07:24

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OP, would it be possible to use a microcontroller in your circuit? If yes, then you can program a microcontroller to generate a random number. It is possible to set any range of numbers you want, and the output can be displayed in a screen or can be converted to analogue as required.

Bharath Ram
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  • Microcontrollers on their own can't generate random numbers. – Trevor_G Oct 21 '17 at 03:04
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    @Trevor Several MCU vendors have options that include very good RNGs. Atmel (now Microchip) is one: http://www.atmel.com/images/Atmel-42444-SAM-True-Random-Number-Generator-TRNG-Driver_ApplicationNote_AT10732.pdf – mindforge Oct 21 '17 at 03:20
  • @mindforge yes, but it is not really a "function" of a microcontroller in general. – Trevor_G Oct 21 '17 at 13:06