HotBits True Random Numbers (SECURE delivery if using https)

This page allows requesting validated true random numbers from a radioactive source.

Operated by Don Froula

Generate random bytes (maximum 2048).

Format:

Hexadecimal
Binary download to a file
C language constant declaration

or:

password(s) of
or:
Check Hotbits generator stats

 

by Don Froula (based upon the code and methods developed by John Walker at https://www.fourmilab.ch/hotbits/).

Random Number Generator Hardware

The generator machine is an old Wyse/Netier thin client running Debian Linux and modified to run off of an 8 Gbyte Compact Flash card. No moving parts! The radiation source is an Americium 241 capsule from a smoke detector (an alpha emitter) taped against the mica alpha window of the halogen-quenched Geiger counter. This results in extremely high radiation counts without saturating the tube. The random number generation rate is about 68 bytes/sec.
Pulses generated by each detected alpha particle (and background radiation) are fed to a handshaking line on the thin client's RS-232 serial port, which is polled to time individual pulse pairs. Four particle detections are required to generate each bit to avoid unwanted statistical bias in the generated random number stream.
Once random bits are provided from the server inventory, those bits are discarded and never used again. No record is made of the bits delivered by the server. A number of statistical tests are run on a sample of the generated bits to insure the bit stream is random. The sample is then discarded.

Random Number Generator Server and GM Counter


Random Number Generator - Alpha window and Americium capsule source