J3Gen: a PRNG for low-cost passive RFID

Sensors (Basel). 2013 Mar 19;13(3):3816-30. doi: 10.3390/s130303816.

Abstract

Pseudorandom number generation (PRNG) is the main security tool in low-cost passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, such as EPC Gen2. We present a lightweight PRNG design for low-cost passive RFID tags, named J3Gen. J3Gen is based on a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) configured with multiple feedback polynomials. The polynomials are alternated during the generation of sequences via a physical source of randomness. J3Gen successfully handles the inherent linearity of LFSR based PRNGs and satisfies the statistical requirements imposed by the EPC Gen2 standard. A hardware implementation of J3Gen is presented and evaluated with regard to different design parameters, defining the key-equivalence security and nonlinearity of the design. The results of a SPICE simulation confirm the power-consumption suitability of the proposal.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electronics
  • Humans
  • Radio Frequency Identification Device*
  • Radio Waves*