An integrated circuit. The integrated circuit comprises a timebase generator and a switch mode direct current-to-direct current (DC-to-DC) converter coupled to the timebase generator. The timebase generator comprises a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) having an output and a logic circuit comprising a first logic inverter, a first AND logic gate, and a first multiplexer, wherein the first logic inverter has an input coupled to a most significant bit of the output of the LFSR, wherein the first AND logic gate has a first input coupled to a second most significant bit of the output of the LFSR and a second input coupled to an output of the first logic inverter, wherein a selector input of the first multiplexer is coupled to an output of the first AND logic gate.

An oscillator circuit includes a plurality of inverters connected in a cascade, at least first and second feedback taps, and alternation circuitry. The at least first and second feedback taps are configured to feed-back at least respective first and second output signals taken from at least respective first and second points in the cascade. The alternation circuitry is configured to derive an input signal from at least the first and second output signals by alternating between at least the first and second feedback taps, and to apply the input signal to an input of the cascade.

Systems and methods of generating a security key for an integrated circuit device include generating a plurality of key bits with a physically unclonable function (PUF) device. The PUF can include a random number generator that can create random bits. The random bits may be stored in a nonvolatile memory. The number of random bits stored in the nonvolatile memory allows for a plurality of challenge and response interactions to obtain a plurality of security keys from the PUF.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a random number generation circuit, including: a random number generator, including a feedback module and a plurality of sequentially connected flip-flops, where an output terminal of a previous flip-flop being connected to an input terminal of a next flip-flop, the output terminal of each of the flip-flops serving as an output terminal of the random number generator, and an output terminal of the feedback module being connected to the input terminal of one of the flip-flops; the feedback module being configured to receive selection signals and select, on the basis of the selection signals, the output terminals of two of the flip-flops as input terminals of the feedback module; and the random number generator being configured to output a plurality of first random numbers corresponding to corresponding selection signals in each counting cycle.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a random number generator circuit, including: a random number generator, configured to output a plurality of first random numbers in each counting cycle; a control signal generation module, configured to receive a trigger signal and output control signals corresponding to different first random numbers based on the trigger signal; and a multi-select module, configured to receive the first random number and the control signal corresponding to the first random number, based on the control signal to adjust at least one bit position of the first random number, obtain a second random number, and output a plurality of the second random numbers.

Aggressor rows may be detected by comparing access count values of word lines to a threshold value. Based on the comparison, a word line may be determined to be an aggressor row. The threshold value may be dynamically generated, such as a random number generated by a random number generator. In some examples, a random number may be generated each time an activation command is received. Responsive to detecting an aggressor row, a targeted refresh operation may be performed.

Linear-feedback shift registers (LFSRs) for generating bounded random numbers (e.g., random numbers within a narrower range than those generated by a conventional LFSR of the same width) are described. In one embodiment, a bounded LFSR for generating an n-bit value comprises an m-bit LFSR with a range of 2.sup.m random numbers and an n−m bit LFSR with a range of 2.sup.n−m−1−k random numbers. The bounded LFSR further comprises logic to skip k values from a repeatable sequence of the n−m bit LFSR, which can, for example, be configured during the design of the bounded LFSR. The bounded LFSR provides bounded random numbers based on the outputs of the m-bit LFSR and the n−m bit LFSR. In one embodiment, the bounded random number generated by the bounded LFSR is used as a random address in a row hammer mitigation system.

An apparatus having a power bus supplying power to a component of a memory device. The apparatus includes a noise source circuit generating a plurality of noise source signals that simulate a real-world noise. The apparatus can include a pulse generator circuit that receives the noise source signal and outputs at least one noise profile signal based on the noise source signal. A bus shorting circuit can be connected to the pulse generator circuit to receive the at least one noise profile signal. The bus shorting circuit can have at least one transistor connected between a first rail and a second rail of the power bus. Based on the at least one noise profile signal, the bus shorting circuit intermittently connects the at least one transistor between the first rail to the second rail to induce noise on the power bus.

According to one embodiment, an arrangement for checking the entropy of a random number sequence is described including a random source configured to provide a random input sequence, a post-processing circuit configured to receive the random input sequence and to generate a random number sequence from the random input sequence by performing a post-processing and a decimation of the random input sequence, an inverse post-processing circuit configured to receive the random number sequence from the post-processing circuit and to generate a processed random number sequence by a processing of the random number sequence that is inverse to the post-processing performed by the post-processing circuit, and an entropy checker configured to check the entropy of the random number sequence based on the processed random number sequence.

Compact timestamps and related methods, systems and devices are described. An encoder is configured to generate compact timestamps of the disclosure by sampling states of linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs). A decoder may be configured to determine timing information responsive to the compact timestamps.