Demonstration of Differential Circuit (DiffC)-PUF Addressing and Readout Platform

EasyChair Preprint 1571

Abstract

For this demonstration we present a system that allows to generate unique physical keys within a generic hardware-/software framework that exploits intrinsic variations in the manner of analog differential PUF structures. Analog PUF structures, realized as stand-alone integrated chips are complex and costly systems with limited direct access for the research community. DiffC-PUF's discrete design enables access to a reliable PUF in a full system including software for HW/SW security analysis in R&D settings. The design and fabrication costs of the discrete PUF are far lower than for integrated PUFs. The DiffC-PUF architecture shown in the demo is intended to be used in board-level security without developing an IC. In comparison to typical PUF implementations such as ring oscillator (RO)-PUFs, DiffC-PUF is much less complex when it is assembled with discrete components, while allowing the same non-linear growth of response bit width scaling. Another major advantage of the herein presented discrete PUF is that it is possible to access and measure all parts of the PUF circuit and to explore the underlying effects that cause the variations, used for digital PUF response generation, as well as the negative effects arising from real environmental operation. Therefore, the modular architecture is highly suitable for research and academic purposes in laboratories to measure and analyze a real hardware PUF and tackle questions coming up from a software security side. With an average reliability of 99.20% and an uniqueness of 48.84% the proposed system shows values close to ideal.

Keyphrases: Analog PUF, Holistic Platform, process variation

@booklet{EasyChair:1571,
  author    = {Alexander Scholz and Lukas Zimmermann and Axel Sikora and Mehdi Tahoori and Jasmin Aghassi-Hagmann},
  title     = {Demonstration of Differential Circuit (DiffC)-PUF Addressing and Readout Platform},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 1571},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}