Digital Fingerprint Circuit Using Fractional Clock Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face challenges in generating secure digital fingerprints due to manufacturing deviations, which affect the reliability and uniqueness of their physical unclonable functions (PUFs), making it difficult to ensure secure authentication and encryption.
Innovation Solution
A digital fingerprint generation circuit comprising a control unit, first and second clock generators, and a frequency detector, where the clock generators have different manufacturing deviations and control words with both integer and fraction portions, generating clock signals that increase the number of valid bits in the digital fingerprint, enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional digital fingerprint generation methods are used, then the implementation is simple, but the security and reliability of the digital fingerprint are insufficient due to manufacturing deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The control word is segmented into integer portion and fraction portion, where the integer portion determines the basic clock frequency and the fraction portion compensates for manufacturing deviations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while improving reliability by addressing deviation issues through the fraction portion without redesigning the entire circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of the control word by introducing a fraction portion in addition to the integer portion. This parameter change enables the clock generator to compensate for manufacturing deviations in the PUF circuit, thereby improving digital fingerprint reliability without significantly increasing circuit complexity.
2Loss of information
If the control word only has an integer portion, then the circuit is simple to implement, but the number of valid bits in the digital fingerprint is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The control word structure is extended from a single integer dimension to two dimensions: integer portion and fraction portion. This dimensional extension allows the system to generate more valid bits in the digital fingerprint by utilizing both portions in the clock generation process, thereby reducing information loss.
3Reliability
If manufacturing deviations are not compensated, then the circuit operation is straightforward, but the uniqueness and reliability of the PUF are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The fraction portion of the control word acts as a feedback mechanism that compensates for manufacturing deviations. By adjusting the fraction portion based on the actual deviation characteristics, the system maintains PUF uniqueness and reliability without requiring complex real-time feedback circuits.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital fingerprint generation circuit based on an integrated circuit is provided. In the digital fingerprint generation circuit, a control unit is configured to: generate a first control word and a second control word, and transmit the first control word and the second control word to a first clock generator and a second clock generator respectively, so that the first clock generator generates a first clock signal based on the first control word, and the second clock generator generates a second clock signal based on the second control word; and a frequency detector generates a digital fingerprint of the integrated circuit based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal.