Random number generation refers to many applications such as simulation, numerical analysis, cryptography etc. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are reconfigurable hardware systems, which allow rapid prototyping. This research work is the first comprehensive survey on how random number generators are implemented on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). A rich and upto-date list of generators specifically mapped to FPGA are presented with deep technical details on their definitions and implementations. A classification of these generators is presented, which encompasses linear and nonlinear (chaotic) pseudo and truly random number generators. A statistical comparison through standard batteries of tests, as well as implementation comparison based on speed and area performances, are finally presented.

In this paper, radix-2 r arithmetic is applied to the multiple constant multiplication (MCM) problem. Given a number M of nonnegative constants with a bit-length N, we determine the analytic formulas for the maximum number of additions, the average number of additions, and the maximum number of cascaded additions forming the critical path. We get the first proved bounds known so far for MCM. In addition of being fully-predictable with respect to the problem size (M, N), the RADIX-2 r MCM heuristic exhibits a sublinear runtimecomplexity O (M×N/r), where r is a function of (M, N). For highcomplexity problems, it is most likely the only one that is even feasible to run. Another merit is that it has the shortest adderdepth in comparison to the best published MCM algorithms. Index Terms-High-Speed and Low-Power Design, Linear-Time-Invariant (LTI) Systems, Multiplierless Single/MutipleConstant Multiplication (SCM/MCM), Radix-2 r Arithmetic.

EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25 th of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.

EUSO-TA is a on-ground telescope, installed at the Telescope Array (TA) site in Black Rock Mesa, Utah, USA in 2013. The main aim of the project is observation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) through detection of ultraviolet light generated by cosmic-ray showers. EUSO-TA consists of two, 1 m 2 square Fresnel lenses with a field of view of about 10.6 • × 10.6 •. Light is focused on the Photo Detector Module (PDM), identical to the ones that are employed in the other EUSO missions' focal surfaces. The PDM is composed of 36 Hamamatsu multi-anode photomultipliers (64 channels per tube), for a total of 2304 channels. Front-End readout is performed by 36 ASICS, with trigger and readout tasks done by two acquisition boards that send the data to a CPU and storage system. The telescope is housed in a shed located in front of one of the fluorescence detectors of the TA experiment, pointing in the direction of the Electron Light Source and Central Laser Facility. After the installation in February 2013, the performance of the detector has been very good, with little (about one photoelectron) electronic noise and a Point Spread Function of stars compatible with expectations. Several ultra high energy cosmic rays and meteors have been observed. The limiting magnitude of 5.5 on summed frames has been established, with PSF of ∼ 2.5 pixels FWHM. Measurements of the UV background in different darkness conditions and moon phases and positions have been completed. EUSO-TA has been used for development of balloon and space flights within the EUSO framework.

JEM-EUSO is a space mission designed to investigate Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos (E > 5 · 10 19 eV) from the International Space Station (ISS). Looking down from above its wide angle telescope is able to observe their air showers and collect such data from a very wide area. Highly specific trigger algorithms are needed to drastically reduce the data load in the presence of both atmospheric and human activity related background light, yet retain the rare cosmic ray events recorded in the telescope. We report the performance in offline testing of the first level trigger algorithm on data from JEM-EUSO prototypes and laboratory measurements observing different light sources: data taken during a high altitude balloon flight over Canada, laser pulses observed from the ground traversing the real atmosphere, and model landscapes reproducing realistic aspect ratios and light 5 conditions as would be seen from the ISS itself. The first level trigger logic successfully kept the trigger rate within the permissible bounds when challenged with artificially produced as well as naturally encountered night sky background fluctuations and while retaining events with general air-shower characteristics.

Hardware pseudorandom number generators are continuously improved to satisfy both physical and ubiquitous computing security system challenges. The main contribution of this work is to propose two post-processing modules in hardware, to improve the randomness of linear PRNGs while succeeding in passing the TestU01 statistical battery of tests. They are based on chaotic iterations and are denoted by CIPRNG-MC and CIPRNG-XOR. They have various interesting properties, encompassing the ability to improve the statistical profile of the generators on which they iterate. Such post-processing have been implemented on FPGA and ASIC without inferring any blocs (RAM or DSP). A comparison in terms of area, throughput, and statistical tests, is performed. The hardware pseudorandom number generation can reach a throughput/latency ratio equal to 8.5 Gbps for Zynq-FPGA and 10.9 Gbps for ASIC, being thus the fastest FPGA generators based on chaos that can pass TestU01. In particular, it is established that CIPRNG-XOR is 2.5 times faster and 5 times more efficient that almost all linear PRNGs who pass TestU01.

In a recent work, we have introduced a new multiple constant multiplication (MCM) algorithm, denoted as RADIX-2 r. The latter exhibits the best results in speed and power, comparatively with the most prominent algorithms. In this paper, the area aspect of RADIX-2 r is more specially investigated. RADIX-2 r is confronted to area efficient algorithms, notably to the cumulative benefit heuristic (Hcub) known for its lowest adder-cost. A number of benchmark FIR filters of growing complexity served for comparison. The results showed that RADIX-2 r is better than Hcub in area, especially for high order filters where the saving ranges from 1.50% up to 3.46%. This advantage is analytically proved and experimentally confirmed using a 65nm CMOS technology. Area efficiency is achieved along with important savings in speed and power, ranging from 6.37% up to 38.01% and from 9.30% up to 25.85%, respectively. When MCM blocks are implemented alone, the savings are higher: 10.18%, 47.24%, and 41.27% in area, speed, and power, respectively. Most importantly, we prove that MCM heuristics using similar addition pattern (A-operation with the same shift spans) as Hcub yield excessive bit-adder overhead in MCM problems of high complexity. As such, they are not competitive to RADIX-2 r in high order filters.

The JEM-EUSO (Joint Experiment Missions for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory) program aims at developing Ultra-Violet (UV) fluorescence telescopes for efficient detections of Extensive Air Showers (EASs) induced by Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) from satellite orbit. In order to demonstrate key technologies for JEM-EUSO, we constructed the EUSO-Balloon instrument that consists of a 1 m 2 refractive telescope with two Fresnel lenses and an array of multi-anode photo-multiplier tubes at the focus. Distinguishing it from the former balloon-borne experiments, EUSO-Balloon has the capabilities of single photon counting with a gate time of 2.3 µs and of has imaging with a total of 2304 pixels. As a pathfinder mission, the instrument was launched for an 8 hour stratospheric flight on a moonless night in August 2014 over Timmins, Canada. In this work, we analyze the count rates over 2.5 hour intervals. The measurements are of diffuse light, e.g. of airglow emission, back-scattered from the Earth's atmosphere as well as artificial light 166 4 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT sources.Count rates from such diffuse light are a background for EAS detections in future missions and relevant factor for the analysis of EAS events. We also obtain the geographical distribution of the count rates over a km 2 area along the balloon trajectory. In developed areas, light sources such a the airport, mines, and factories are clearly identified. This demonstrates the correct location of signals that will be required for the EAS analysis in future missions. Although a precise determination of count rates is relevant for the existing instruments, the absolute intensity of diffuse light is deduced for the limited conditions by assuming spectra models and considering simulations of the instrument response. Based on the study of diffuse light by EUSO-Balloon, we also discuss the implications for coming pathfinders and future space-based UHECR observation missions.