SHA-256 Hash Function on Intel DE10 Lite FPGA
Michael DiNardi, Damu Radhakrishnan · International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology · 2023
Abstract: The SHA-256 hash function is a standardized and trusted algorithm that takes a set of data and produces a unique, deterministic, and irreversible representation called a hash or digest. A component of other protocols, SHA-256 protects password storage, secures and verifies Bitcoin transactions, and authenticates internet communication. We did a thorough analysis of the hash function and a preexisting Verilog implementation at the algorithmic, architectural, and circuit levels to identify and address the bottlenecks. We propose a new SHA-256 hardware architecture that utilizes binary tree structured adder trees to speed up hash computation. The proposed design targets Intel DE10-Lite FPGA and achieves 23% increase in computation speed. In applications, this can offer faster online communication or a more secure Bitcoin network.