Compare TectroLabs Hardware RNGs
TectroLabs makes three product lines, each solving a different problem:
- MicroRNG — for embedded systems: connects directly to a microcontroller over SPI or UART, no USB or host OS required.
- SwiftRNG (LE / standard / Zn / Pro) — general-purpose USB entropy for PCs, servers, research, and simulation. See the full SwiftRNG comparison for picking between the four variants.
- AlphaRNG — for security-critical and cryptographic applications: the only TectroLabs device that encrypts and authenticates the random data itself as it travels over USB (RSA-2048/AES-256-GCM + HMAC), not just the firmware.
Which product line do you need?
- Building entropy into a microcontroller or embedded board, with no USB/host OS in the loop? - MicroRNG
- Need entropy delivered over USB to a PC/server for research, simulation, or general cryptographic use? - SwiftRNG family (see the SwiftRNG comparison to pick LE/standard/Zn/Pro)
- Generating cryptographic keys or operating in a regulated/security-sensitive environment where the USB data path itself must be encrypted and authenticated, not just the device firmware? - AlphaRNG
Full comparison
| MicroRNG | SwiftRNG LE | SwiftRNG | SwiftRNG Zn | SwiftRNG Pro | AlphaRNG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 | $199 | $299 | $399 | $499 | $549 |
| Speed | 1.5 Mbps | 29 Mbps | 100 Mbps | 80 Mbps | 210 Mbps | 199 Mbps* |
| Interface | SPI / UART (mikroBUS) | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Noise source | Zener avalanche breakdown | Zener avalanche breakdown | Zener avalanche breakdown | Zener quantum-tunneling breakdown | Zener avalanche breakdown | Zener avalanche breakdown |
| Encrypted, authenticated data channel | - | - | - | - | — | RSA-2048/1024 + AES-256/128-GCM + HMAC |
| Firmware secure boot | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| NIST SP 800-90B health tests | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Post-processing | Linear Corrector, SHA1/SHA2/SHA512, HMAC160 | SHA-256, SHA-512, XorShift64 | SHA-256, SHA-512, XorShift64 | Embedded Linear Corrector (0.5 compression, optional: SHA-256, SHA-512, XorShift64) | optional: SHA-256, SHA-512, XorShift64 | optional: SHA-256 and SHA-512 entropy extractors |
| Form factor | 5 g, mikroBUS socket | 21 g, USB | 21 g, USB | 21 g, USB | 21 g, USB | Compact USB |
| OS support | N/A (MCU-side) | Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows | Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows | Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows | Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows | Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows |
| Best for | Embedded/MCU integration | Budget entry point | General-purpose research/professional use | Entropy-pool diversity, alternate noise physics | Maximum throughput workloads | Cryptographic key generation, regulated/security-critical environments |
*AlphaRNG’s 199 Mbps figure is for non-secure mode. With encryption active, throughput is 4.6–30 Mbps depending on cipher/MAC (AES-256-GCM: 4.6 Mbps, HMAC-MD5: 30 Mbps) — the tradeoff for an encrypted, authenticated channel.
All models are USA-designed, RoHS compliant, and pass independent statistical randomness test suites (Diehard, Dieharder, NIST, Rngtest, Ent, and others depending on model — see individual product pages for full lists).