Conny Andersson <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> wrote:

> Microchip states that they generate *truly* random numbers for
> serial numbers in their SQTP prog.spec. How?

Conny:

This bothered me, too.  In the newest revision of the PRO MATE
User's Guide, Microchip now describes the two SQTP-file options as
"Random:  Numbers may repeat" and "Pseudo-Random Sequence:  Numbers
do not repeat until all numbers in the sequence have been
generated".

The Pseudo-Random Sequence is generated using the standard
shift-and-XOR algorithms.  I'm not sure, but I think that the longer
sequences may actually start to repeat before 2^[number of bits]
numbers have been generated.  Still, you'll get very long sequences
without repeats if you use use the "Pseudo-Random" option.

-Andy

Andrew Warren - fastfwd@ix.netcom.com
Fast Forward Engineering, Vista, California
http://www.geopages.com/SiliconValley/2499