A new auto-switched chaotic system and its FPGA implementation

► We propose a new auto-switched chaotic system characterized by high complex attractors. ► We propose a digital implementation suitable as cipher key generator for data encryption. ► We provide a high throughput rate and good performances in terms of hardware resources. ► Reducing the negative influence of dynamical degradation. ► Providing truly random keys characterized by good statistical proprieties. This paper presents a 3D chaotic system which is constructed by an auto-switched numerical resolution of multiple three dimensional continuous chaotic systems. The designed chaotic system provides complex chaotic attractors and can change its behaviors automatically via a chaotic switching-rule. Some complex dynamical behaviors are investigated and analyzed. The originality of the proposed architecture is that allows to solve the problem of the finite precision due to the digital implementation while provides a good trade-off between high security, performance and hardware resources (low power and cost). Hardware digital implementation and FPGA circuit experimental results demonstrate a promising technique can be applied in efficient embedded ciphering communication systems. Moreover, the proposed chaotic system should be very useful for the consideration of reducing negative influence of dynamical degradation in real-time embedded applications.