Hardware implementations of hash function Luffa

This paper presents hardware architectures for the hash algorithm Luffa, which is a candidate for the next-generation hash standard SHA-3. The architectures were implemented by using a 90-nm CMOS standard cell library. A high throughput of 35 Gbps for a high-speed architecture and a gate count of 14.7 kgate for a compact architecture were obtained. In comparison with Keccak, other SHA-3 candidate in the sponge function category, as well as with the current hash standard SHA-256, Luffa exhibited the advantage of flexible implementation ranging from high-speed to compact circuits.