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Laying the Foundation for Secure Hardware Innovation

When Ravi Monani began his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at California State University, ������Ƶ (CSULB), he was driven by a deep curiosity about how hardware could play a more active role in protecting digital systems.

During his time at CSULB, Ravi conducted research on hardware security for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, developing a chaos-based encryption engine designed to secure embedded systems at the circuit level. His work focused on designing and prototyping a discrete-time, Chua’s-equation-based circuit that generates unpredictable signals for data transmission. This research demonstrated that hardware-driven chaos models could significantly enhance data protection in resource-constrained IoT devices, where traditional encryption often falls short.

This research contributes to strengthening the hardware security ecosystem, a field vital to safeguarding emerging technologies and national infrastructure.

Exploring the Power of Chaos-Based Encryption

“Our goal was to push the boundaries of traditional encryption,” Ravi explains. “Instead of relying solely on algorithmic complexity, we explored how chaos theory and physical randomness within circuits can provide a stronger, hardware-rooted layer of protection. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for how security must begin at the circuit level - not just in software. It shaped the foundation for my work today at AMD, where I help ensure silicon-level security for CPUs used across the globe.”

Faculty Perspective: Bridging Theory and Real-World Design

“Ravi’s research focused on designing a CMOS-based encryption architecture that leverages chaotic equations for secure communication in implantable and wearable devices,” explains Dr. Ava Hedayatipour who supervised the research.
“My guidance to him centered on exploring how nonlinear dynamics could be harnessed to build low-power, hardware-level encryption directly integrated with sensors. His work provided an important proof of concept that chaos theory can be practically implemented in silicon to achieve both energy efficiency and enhanced data protection. Ravi showed exceptional ability in bridging theory with circuit-level design, achieving FPGA and CMOS simulations that laid the foundation for real-world applications. Moreover, having access to industry-level software such as Analog and Digital Cadence design suites gave him hands-on experience with professional design workflows, which not only enriched his research but also helped him transition seamlessly into his role at AMD. It’s gratifying to see how his academic work directly translated into contributions to next-generation hardware security.”

From Research to Real-World Impact

That foundation in chaos-based hardware encryption research, combined with mentorship and hands-on experience at CSULB’s College of Engineering, became the launching pad for Ravi’s current role at AMD as a System Design Engineer. At AMD, he develops and validates CPU microcode security patches, enhances core resilience against attacks, and supports SNP-based virtual machine (VM) security services for enterprise customers.

The transition from academic research to industry impact was seamless for Ravi. The same principles of resilience, precision, and innovation that guided his work at ������Ƶnow drive his efforts in designing and validating next-generation hardware security at AMD.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers

Ravi’s journey perfectly reflects the College of Engineering’s mission to bridge research and real-world innovation, showing how academic exploration at ������Ƶcan translate directly into contributions that shape global technology.

“I want students to see that even a graduate research project can lead to tangible change in the real world,” Ravi adds. “������Ƶgave me the foundation, the confidence, and the technical depth to make that happen.”