SHA 256-bit hash generator

An n-bit hash is a map from arbitrary length messages to n-bit hash values. An n-bit cryptographic hash is an n-bit hash which is one-way and collision resistant. Such functions are important cryptographic primitives used for such things as digital signatures and password protection. Current popular hashes produce hash values of length n = 128 (MD4 and MD5) and n = 160 (SHA-1), and therefore can provide no more than 64 or 80 bits of security, respectively, against collision attacks. Since the goal of the new Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is to offer, at its three cryptovariable sizes, 128, 192, and 256 bits of security, there is a need for companion hash algorithms which provide similar levels of enhanced security. ntSHA256 IP Core implements SHA-256, or Secure Hash Algorithm-256 which is one of the latest hash functions standardized by the U.S. Federal Government. It is a 256-bit hash and is meant to provide 128 bits of security against collision attacks. The implementation is very low on latency, high speed with a simple interface for easy integration in SoC applications.