Noise signal generation by mapping random words

1. A noise signal generator, comprising:

a random word generator configured for generating a sequence of random words, each word representing an input value,

a mapping unit configured for receiving the sequence of random words, mapping each input value to an output value according to a probability distribution function, and providing a corresponding sequence of output values, and

a digital-to-analog converter configured for generating a noise signal based on the output values,

wherein the mapping unit comprises a first mapping circuit configured to map each input value to an interim value according to a first mapping function, and a second mapping circuit configured to map each interim value to an output value according to a second mapping function.

2. The noise signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the mapping unit is realized as a memory that keeps stored for each input value an output value, and that is addressed by the words received from the random word generator.

3. The noise signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the random word generator is configured for generating sequences of 2 n pseudo random words, wherein the values represented by the words are equally distributed over a range of values.

4. The noise signal generator of claim 3 , wherein the random word generator comprises a linear feedback shift register.

5. The noise signal generator of claim 1 , further comprising a digital filter connected between the mapping unit and the digital-to-analog converter configured to shape the frequency spectrum of the noise signal.

6. The noise signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the first mapping circuit is realized as compression unit configured to map a plurality of such input values to one interim value, where the corresponding output values are equal or the differences of the output values are below a defined threshold, and the second mapping circuit is realized as a memory that keeps stored for each interim value an output value.

7. The noise signal generator of claim 6 , wherein the first mapping circuit the input values are mapped to interim values by dividing by a factor and adding an offset value.

8. The noise signal generator of claim 1 , wherein the random words of an input space of w bits are mapped to interim words of an interim space of m bits by the first mapping circuit, and the interim words are mapped to output words of an output space of p bits by the second mapping circuit.

9. A method for generating a noise signal comprising:

generating a sequence of random words, each word representing an input value,

mapping each input value to an output value of according to a probability distribution function, and providing a corresponding sequence of output values, and

generating a noise signal based on the mapped values by performing a digital-to-analog conversion,

wherein the mapping is performed by a mapping memory and the mapping comprises:

determining an amplitude distribution over the noise signal range of the noise to be generated,

determining an integral of the amplitude distribution over the noise signal range, and

storing the integral of the amplitude distribution over the noise signal range into the memory.

10. A software program or product, embodied on a computer readable medium, for controlling the method of claim 9 , when run on a data processing system.