Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Microchip Technology | Subject: DsPIC and PIC24H
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 August 2006
Controllers take security features
onboard
Advanced memory security features allow collaborative sharing of memory, interrupts and peripherals on a single chip, without compromising individual intellectual property.
Microchip's dsPIC digital signal controllers (DSCs) and PIC24H microcontrollers (MCUs) are the first 16bit devices on the market with advanced memory security features that allow collaborative sharing of memory, interrupts and peripherals on a single chip, without compromising individual intellectual property (IP) This memory segmentation can eliminate the need to store programs on separate chips in a multiparty design
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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In embedded applications, OEMs, design houses and software vendors face some critical IP protection issues while collaborating on system designs to achieve end-product customisation, including: the use of an expensive multiple-chip solution for separately protecting intellectual properties; the risk of software algorithm vendors and design houses losing IP to unqualified partners; and insufficient on-chip support for secure firmware distribution and Flash memory updates.
CodeGuard security can eliminate these concerns by enabling OEMs to separate three segments of on-chip memory - the boot segment, secure segment and general segment - with tiered levels of security.
This allows design houses or algorithm vendors to protect proprietary software in secure memory segments while permitting a range of applications to access algorithm operation from other segments.
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In addition, CodeGuard security, coupled with Microchip's low-cost encryption software libraries, enables secure field upgrades of product firmware.
These secure firmware updates can even decrypt the incoming data stream entirely within a secure segment's resources.
Previously, this type of security has only featured on 32bit processors and ASICs targeting PDA and smart-card applications.
However, as users of 16bit embedded controllers, OEMs manufacturing for automotive, industrial and metering applications, among others, have expressed concern about system tampering during field updates that use various communication protocols including CAN, TCP/IP and Ethernet, USB, RS232 and I2C.
Microchip's 16bit CodeGuard protected devices include those targeting general-purpose, motor-control, automotive and digital power-conversion applications.
Many other applications including noise-cancelling headsets, hands-free phone kits, power distribution/metering, smart-card readers, ATMs and POS terminals can also take advantage of this security.
CodeGuard security is available today, at no additional charge, onboard the following Microchip devices: all PIC24H MCUs, all dsPIC33 DSCs, dsPIC30F5011/5013 and dsPIC30F6010A/6011A/6012A/6013A/6014A/6015.
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