USB microcontroller secures HDD access

A novel reference design adds biometric security to external hard disk drives using fingerprint recognition technology.

Cypress Semiconductor and AuthenTec have jointly introduced a reference design for adding biometric security to external hard disk drives (HDDs) using fingerprint recognition technology.

As portable data storage has proliferated, users have begun to carry sensitive corporate and private data on these drives.

If these drives are lost or stolen, the damage can be very severe, depending on who ends up with the drive.

The new Cypress/AuthenTec CY4651 reference design allows manufacturers of portable HDDs or enclosures to easily add biometric security to these drives, limiting access to data on the drives to those with a registered fingerprint.

The new CY4651 reference design includes everything needed to add security to an external HDD, including schematic diagrams, firmware, a user design manual and a complete bill of materials (BOM).

The total cost of all components listed on the BOM is approximately US $7.00, the most inexpensive solution available for adding biometric security.

The reference design includes AuthenTec's EntrePad 2510, the industry's most proven biometric fingerprint slide sensor, and Cypress's high-speed, low-power EZ-USB FX2LPT USB microcontroller, which interfaces with AuthenTec's sensor and delivers data from the HDD to the host computer.

"Security is an increasingly important consideration for portable mass storage", said Rajiv Nema, Product Marketing Manager for Cypress's High-Speed PC Peripherals Business Unit.

"This reference design gives our mass storage customers a powerful, economic and easy to implement solution much desired in the marketplace".

"We're pleased to partner with the USB industry leader for this important application", said Bill Dennehy, Director of Business Development for AuthenTec.

"Security is a critical feature in portable storage devices, and fingerprint biometrics offers the most trusted and cost-effective form of security available".

The new CY4651 reference design can be downloaded free of charge from the "reference designs" section of the Cypress website.

Interested parties can also request a live demo from their local Cypress sales representative.

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