Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Silicon Storage Technology | Subject: Theseus Titanium 240
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 07 November 2007
Smartcard microcontroller boasts a big
Flash
Device offers 240Kbyte of user-configurable memory based on SST's patented SuperFlash technology.
The Theseus Titanium 240 is the latest addition to the successful line of Theseus Titanium smartcard ICs from SST (Silicon Storage Technology) The device offers 240Kbyte of user-configurable memory (UCM) based on SST's patented SuperFlash technology, giving developers of SIM cards for 3G and GSM mobile network operators even more storage capacity to house their latest applications
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 Aug 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Theseus Titanium 240 uses a performance-optimised architecture, making it the highest performing 8051-based smartcard IC on the market today.
The Theseus Titanium 240 also offers a low-power design with a number of security features to increase battery life in handsets while ensuring that sensitive data remains secure.
The Theseus Titanium 240 can enable a 64Kbyte Java Card SIM implementation or a 128Kbyte SIM card with a native operating system, giving GSM mobile network operators a single SIM card solution that can support open operating systems or their own proprietary operating system.
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According to data from Frost and Sullivan, the 64Kbyte Java SIM card market is the largest volume SIM card segment and is forecast to remain the largest segment over the next four years.
"Theseus Titanium 240's memory capacity, performance, security and development tool support make it a complete smartcard IC solution to address the largest SIM segment", says Mike Briner, Senior Vice President, NAND and Smartcard Module Business at SST.
"This competitive offering is becoming increasingly important to SIM card developers as more mobile subscribers move to higher-end services".
The Theseus Titanium 240 smartcard IC uses an 8051 controller core that allows four clocks per instruction cycle.
The 60MHz internal oscillator makes this the fastest-performing 8051-based smartcard IC available in the market.
This improved performance comes without any significant increases in power consumption thanks to Theseus Titanium 240's power saving features, including clock gating and voltage scaling.
Because Theseus Titanium 240 uses Flash memory, it is inherently secure from chemical reverse engineering.
The instant programmability of Flash memory allows smartcard operating systems to remove insecure back doors that are required when using ROM.
To further protect data on the smartcard, the Theseus Titanium 240 includes the following additional security features: secure memory blocks that prohibit write and erase, and cannot be read from outside blocks; protection from environmental conditions through the use of voltage regulators and frequency, temperature ultraviolet light and glitch detectors; and an encrypted loader application to protect the operating system during third-party programming.
To assist software developers with the creation of operating systems and applications for Theseus Titanium smartcard ICs, SST offers several software development platforms.
The Theseus Emulator provides source-level debug and stand-alone device emulation of the Theseus Titanium family of smartcard ICs.
Compatible with Ashling's PathFinder or Keil uVision 3 IDE, the Theseus Emulator provides full source-level debug and emulation support for C and Assembler smartcard applications.
The emulator also supports the ability to debug smartcard code in a fully functioning card reader system.
Additional development tools include probe adapters for both ISO7816 and SIM/U-SIM format interfaces, and the Pathfinder-51 source level debugger software.
Theseus Titanium devices are also supported fully within the Keil uVision 3 development environment.
Further development support is available from SST's website.
Samples of the Theseus Titanium 240 smartcard IC are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q1 2008.
Pricing for the device starts at US $0.45 in 100,000-unit quantities for thinned, sawn wafer.
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