Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Topline Components | Subject: EMTCG96-3G
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 December 2004
Smart card controller features flexible
memory
The EMTCG96-3G is the first low-cost, high-performance and secure cryptocontroller with a 100% Flash memory architecture for the mid-range market.
The EMTCG96-3G is the first low-cost, high-performance and secure cryptocontroller with a 100% Flash memory architecture for the mid-range market "This opens up a new field of applications, where smart cards can be truly "smart" - allowing them to be fully reprogrammable in the field, adapting to changing applications, operating systems and user requirements
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 Jan 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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For the manufacturer, it means that one card design can be used for a wide variety of applications, and inventories of cards can be quickly personalised at low cost to meet market demands.
The EMTCG96-3G features a high-performance 8bit market standard 8051 microcontroller core that is implemented in hardware, allowing it to process instructions four times faster per clock cycle than typical microcode-based 8051 core designs.
An internal tamper-proof clock operates at up to 30MHz and provides better security than designs that require an external clock.
Further reading
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New from Topline is a device billed as the world's first ISO18000-6A and EPC code structure compliant UHF RFID IC.
Flash MCU takes unique identification onboard
The EM6580 is a highly integrated 4bit Flash microcontroller for use in battery-operated and cost sensitive applications.
Security is also enhanced by the EMTCG96-3G's built-in analogue, triple DES encryption algorithms, hardware-protected memory partitioning and tamper notification.
Most smart card ICs rely on a combination of ROM and EEPROM.
In these smart cards, the operating system (OS) and main applications are permanently stored once in the ROM where they cannot be modified.
Data, personal information and other applications data are stored in the EEPROM so that they can be modified.
As the ROM portion can only be programmed once, it is typically filled with as many applications as possible, leaving less memory space available for variable user data, program updates and new features.
Unlike these smart cards, the EMTCG96-3G has a memory architecture that is 100% reprogrammable.
This provides more flexibility for the manufacturer, dealer or end user to reconfigure the operating system and applications.
The EMTCG96-3G's Flash memory is partitioned into two sections: 64Kbyte of one-time-programmable (OTP) memory and 32Kbyte of EEPROM (with minimum 300,000 cycles endurance).
The 64Kbyte OTP memory partition provides hardware-secured, tamper-proof storage for program memory and security information.
Memory dedicated to application software and user data can be configured at the last minute, so smart card providers can reduce inventory, simplify logistics, reduce costs and accelerate time to market.
The EMTCG96-3G's flexible memory architecture enables low cost Java-based smart cards to interoperate with equipment from different service providers and regional standards, making them ideal for banking and communications in developing countries worldwide.
The 8051 microcontroller core is a proven, robust and widely supported architecture, allowing code re-usability and faster development.
The EMTCG96-3G is supported by development tools including a compiler, link editor, OTP and EEPROM download, and emulation platform that is fully integrated with the Keil uVision2 development environment.
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