-- Utilize security technologies that have been validated through
extensive testing with real-world applications by the National Institute of
Science and Technology (NIST), the American National Standards Organization
(ANSI) and the National Security Agency (NSA).
-- Leverage logic based NVM for storage of embedded, on-chip secrets and
root-of-trust.
-- Define a security boundary within the SoC that ensures that only fully
validated software processes and local hardware resources can access secret
keying material.
"In today's consumer electronics products, hardware IC features play little
role in protecting copyrighted content," said ABI Research Principal
Analyst Steve Wilson in a recent report entitled "Secure Processors for
Consumer Electronics - From Zero to 60 Million in Six Years." "Popular
digital rights management schemes that depend on secure software
implementations such as Windows DRM, Fairplay, and AACS are routinely
targeted and hacked. However, processor companies are enhancing their
architectures and embracing security features that will simplify secure
software implementations and make it much more difficult to copy and share
protected content."
The planned reference architecture integrates Impinj's AEON® family of
multi-time programmable (MTP) logic NVM cores used to embed keys and secure
boot code into designs, with Elliptic's embedded security module (ESM) that
defines a security boundary inside the SoC based on sound design practices
similar to FIPS-140 security products. Additional architecture features
include high-performance symmetric encryption through the advanced
encryption standard (AES), hashing through SHA-256, mutual authentication
through RSA sign and verify algorithms and the Diffie-Hellman key agreement
protocol all coordinated through the on-chip secrets stored in AEON/MTP.
For more information, visit the Elliptic website online at
www.ellipticsemi.com or Impinj website online at www.impinj.com.
About Elliptic
Ranked as the fastest growing security IP provider by Gartner, Elliptic
Semiconductor Inc. provides semiconductor intellectual property (IP) cores
and software for secure communications ranging from low power to
multi-gigabit per second implementations. Elliptic SIP cores enable
system-on-chip designers to efficiently balance power, performance and
silicon area in complex security-based systems. Demanding customers in
markets such as implantable devices, wireless, storage, content
distribution and high performance communications trust Elliptic IP cores.
About Impinj
Impinj, Inc. is a semiconductor and RFID company whose patented
Self-Adaptive Silicon® technology enables its two synergistic business
lines: high-performance RFID products and semiconductor intellectual
property (IP). A leading contributor to the RFID standards for high-volume
supply-chain applications worldwide, Impinj leverages its technical
expertise and industry partnerships to deliver the GrandPrix™ solution,
comprising tags, readers, software and systems integration to offer RFID
that just works™. Impinj's innovative IP products, core to the company's
RFID tags, are licensed to leading semiconductor companies worldwide,
allowing them to seamlessly integrate crucial nonvolatile memory (NVM)
alongside analog and digital functionality on a single chip. Impinj's IP
products include the popular AEON® family of embeddable cores, which
provides rewriteable NVM technology in logic CMOS manufacturing. For more
information, visit www.impinj.com.
Contact Information: Editorial Contacts: Al Hawtin Elliptic Semiconductor, Inc. 613 254-5456 X102 Lynda Kaye Mango Communications for Impinj, Inc. 650-799-2888