Embedded controller strengthens IoT security

13th June 2016

Mick Elliott

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Datasheet

The CEC1302 low-power crypto-enabled embedded controller from Microchip Technology is now in stock at Mouser Electronics.The CEC1302's hardware-based cryptography suite offers significant performance improvements over firmware-based solutions. It makes it easy to add security to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, offering easy-to-use encryption and authentication for programming flexibility and increased levels of security.

The controller features a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 processor core with 128KBytes of SRAM, 32KBytes of boot ROM, and a hardware floating point unit (FPU). The CEC1302 allows for pre-boot authentication of the system firmware in order to ensure that the firmware is untouched and uncorrupted, thereby preventing security attacks such as man-in-the-middle, denial-of-service and backdoor vulnerabilities.

It can also be used to authenticate any firmware updates, protecting the system from malware or memory corruption.

The controller offers private key and customer programming flexibility with a full-featured microcontroller in a single-package solution in order to minimise customer risk. The device provides savings in terms of power drain and also improved execution of application performance.

It can be used as a standalone security co-processor or can replace an existing microcontroller. The hardware-enabled public key engine of the device is also 20 to 50 times faster than firmware-enabled algorithms, and the hardware-enabled hashing is 100 times faster.

Mouser is also offering the CEC1302 toolchain from MikroElektronka, which includes the CEC1302 clicker, the clicker 2 for CEC1302, and the mikroProg for CEC.

TheCEC1302 clicker brings click board connectivity to the CEC1302, with a single mikroBUS socket and an additional pinout for connecting other external electronics. clicker 2 for CEC1302 is a dual-mikroBUS socket development board that includes a battery connector, on/off switch.

The footprint and pinout of the clicker 2 is the same as on mikromedia, making it compatible with a range of shields as well. mikroProg for CEC is a fast programmer and hardware debugger that supports the CEC cryptographic engine with secure firmware updating.