Maxim and Altera Offer Solution to Protect FPGA Designs

Maxim Integrated Products has announced that their 1-Wire secure memory devices have been chosen by Altera Corporation for a security solution that adds additional security to designs using the Altera Cyclone III and Cyclone II FPGA families. Maxim's secure memory devices, priced at less than $1.00 (1000-up), incorporate both the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-1), a thoroughly scrutinized public hash protocol developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the 1-Wire interface.



The security solution utilizes a challenge-and-response-based authentication (identify friend or foe, or IFF) sequence between the FPGA and a 1-Wire secure memory device to differentiate between an authorized and a cloned environment. An authorized environment or product incorporates a 1-Wire secure memory, which has the correct OEM secret key. Once the FPGA determines that it is communicating in an authorized environment, it transitions to normal operation by enabling all the functions defined by the customer-specific configuration code stored in the SRAM. If the authentication sequence fails, the FPGA can either disable system operation or set system operation to reduced functionality. The Maxim's 1-Wire secure memories use the SHA-1 protocol, which has been thoroughly scrutinized and certified by the cryptographic community. The m's 1-Wire bus is a simple signaling scheme that combines data and power for device operation onto a single bus and ground return.