Cover story Figure 1


resistant user crypto coprocessor. This has its own true random number generator, is completely DPA resistant, and Microchip provides a CRI pass through license to OEM customers.


Embedded security For SoC FPGAs, another level of security is needed to protect the embedded environment. For PolarFire SoC FPGAs, two embedded security options are provided. The fi rst of these is user secure boot.


Figure 2


This allows a product designer to design their own custom boot loader and use the secure non-volatile memory in the PolarFire SoC FPGA to store their sensitive data and code. At power-on, the system controller copies the user boot loader from the secure non-volatile memory to an internal or external memory location and executes it. The user can also mark the SNVM (Secure Non-Volatile Memory) as ROM to make it immutable.


The second option is a factory-


secured boot. Here, the system controller authenticates the factory boot loader using a PKE mechanism such as ECDSA. The entire factory boot loader is stored in the embedded non-volatile memory, along with a secure boot image certifi cate. Data security is available in the


PolarFire FPGAs and PolarFire SoC FPGAs, with the latter also offering embedded security. For more information: www.microchip.com/fpga


www.electronicsworld.co.uk November 2023 07


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