General Lab Information

Technologies Available for License

2023-004: Secure Contact-less Verification of Hardware and Software

Invention: 2023-004

Patent Status: Provisional filed on March 1, 2023

For technical and licensing related questions, email tcp@bnl.gov.

Summary

Hardware and software integrity verification for integrated circuits generally involve complex cryptography tasks. Traditional hardware or software authenticating techniques can include inserting a digital signature such as, for example, a fingerprint signature, into a target chip such as a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), a hard processor system (HPS) chip, or another type of target chip. Additionally, a sensor can be utilized to read the digital signature information after the target chip is assembled onto a printed circuit board (PCB). A test pin or interface (e.g., a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) debugging and programming port) of the target chip can additionally be utilized for reading the digital signature information. However, this type of digital signature detection technique is generally inaccessible on consumer products with chips and generally involves a laborious procedure even in situations where test interfaces are available for reading digital signature information. In this joint invention, BNL and UF researchers proposed a contact-less integrity verification of Hardware and/or Software associated with integrated circuits (ICs).

Description

An electromagnetic emission based, and contact-less probing methodology is being developed to securely send information as opposed to traditional techniques of transmitting the information through wires and probing them through scan readout. By using the mechanism of near-field magnetic emission, secure information can be transmitted, such a digital watermark signature for authentication, in the form of a magnetic field (B-field), allowing it to be remotely detected by a trusted party.

Benefits

This new methodology allows for non-contact sensing, which can greatly simplify practical implementations of IC authentication and verification systems. In addition, the method can be used to authenticate both hardware (FPGAs and ASICs) and embedded software (running on HPS).

Applications and Industries

The potential applications of this invention include consumer electronics and high reliability electronics used in defense, automotive, and space), etc.

Journal Publication & Intellectual Property

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