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Microchip simplifies hardware-based IoT security

Mon, Sep 30, 2019

A pre-provisioned solution that provides secure key storage for low-, mid- and high-volume device deployments using the ATECC608A secure element is now available from Microchip Technology. According to the company, the Trust Platform for its CryptoAuthentication family enables companies of all sizes to implement secure authentication.

The platform consists of a three-tier offering, providing out-of-the-box pre-provisioned, pre-configured or fully customisable secure elements, allowing developers to choose the platform best suited for their individual design. As the first solution to provide ready-to-go secure authentication for the mass market, the first tier – Trust&GO – provides zero-touch pre-provisioned secure elements with a minimum orderable quantity (MOQ) as low as 10 units.

Device credentials are pre-programmed, shipped and locked inside the ATECC608A for automated cloud or LoRaWAN authentication onboarding. In parallel, corresponding certificates and public keys are delivered in a “manifest” file, which is downloadable via Microchip’s purchasing e-commerce store and select distribution partners.

With the ability to authenticate to any public or private cloud infrastructure, Microchip’s Trust Platform is also flexible and customisable. For customers who want more customisation, the program includes the TrustFlex and TrustCustom platforms.

The solution helps simplify provisioning logistics, says the company, making it easy for mass market customers to secure and manage edge devices without the overhead cost of third-party provisioning services or certificate authorities.

The second tier in the program, TrustFlex, offers the flexibility to use the customer’s certificate authority of choice while still benefiting from pre-configured use cases.

These use cases include baseline security measures such as transport layer security (TLS) hardened authentication for connecting to any IP-based network using any certificate chain, LoRaWAN authentication, secure boot, Over-the-Air (OTA) updates, IP protection, user data protection and key rotation. This can reduce the time and complexity involved in customising the device without requiring customised part numbers.

For customers who would like to customise their designs entirely, the third tier in the program – TrustCustom – provides customer-specific configuration capabilities and custom credential provisioning.

https://www.microchip.com

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ams adds laser detection auto-focus that sees through smudges

Thu, Sep 26, 2019

Laser detection auto-focus for a smartphone camera that can accurately zero in on the target when the cover glass is smudged or dirty is possible with TMF8801 time of flight (ToF) sensor from ams.

The sensor is claimed to be the world’s smallest integrated module for direct ToF distance measurement, providing accurate measurements from 20 to 25mm.

The TMF8801 is more than 30 per cent smaller than competing ToF sensors, claims ams, for compact designs. Unlike competing ToF sensors which struggle to accurately measure distance below dirty or smudged cover glass, the TMF8801 maintains high accuracy through use of its on-chip histogram processing, ams says.

The TMF8801 direct ToF sensor complements the TMF8701 short range ToF sensor released in 2018 and provides extended distance range sensing for smartphones. Dave Moon, senior product marketing manager in the Integrated Optical Sensors business line at ams, said: “The TMF8801 is ideally suited to provide support for improving world-facing mobile phone camera performance using laser detection auto-focus (LDAF), enabling mobile phone users to take pin-sharp photos and selfies.”

The ToF performance is achieved through use of an integrated VCSEL infra red emitter, multiple single photon avalanche photo-diode (SPAD) light detectors, time-to-digital converter, and on-chip microcontroller for processing histograms. Compared to distance averaging employed with an indirect ToF system, the direct ToF time measurement methodology used in the TMF8801 delivers higher accuracy true-distance measurements, claims ams.

High accuracy distance measurements, combined with LDAF, improve camera performance, with sharper, in-focus images under any ambient lighting conditions, and accurate adjustment of the camera flash brightness to improve picture quality.

The small size and low power consumption of the TMF8801 is suitable for fast-ranging collision avoidance detection used in autonomous vacuum cleaners, and industrial robotics. For display-based products, such as mobile computing, the TMF8801 can be used for user presence detection to automatically wake up or put the system into a low-power sleep mode based on the presence or absence of a user.

The TMF8801 is housed in a 2.2 x 3.6 x 1.0mm package and is in volume production.

https://www.ams.com

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QuickLogic partners with Nuance Communications for voice recognition

Fri, Sep 13, 2019

Multi-core, voice-enabled SoCs, embedded FPGA IP, and endpoint AI provider, QuickLogic is partnering with conversational AI and ambient intelligence specialist, Nuance Communications, to deliver low power, wake word and voice command technology for power-sensitive applications, such as hearable and wearable devices.

Nuance’s voice recognition technology and QuickLogic’sEOS S3 voice and sensor processing platform will provide customers an end-to-end, reliable hardware and software voice recognition solution, says QuickLogic.

The low power Nuance voice recognition technology has been integrated with QuickLogic’s advanced EOS Voice and Sensor Processing SoC. The SoC’s architecture is claimed to enable the industry’s most advanced and compute intensive sensor processing capability at a fraction of the power consumption of competing technologies.

The Nuance technology provides the performance and low power consumption required for always-on wake word detection, and specifically supports the Alexa wake-word protocol. Technical enhancements enable it to improve voice recognition accuracy in difficult or noisy environments.

The integrated system supports always-on, always-listening fixed triggers, user defined triggers and phrases, and commands that can be accurately detected in silent to extremely noisy environments.

Scott Haylock, director of product marketing at QuickLogic, explains:”In response to customer demand, and the growing hearables market, we’ve augmented the EOS S3 OPEN Software Platform to include Nuance’s technology. This addition helps QuickLogic address the largest possible product mix of new and existing voice-controlled end-products.”

The EOS S3 platform with integrated Nuance voice processing is available now.

QuickLogic is a fabless semiconductor company that develops low power, multi-core semiconductor platforms and IP for artificial intelligence (AI), voice and sensor processing. It supplies embedded FPGA IP (eFPGA) for hardware acceleration and pre-processing, and heterogeneous multi-core SoCs that integrate eFPGA with other processors and peripherals. The Analytics Toolkit provides sensor algorithms using AI technology.

http://www.quicklogic.com

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Smartrac steps up security with NFC PRO tags

Fri, Sep 06, 2019

RFID technology and IoT specialist, Smartrac has launched the Pro series of NFC tags and inlays. The Circus Pro NFC tag, equipped with NXP’s NTAG 424 DNA IC, will be the first member of the new product series optimised for highly secure product authentication.

By embedding Circus, or subsequent Pro inlays or tags, into physical products, customers can turn products into secure digital platforms. Smartrac says they can deliver value during the product lifetime, from point of manufacture, through the supply chain, distribution channels, point of sales, customer use, to reselling and recycling. Secure product authentication protects against counterfeiting and diversions and also provide exclusive content and rewards for consumer engagement and customer loyalty programs.

“As the number of connected objects is expected to reach a record 40 billion by 2022, organisations of all sizes are seeking not just feature-rich, connectivity solutions but ones that can securely protect their brand, their products, and their customers,” said Philippe Dubois, vice president and general manager of IoT Security, Smart Mobility and Retail at NXP.

Smartrac’s Circus Pro inlays and tags with NXP’s NTAG 424 DNA ICs work with all NFC-enabled devices and support real-time tag and message authentication based on AES-128 encryption on attack-resistant certified silicon. The secure unique NFC (SUN) authentication enables authentic, integrity protected and confidential data exchanges between tags and servers. This high-end security IC offers enhanced privacy features and a sensitive on-chip data storage, says Smartrac, protected by a sophisticated three-pass mutual authentication scheme.

Future Pro features and options will include different security layers, allowing customers to enable secure product authentication for a range of applications. Smartrac will soon introduce further Pro versions of its popular NFC inlays and tags such as Bullseye and Midas, the company confirmed.

NFC-based secure product authentication can be achieved through a choice of verification services to comply with individual customer requirements. The secret keys cannot be copied or tampered and physical product authenticity can be proven once the Pro inlays and tags are irremovably embedded into or attached to the physical product.

Smartrac’s Circus Pro NFC inlays and tags with NTAG 424 DNA will become available in large quantities in Q3 2019 as wet inlays and the Circus Pro Flex wet inlays, which come with an additional protective layer for the IC and antenna connection area for enhanced durability.

http://www.smartrac-group.com

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Microchip simplifies hardware-based IoT security

ams adds laser detection auto-focus that sees through smudges

QuickLogic partners with Nuance Communications for voice recognition

Smartrac steps up security with NFC PRO tags

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