In Production
The CEC1302 incorporates a high-performance 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M4 embedded microcontroller with 128 Kilobytes of SRAM and 32 Kilobytes of Boot ROM. It communicates with the system host using the I2C bus. The CEC1302 has two SPI memory interfaces that allow the EC to read its code from external SPI flash memory: private SPI and/or shared SPI. The Shared SPI interface allows for EC code to be stored in a shared SPI chip. The private SPI memory interface provides for a dedicated SPI flash that is only accessible by the EC.
Microchip’s first ARM processor with cryptographic engine
The CEC1302 provides support for loading EC code from the private or shared SPI flash device on a VCC1 power-on. Before executing the EC code loaded from a SPI Flash Device, the CEC1302 validates the EC code using a digital signature encoded according to PKCS #1. The signature uses RSA-2048 encryption and SHA-256 hashing. This provides automated detection of invalid EC code that may be a result of malicious or accidental corruption. It occurs before each boot of the host processor, thereby ensuring a HW based root of trust not easily thwarted via physical replacement attack.
The CEC1302 is directly powered by two separate suspend supply planes (VBAT and VCC1) and senses the runtime power plane (VCC) to provide “Instant On” and system power management functions. It also contains an integrated VCC1 Reset Interface and a system Power Management Interface that supports low-power states and can drive state changes as a result of hardware wake events.
For more detail: Microchip’s first ARM processor with cryptographic engine
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Ibrar Ayyub
I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.
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