Robust Security for Embedded Systems
Protecting embedded systems with robust security is essential in Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, medical, consumer, wireless, industrial and other connected designs. Security standards are available and constantly evolving to reinforce requirements of IoT applications. Many automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are including security in their design specifications to protect Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in connected vehicles from attacks.
No matter what market or application they address, these security specifications all contain similar requirements:
- Unique passwords for all devices without default passwords
- Secure storage to isolate sensitive cryptographic keys
- Firmware verification at boot to ensure integrity before execution and after software updates
- Secure communication between devices or ECUs and the external world
Embedded Security With dsPIC33C DSCs
Our dsPIC33C DSCs work together with security ICs to implement robust system-level security.
dsPIC33C MPT DSC with Integrated HSM
Real-Time Control, Functional Safety, Robust Security
- Robust security with the simplicity of an MCU
- Off-die secure subsystem that is compliant with the EVITA Full Specification for automotive security
- Immutable secure boot
- Secure firmware upgrade (with live update)
- Secure on-board communication and message authentication
- Electronic Control Unit (ECU) authentication
- WPC 1.3 Qi® high-power wireless charger authentication
- IP protection
- Disable debug mode
- Flash configurable as One-Time Programmable (OTP) memory
- Specialized features for digital power, motor control, advanced sensing, touch and high-performance designs
- Automotive AEC Q100 Grade 1 qualified
dsPIC33C DSCs
High-Performance Dual- and Single-Core DSCs, Functional Safety
- 100 MHz performance for real-time control and deterministic response
- CodeGuard security and Flash OTP for secure, immutable boot and firmware upgrades
- Excellent for high-performance embedded, digital power, motor control and functional safety applications requiring security
- For use with our ATECC608 or TA100 secure elements for robust security
Our high-performance dsPIC33C Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), combined with our ATECC608 CryptoAuthentication™ and TrustAnchor100 (TA100) CryptoAutomotive™ security ICs, provide robust security for your designs.
dsPIC33C DSCs deliver high performance, low power consumption and an application-specific feature set for low-power security, sensor interfacing, real-time control, functional safety, digital power conversion, Qi® wireless charger and motor control applications.
Security Features in dsPIC33C DSCs
Our dsPIC33C DSCs work together with the CryptoAuthentication and CryptoAutomotive security ICs to implement robust system-level security. You can easily meet your design requirements with a range of DSC families that offer features such as Flash OTP by ICSP™ Write Inhibit and CodeGuard™ Flash security.
The security features in dsPIC33C DSCs protect against remote digital attacks while the CryptoAuthentication and CryptoAutomotive ICs provide extra security with physical anti-tampering and side channel attack protections to block access to embedded system credentials.
The dsPIC33C MPT secure DSC family’s integrated off-die secure subsystem is compliant with the HSM security architecture and offers isolation between the secure subsystem and the CPU. This secure subsystem is compliant with the EVITA Full Specification for automotive security and includes secure key storage, NIST SP800-90 A/B/C Random Number Generator (RNG) and advanced and fast crypto engines supporting ECC, RSA, AES, SHA algorithms. Offering the simplicity of an MCU, dsPIC33C MPT DSCs are excellent options for adding robust security to your designs.
Security Features in CryptoAuthentication and CryptoAutomotive ICs
- Hardware-based cryptographic accelerators to significantly reduce execution time
- Secure key storage and high-quality RNG
- Physical anti-tampering and side channel attack protections to isolate access to embedded system credentials
Target Applications
Automotive Applications
Industrial/Consumer Applications
Medical Applications
IoT Applications
MPLAB® Code Configurator
MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) is a free graphical programming environment that generates seamless, easy-to-understand C code to insert into your secure project. It supports a variety of application libraries that you can use to implement secure boot, secure firmware upgrades, node authentication and secure communication in your design.
dsPIC33C Development Ecosystem
CryptoAuthLib Library
Designed to work with the ATECC608 CryptoAuthentication and TA100 CryptoAutomotive devices, this software support library is available with MCC as a component of any application or device driver that requires crypto services from a crypto coprocessor. It and works seamlessly with dsPIC33C DSCs.
Secure Boot and Secure Firmware Upgrades: dsPIC® Bootloader Library
The bootloader in MCC leverages the hardware-based CodeGuard security and Flash OTP features available in dsPIC33 DSCs and works with the ATECC608 and TA100 to implement secure boot and secure firmware upgrades.
Node Authentication and Secure Communication: Cloud Connectivity
Visit our Internet of Things area to learn about reference applications for the dsPIC33C DSCs that use the CryptoAuthLib library to showcase Google IoT Core, Amazon Web Service (AWS) and Azure Cloud connectivity. These reference applications, which are based on our PIC-IoT series of development boards, demonstrate secure node authentication and secure communication.
Secure Provisioning
Avoid the high risks of exposure to your keys and reduce the costs of mass production by leveraging our secure key provisioning service. Our Trust Platform provisioning service prevents your credentials from being exposed at any time during product development and production while also eliminating the need for you to have extensive knowledge and the necessary secure networks to handle cryptographic keys securely.
dsPIC33CK512MPT608 Secure DSC PIM
Part Number: EV10H29A
Explorer 16/32 Development Board
Part Number: DM240001-2
dsPIC33CK Curiosity Development Board
Part Number: DM330030
TA100 8-Pin SOIC CryptoAutomotive Socket Board
Part Number: AC164167
ATECC608B Trust
Part Number: DT100104
Secure SOIC/UDFN Click
Part Numbers: MIKROE-3788/MIKROE-3746
OCP Power Supply – SPDM Solution Demonstration Application
This demo application utilizes a dsPIC33C MPT secure DSC or dsPIC33C DSC in conjunction with the TA100 CryptoAutomotive™ security IC to implement the Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) specification. This enables a digital power solution that satisfies the security requirements for an OCP-compliant power supply.
Security Webinars
Join our security experts and partners to learn about the latest trends and new developments for safeguarding your designs.
Technical Training Courses on Embedded Security
Available for free and on demand from Microchip University, our dsPIC Bootloaders Using MCC: Device Side offers a live demonstration of implementing a bootloader, secure boot and secure firmware upgrades.
dsPIC® DSC Bootloaders Using MCC–Device Side
Focuses on developing a secure 16-bit bootloader and a generic bootloader with dsPIC33 DSCs
Cryptography Primer
Fundamentals of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography and how to apply each in real-world situations
Microchip's Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure Process
In the event of the discovery of a vulnerability in any of our products, tools, software or firmware solutions, our Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is set up to ensure that the vulnerability is mitigated and communicated responsibly. Use the link below to follow our coordinated disclosure process to report your findings.
- dsPIC33CK MPT DSCs with Integrated HSM
- dsPIC33C DSCs for Secure Designs
- CryptoAuthentication and CryptoAutomotive ICs
Cryptography Primer
