The AES-GCM Ultra-low latency crypto engine is targeted for CXL link encryption with an implementation of the AES-GCM algorithm compliant with the NIST SP 800-38D standard. The unique architecture enables high throughput while maintaining an optimal resource usage.
The AES-GCM (Galois Counter Mode) is an authenticated encryption algorithm which combines the AES counter mode for encryption and the Galois field multiplier for the authentication. The encryption and authentication occur in parallel to enable high throughput.
The AES-GCM is the only authenticated encryption algorithm recommended by NIST enabling very high throughput. In addition, it also offers ultra-low latency:
- 0 clock cycle for encryption/decryption (combinational path)
In addition, it supports CXL 2.0. One of many new great features that comes with CXL 2.0 is the support for single level switching to enable fan-out to multiple devices. This will enable many devices in a platform to migrate to CXL, while maintaining the backward compatibility and the low-latency characteristics of CXL.
