SNOW-V Stream Cipher Engine

The SNOW-V IP core implements the SNOW-V stream cipher mechanism, aiming to meet the security demands of modern high-speed communication systems. It conforms to the official SNOW-V mechanism, published in 2019 by the IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology, as an extensive revision of SNOW 3G stream cipher.

Receiving a 256-bit Key and a 128-bit Initialization Vector (IV), the core processes 128 bits of information in one cycle and it produces a stream of 128-bit keys. It employs two main building blocks, a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) and a Finite State Machine (FSM) that applies an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) round function.

The core can be easily incorporated in a Galois/Counter mode (GCM) topology and by interoperating with a Galois Message Authentication Code (GMAC) realize an Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD) mechanism. What is more, the core is a drop-in replacement for SNOW 3G in EPS Encryption/Integrity Algorithm (EEA/EIA) architectures and New Radio Encryption/Integrity Algorithm (NEA/NIA) architectures for 4G and 5G communications, while also targeting future mobile network generations (e.g. 6G).

The SNOW-V IP core is a microcode-free and fully synchronous design developed for reuse in ASIC and FPGA implementations, aiming at throughput-demanding environments. The efficient and compact hardware design enables notably high throughput, achieving over 100 Gbps in mainstream ASIC technologies and over 40 Gbps in high-end AMD and Altera FPGAs. Moreover, being a scan-ready, LINT-clean, and single-clock design with a simple handshake interface, facilitates straightforward integration

Security Mechanism Support

• SNOW-V stream cipher
  • IACR 2019 publication
• AEAD-mode ready
  • Easy adoption to a GCM core
  • Seamless interoperation with a GMAC block
• Drop-in replacement of SNOW 3G in 4G/5G security architectures

High-throughput and Compact Design

• Processing 128 bits/cycle
• Over 100 Gbps and less than 37k eq. gates in mainstream ASIC technologies

Easy Integration and Technology Mapping

• Simple handshake interface
• Fully synchronous, single-clock domain, re-usable design
• No false or multicycle timing paths, scan-ready, LINT-clean

• The SNOW-V IP core can help provide fast and secure communication in high-speed 4G, 5G, and future 6G networks. Furthermore, it can safeguard device interactions and prevent cyber threats in IoT ecosystems, while for multimedia streaming, it will enable real-time encryption to protect content from unauthorized access. Additionally, the SNOW-V IP core may be used for data storage encryption and high-quality pseudo-random number generation.

• RTL source code (VHDL or Verilog) or targeted FPGA netlist
• Complete testbenches
• C model and test-vector generator
• Simulation and synthesis scripts
• Documentation