AuthenTec Bolsters Embedded Security of AppliedMicro's New PacketPro Multicore Embedded Processor Family

Nov 15, 2010  -- AuthenTec, a provider of security, identity management and touch control solutions, announced that Applied Micro Circuits Corp. has selected AuthenTec's Embedded Security for integration into its new PacketPro multicore process System-on-a-Chip (SoC) family.

The Company said the PacketPro family incorporates AuthenTec's SafeXcel EIP-96 Inline Packet Engine, SafeXcel EIP-28 Public Key Accelerator (PKA) and SafeXcel EIP-75 True Random Number Generator (TRNG), removing processor load from the PacketPro and enhancing its ability to provide security for a range of mission-critical applications in wireless and wired networking, multi-function printer, industrial and access point markets.

According to a release, AuthenTec's SafeXcel EIP-96 is a packet engine for multicore SoC designs, accelerating cryptographic operations within the PacketPro device. The EIP-96 also implements data manipulation instructions including data insertion, data removal, data replacement and retrieval. The PacketPro also integrates AuthenTec's SafeXcel EIP-28 PKA, which is a power efficient solution for accelerating public key cryptography based on algorithms including RSA, DSA, DH, ECC and ElGamal encryption.

AppliedMicro's PacketPro also includes AuthenTec's SafeXcel EIP-75 TRNG to enhance secure data communications, secure electronic transactions and secure data storage. The TRNG is used to generate keys, initialize vectors, cookies, and generate numbers or bitstreams that are used only once (nonces). This embedded security combination from AuthenTec enhances the cryptographic security features of the PacketPro while conserving processor load and reducing power consumption.

"We chose AuthenTec's industry proven embedded security IP for use in our PacketPro because it adds critical security functionality and high-speed cryptographic features without compromising processor throughput needed for today's complex, high-speed data communications and electronic transaction tasks," said Vinay Ravuri, Vice President and General Manager of AppliedMicro's Processing Products Division. "AuthenTec provided an easy-to-integrate and highly compatible IP offering that helped us achieve the security and performance goals established for this innovative new SoC processor."

"We are extremely pleased that industry leader AppliedMicro chose to integrate our SafeXcel semiconductor IP for use in their innovative new PacketPro processor family," said Dr. Simon Blake-Wilson, Vice President of AuthenTec's Embedded Security Solutions. "Our embedded security IP is able to reduce security processing burden on the PacketPro, allowing it additional bandwidth to handle important processing tasks needed for today's complex and converging high-speed networking applications. We look forward to supporting AppliedMicro in its rollout of the PacketPro family and additional embedded security opportunities."

AppliedMicro developed the PacketPro multicore SoC architecture specifically in response to developers' need to manage abundant on-chip resources as the industry shifts from single core to multicore applications. PacketPro is AppliedMicro's second-generation of embedded processor SoC and the first to feature offload of critical features for multicore processors with expandability for multiple PowerPC processors with frequency capabilities ranging in performance from 600 MHz to 2.0 GHz and beyond. The SoC subsystem design features the Scalable Lightweight Intelligent Management processor or SLIMpro to enable flexibility in SoC power management, protected asymmetric multiprocessing (PMP), failover protection, resiliency and security.

AuthenTec noted its semiconductor IP provides security for SoC, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) designs. Fully integrated with AuthenTec's QuickSec IPsec and MACsec toolkits, SafeXcel IP enables a complete security system - delivering time-to-market while reducing design and engineering cost. AuthenTec's portfolio of Embedded Security Solutions provides levels of protection, reliability, and performance for embedded developers.

More information:  www.authentec.com