Secure MCUs for High End Smartcard Applications

For multi-application cards, cellular telephones (Subscriber Identification Modules) and other high volume, cost-sensitive applications requiring low voltage/low power capability, enhanced security features, a large memory space for customer code and a large EEPROM memory, SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics is delivering a family of highly secure smartcard ICs based on the proven and very successful ST16XYZ architecture. The ST16SF4x family offers a large 16Kbytes of user ROM and 384 bytes of RAM, along with 2Kbytes (ST16SF42), 4Kbytes (ST16SF44) or 8Kbytes (ST16SF48) of EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROgrammable Memory) and are the world's first high security smartcard ICs to operate at supply voltages from 2.7V to 5.5V.

This key feature means that the ST16SF4x devices are able to meet the demanding high memory/low power requirements of GSM telephones while remaining fully compatible with existing card readers.All three devices feature ROM and EEPROM segmentation, a particularly useful security feature that allows the user to configure both the ROM and the EEPROM as two ROM sectors and two EEPROM sectors. Access rules from any ROM or EEPROM sector to any other sector are governed by a user-defined Memory Access Control Matrix, with a non-maskable security interrupt generated whenever an unauthorised access is attempted. This feature is particularly useful in multi-service cards as it allows the memory access capability of uploaded programs to be strictly controlled.

All devices in the ST16SF4x family contain a system ROM library that holds a set of ISO7816-3 T=0 input/output subroutines, a RAM test command and the flash erase command for the EEPROM. In addition, in ISSUER configuration, the system ROM gives access to an enhanced test operating system, assuming the ISSUER has been given the appropriate access code.

These devices are built with a highly reliable 1um CMOS EEPROM technology that features low voltage operation (2.7V to 5.5V supply range), an EEPROM endurance of 100,000 write/erase cycles, a ten year EEPROM data retention and over 5000V of ESD protection. Other important features include built-in random number generators, full compliance with ISO standards, an idle mode for minimum power consumption and the advanced security features that make the ST16XYZ architecture ideal in all applications where data protection is mandatory. For software development and firmware (ROM code) generation, the ST16SF4x devices are supported by the ST16S-EMU, a design and development tool that provides comprehensive emulation not only of the CPU core but also of all the security logic and protected memory that can be implemented within ST16XYZ devices.

SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics has been participating in the world smartcard IC market from the start and has delivered more devices than any other supplier. The ST16XYZ family has captured many key design wins and dominates the exploding market in GSM telephones.

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