IoT Security Solutions for
Synopsys® ARC Processors

A member of Synopsys’ ARC Access Program, SecureRF supports Synopsys customers with security tools optimized for DesignWare® ARC® processors. Our tools provide authentication and identification for ARC processors used in embedded or host applications in a wide range of markets, including wearables, industrial IoT, home automation, medical devices and automotive. Our security solutions outperform methods based on Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and RSA by virtue of their faster run times, smaller footprint and lower energy consumption. SecureRF solutions are quantum resistant to all known attacks, addressing future security requirements for devices with long service lives.

Securing ARC Processors with Public-Key Cryptography

Our security solutions for the ARC family of processors include Walnut Digital Security Algorithm™ (WalnutDSA^TM) and Ironwood Key Agreement Protocol™ (Ironwood KAP^TM). Both are Public-Key methods based on Group Theoretic Cryptography. To learn more, see the resources listed at right for information on Group Theoretic Cryptography and its acceleration with ARC APEX (ARC Processor Extension) instructions.

SecureRF accelerates cryptographic processing with Designware® APEX extensions and our tools are easily adapted to the Synopsys framework and extensions.

WalnutDSA applications for ARC-powered devices include secure boot and secure software update. With both WalnutDSA and Ironwood KAP, you can build mutual authentication between your ARC device and any devices connected to it, to confirm identity and support message encryption. Both solutions are delivered via a FREE SDK implemented in highly optimized ARC assembly language that works directly with Synopsys project tools. With our turn-key development kit, you can plug in and perform evaluations immediately.

ARC Processor Security Through Software and Hardware

SecureRF provides implementations for ARC processors at two levels, based on customer requirements: in software-only and as a combination of software and hardware. Developers who wish to use a software-only solution will receive our precompiled methods in object code that they can start running immediately as a MetaWare project. For demanding applications, you can choose our implementation with APEX acceleration that offloads some of the computation onto your hardware. This implementation is provided through MetaWare and ARChitect2 project files.

Whichever implementation you choose – with or without hardware acceleration – you will find that our solutions operate much faster and consume far fewer resources than ECC or RSA. In our benchmark tests, Ironwood KAP and WalnutDSA have operated at speeds up to 50 times faster than ECC. When accelerated with APEX extensions, our execution speeds quadruple, with a minimal investment in on-chip logic resources.

Interoperability between Synopsys devices and other platforms is rarely a hurdle as SecureRF’s methods run on a wide range of hardware platforms. Whether your application requires security for a processor, microcontroller or an ASIC, we will provide you with an SDK optimized for Synopsys tools.

Ready to put our security to the test? Contact us to speak with one of our experts on Synopsys ARC security and obtain our FREE SDK.

Get started today by requesting your free SDK here.