AMCC embeds security features in network processor SoC

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation has announced a new embedded processor with network security features, the APM86791 PacketPro™ Gen2, which the company is  targeting for network transport, enterprise and consumer markets.


The APM86791 integrates AppliedMicro’s SLIMpro™ TMM (Trusted Management Module), which provides features for multi-layered encryption and authentication that manufacturers and network administrators can use to make systems impervious to attacks on security keys, proprietary software code and hardware. The TMM resides in a secure on-chip cryptographic boundary region, that AMCC designed to replace multi-chip solutions which are more vulnerable to attack. According to AMCC, the TMM allows users to keep keys, passwords and digital certifications invisible to hackers.

The APM86791 incorporates dedicated secure boot ROM, EFUSE array, encryption engine, RTC (real time clock), Public Key Accelerator and (TRNG) True Random Number Generator to enable the TMM features. AMCC says that these featurea are necessary to support digital rights management through storage security and virtual private network (VPN) applications as cloud computing becomes more widespread.

"With network connectivity becoming even more pervasive, mainstream, embedded systems are faced with security threats ranging from intellectual property theft and network intrusions to system hacking," said Majid Bemanian, senior director of marketing for embedded at AppliedMicro. He will present details of the SoC design in a presentation titled "Protecting OEMs' Software Investment", at the Linley Tech Carrier Conference in San Jose, CA on Wednesday, June-8.

The "Keelback" APM86791 integrates:

• A single-core, 1.0-GHz PowerPC® 465 processor with floating point unit
• 32KB L1 I-cache, 32KB D-cache and 256 KB L2 cache with hardware I/O coherency
• DDR3 memory controller with optional ECC. 
• Intelligent power management, asymmetric multiprocessing, queue and traffic management, and offload acceleration features. 
• Four 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports.
• Two PCI-Express® Gen1/2 ports.
• Two USB 2.0 hosts with integrated PHY/Serdes.
• One SATA 2.0 port

The TMM features:

• Secure Boot to decrypt and authenticate software during reboot.
• Secure Communication to enable connectivity with a remote host using secure communications.
• Secure Software Updates to decrypt and authenticate new software images.
• Secure Software Checks to detect violations and breaches with periodic exams.

AMCC plans to have samples of the APM86791 available in the third quarter of this year.