Americas
Board ID
- Overview
- Further Information
Board ID Chip FAQs
Introduction
In business, security means more than preventing the misuse or theft of real or intellectual property. The presence of adequate security currently underlies a diverse array of familiar and important businesses, products and services. Moreover, new technology with robust security features can facilitate the implementation and widespread adoption of new business strategies and innovations that are based on advances in electronic technology such as computers, wireless networks, and portable devices.
As the need for secure access and/or identification technologies is expanding beyond the realm of traditional consumer segments and opening to industrial and enterprise sectors, Renesas sees that the Board ID based M2M authentication solution is an ideal way to capitalize on these opportunities.
This document will assist your company to address common questions and also to acquire a base knowledge to identify various applications requiring security that may have been unnoticed before in your product portfolio.
CONTENTS
Board ID Chip FAQs
1. Marketing/Sales Questions
1.1 What is the N Series chip from Renesas?
1.2 What is Board ID?
1.3 What Use Cases does the Board ID address?
1.4 Why would my company be interested in the Board ID product?
1.5 Do I need to sign a NDA and is there a NDA available?
1.6 How do I know if my company needs the Board ID product?
1.7 Do I need to be concerned about export compliance?
1.8 Are there any use considerations related to exporting Board ID products specifically for their use in anti-cloning, usage control, secure tracking and IP protection applications?
1.9 What do I need to do be sure that I'm complaint with the Export Administration Regulations?
2. Getting Started: Hardware
2.1 How do I Get Started?
2.2 What is the Board ID Demonstration Kit composed of?
2.3 Are there Board ID samples available?
2.4 What communications interfaces are available?
3. Software Product Support Questions
3.1 Does the Board ID product come with any firmware?
3.2 What is the size of the BOS firmware?
3.3 How is your company’s application loaded onto the Board ID device?
3.4 What crypto libraries are supported?
3.5 Key management (key / cert generation) and device programming
4. Glossary
More info needed?
Please consult with your sales representative and/or Renesas Technology America marketing group.
| 1. Marketing/Sales Questions | ||||||
1.1 What is the N Series chip from Renesas? The N Series chip from Renesas is designed to provide a smart card level of security (i.e. hardware protection / tamper resistance), but is targeted for embedded devices versus a smart card which is targeted typically for people and their personal devices. It is less expensive than an AE series (smart card) chip as it has less memory, and does not provide a Javacard/GP environment. However, it has some additional features which include:
(*) not supported in the Board ID solution with the ‘generic’ security application. See section 2.4 | ||||||
| 1.2 What is Board ID? Board ID is a comprehensive machine-to-machine authentication solution built with the N Series chip from Renesas. At the heart of the Board ID solution is the secure authentication chip (N Series) that is based on a powerful, tamperproof architecture derived from Renesas’ proven smart card IC technology. The Board ID chip was designed to initially replace EEPROM technology, which is a traditional, unsecured method for providing devices with identity. However, it can also be used in non-EEPROM related applications, as its price/performance is ideal for integrating security into embedded and other small devices or components. The Board ID comes with the Renesas BOS Operating System, which includes communications and cryptographic APIs. | ||||||
| 1.3 What Use Cases does the Board ID address? The Board ID is promoted as a replacement for traditional EEPROM as well as a device which can be used to provide additional security features for embedded devices. The Board ID is an attractive solution for customers who need to securely track device id’s (e.g. for warranties), counterfeit protection, controlling and restricting the usage of a device, secure remote access, and licensing. As a consequence, it can potentially address a large number of segments: Consumer Electronics (A/V), Telecom, PC, Gaming, Embedded systems, Server / Storage, Enterprise, Medical Devices, Networking devices, VoIP, Set-Top Boxes, PABX, POS, Metering. | ||||||
| 1.4 Why would my company be interested in the Board ID product? The Board ID allows customers to reduce losses due to counterfeiting and illegal usage which violates the license agreement. This also enables new business models -- for example a company can maintain competitive prices by shifting profit margins to the accessories (i.e., the Board ID protects a critical revenue stream). It can restrict a product to a well defined market by ensuring that products/features designed for and priced for one market, can only be used in that market. It can also enable secure remote access to a device in the field by providing a secure identity to that device, enable a secure channel, and provide a facility to store sensitive keys and data in the field. | ||||||
| 1.5 Do I need to sign a NDA and is there a NDA available? Yes. The Board ID chip is part of the security IC family. As it has encryption capability, your company must sign a special NDA designed for Security IC products. You may also have to sign a set of documents required by the US laws stating the intended use of the technology. | ||||||
| 1.6 How do I know if my company needs the Board ID product? Companies choose to deploy security for a variety of reasons. These typically include compliance, marketing benefits, liability protection, revenue protection, safety/failure is not an option, etc. Your company may not always grasp on their business requirements nor the implications of security across its solution/business. Ultimately, security choices are about provided an adequate level of protection at the lowest feasible total lifetime cost. It is not easy to make an ROI (Return on Investment) calculation as the cost of failure cannot always be easy to estimate and/or is not always obvious. The need for security is similar to the need for choosing the appropriate level of insurance. It is a strategic level decision and is driven by Management’s understanding of the risk they are willing or able to take, and involves understanding a variety of complex factors. | ||||||
| 1.7 Do I need to be concerned about export compliance? Yes, all Renesas products are controlled by the Export Administration Regulations. These regulations are in place for commodities, software and technology. Because Board ID devices contain encryption, and as they are designed for use in anti-cloning, usage control, secure tracking and IP protection applications, it's important to be aware that there are export requirements that must be considered. Please consult with your company's export control. | ||||||
| 1.8 Are there any use considerations related to exporting Board ID products specifically for their use in anti-cloning, usage control, secure tracking and IP protection applications? Yes, Renesas Board ID technology targets only those applications specific to civilian end-uses in the medical, telecom, industrial sectors. Military applications are not supported by Renesas. | ||||||
| 1.9 What do I need to do be sure that I'm compliant with the Export Administration Regulations? Be sure to work with your company's export compliance group or department. The determination of export requirements are based on a number of factors including classification, end-user, end-use and end-destination country. Your compliance department should help you stay in line with your company's guidance as well as with the Export Administration Regulations. | ||||||
| 2. Getting Started: Hardware | ||||||
2.1 How do I Get Started? Once your company has decided that the Board ID chip is a candidate for its solution, you need to either build a prototype or start learning how to use the Board ID chip. A Board ID Demonstration Kit can be purchased to help your company learn how to use the Board ID chip and how to integrate into its application. Your company may also choose to augment this with professional services from a Renesas partner. This would include the security design of its solution and the relevant business processes, as well as assistance with the implementation. | ||||||
| 2.2 What is the Board ID Demonstration Kit composed of? The Board ID Demonstration Kit contains the following elements: Demo Board
BSS Manager Software
The Board ID Demonstration Kit enables you to evaluate the state-of-the-art Machine-to-Machine authentication capability of the Board ID device. The pre-loaded Authentication Applet on the Board ID device handles all the complicated authentication steps so that there is no need to develop software for the Board ID device. The demonstration kit takes advantage of the applet and provides simple, yet powerful, authentication capabilities. Kit Benefits (summary)
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Part number: YBIDKITSV2
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| 2.3 Are there Board ID chip samples available? Yes. Please consult with RTA marketing and/or your sales representative. | ||||||
| 2.4 What communications interfaces are available? The hardware of the Board ID chip supports I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO. Renesas has a messaging API/layer available for I2C, however the Board ID solution (v 1.0) offers only I2C. 4 GPIO lines are available and can be software programmed. However, they are shared with the I2C, SPI, UART lines (i.e. GPIO is limited if the communications protocols are used). | ||||||
| 3. Software Product Support Questions | ||||||
3.1 Does the Board ID product come with any firmware? The Board ID product comes with the BOS operating system and crypto libraries. It also comes with reference software for running the demos. These demos give examples for using the crypto services and the secure key/data storage capabilities of the chip. These demos include a messaging layer that will be integrated into the operating system in a subsequent release. The BOS operating system firmware is located in the ROM of the N Series. It is composed of a secure downloader for loading the firmware into EEPROM, a crypto library offering crypto services (encryption, decryption, key generation, signature, signature validation), and drivers for the communications services. It also includes services for math functions, accessing memory and providing dispatch functions for incoming messages. The operating system features are available to the application layer via an API.  | ||||||
| 3.2 What is the size of the BOS firmware? The BOS firmware from Renesas takes up approximately 90KB of the ROM of the N Series. The generic Board ID solution (v 1.0) is pre-equipped with a security application in EEPROM (see next section). | ||||||
| 3.3 How is your company’s application loaded onto the Board ID device? The generic Board ID solution (v 1.0) is pre-equipped with a security application in EEPROM offering the following security services (use cases):
Note: If your company requires a custom defined security application, please consult with us. Such a custom development may be suitable for large volume market and Renesas will be able to provide a complete set of tool, and support assistance to help your engineers develop your own security application. | ||||||
| 3.4 What crypto libraries are supported? The crypto libraries provided in the device are limited as compared with the AE series, but provided a set which are compatible with most common applications. The Board ID solution supports the following asymmetric algorithm: Cryptographic functions
Note: If your company requires a custom defined security application and new cryptographic functions, please consult with us. Such a custom development may be suitable for large volume market and Renesas will be able to provide a complete set of tool, and support assistance to help you develop your own security application. | ||||||
| 3.5 Key management (key/cert generation) and device programming Our partner, Avnet Logistics, provides a full range of serialization and security service offerings requiring high levels of security protocols to assure customer information is not compromised. These include MAC addresses, RFID tags, HDCP keys and license keys. Avnet assures no duplication of data, full traceability, secured storage of data, and full reporting to each customer. In addition to key management and programming, Avnet can also support key generation if required. For more details, please see the Service Partner page. | ||||||
| 4. Glossary Authentication The process for establishing unambiguously the identity of an entity, organization or person. Authorization The right granted to a user to access an object, resource or function. Authorize To permit or give authority to a user to communicate with or make use of an object, resource or function. Firmware The software module permanently stored in hardware (e.g., in ROM, PROM, or EPROM) consisting of the OS, drivers, communication layer, crypto functions and in some particular cases, the messaging layer. Programs and data stored in EEPROM are considered as software. Tamper-evident A characteristic that provides evidence that an attack has been attempted. Tamper-resistant A characteristic that provides passive physical protection against an attack. Tamper-responsive A characteristic that provides an active response to the detection of an attack, thereby preventing a success. Tampering The penetration or modification of internal operations and/or insertion of active or passive tapping mechanisms to acquire sensitive data from protected area within a device. | ||||||
Cautions Keep safety first in your circuit designs!
Notes regarding these materials
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