Infineon launches ORIGA SLE95050 authentication chip with ECC and integrated temperature sensing

Infineon Technologies AG has launched a chip that provides ECC (elliptic curve cryptography) asymmetric verification and an integrated temperature sensor. The new ORIGA SLE95050 series includes a version with an integrated temperature sensor, which can further improve the safety level of batteries used in electronic devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones and portable computers.

ORIGA SLE95050 uses ECC asymmetric authentication to encrypt and decrypt information with two different keys (public and private keys). The company said that ECC is considered to be a more advanced encryption/decryption algorithm compared to other asymmetric systems (such as RSA) and symmetric systems (such as AES and DES) that use the same encryption and decryption keys. The weakness of symmetric encryption is that once the key is obtained, the entire system will be compromised. Using ECC will greatly improve the security level because the private key is hidden in the ORIGA chip.

The advantage of ORIGA SLE95050 is that no additional security chip is required in the host device (such as a camera). With ORIGA, the implementation in the host device can be done through software without compromising security. The private key is protected by the ORIGA SLE95050 chip integrated into the accessory or battery. In contrast, with symmetric solutions, the host device must have an additional authentication chip to achieve a secure implementation.

ORIGA SLE95050 also complies with the latest battery safety specifications, such as the temperature monitoring of lithium batteries required by Japan. The chip has a built-in analog-to-digital converter, which can easily monitor the temperature on the chip or through an external sensor. This operation can be completed by sending bus commands through Infineon's exclusive single-wire interface. The single-wire interface of ORIGA SLE95050 can provide system integration and power supply functions through this single line. Another advantage of ORIGA is that it is equipped with up to 1kbit of non-volatile memory (NVM), including write protection and unique chip ID NVM, which can store data such as specific accessories, logic chains and the purpose of the accessories themselves, providing personalized uses.

ORIGA SLE95050 is also suitable for printer cartridges, replacement parts, disposable medical supplies, network equipment and other accessories such as headphones, speakers, docking stations and chargers. The operating temperature range of SLE 95050 is -25℃~85℃, and the operating voltage range is 2.0V~5.5V. ORIGA SLE95050 series currently includes two members, SLE95050F1 with temperature monitoring function, SLE95050F2 without this function. These two devices are available for sampling and are expected to start production at the end of 2008.