Microchip Launches Industry’s First MCU with Powerful Integrated Security Subsystem and Arm® TrustZone® Technology

Microchip Launches Industry’s First MCU with Powerful Integrated Security Subsystem and Arm® TrustZone® Technology

New Arm Cortex®-M23-based MCUs feature secure key provisioning solution

The increasing sophistication of security threats is challenging product development for the Internet of Things (IoT), consumer, industrial, medical and other markets. These products must have strong embedded security while also requiring low power consumption to extend battery life. Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced the industry’s first PIC32CM LS60 microcontroller (MCU) to integrate a security subsystem and Arm® TrustZone® technology in a single package. The new MCU integrates Microchip’s Trust Platform security subsystem, making it easier to develop end products using a single MCU instead of two or more chips. Designers can now use this trusted 32-bit MCU to protect products and end users’ smart home devices, smartphone or tablet accessories, portable medical devices, wearable devices, connected appliances and industrial robots from remote or physical attacks.

As the IoT industry continues to grow rapidly, high standards of security protection have become indispensable for edge devices. The PIC32CM LS60 combines easy-to-use Arm TrustZone technology with a "high" level trusted platform security subsystem identified in the Common Criteria Joint Interpretation Library (JIL), enabling developers to implement industry-recognized security practices and countermeasures to prevent all types of known remote and physical attacks. The design is supported by tools such as MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC) TrustZone Manager and Trusted Platform Design Suite, which simplifies the configuration of the security subsystem. Microchip Trusted Platform Configuration Service can be used to securely configure keys and certificates.

“The PIC32CM LS60 is the first product on the market that combines Arm TrustZone technology and Microchip’s security subsystem in a single package,” said Rod Drake, vice president of Microchip’s 32-bit MCU business unit. “We believe its security, ease of use and low power consumption will drive the adoption of advanced security technologies in IoT applications.”

As waterproof wearable devices and modern appliances increasingly adopt touchscreen functionality, embedded designers are faced with the challenge of developing touchscreen interfaces that can operate robustly in noisy and humid environments. The PIC32CM LS60 integrates an enhanced peripheral touchscreen controller with Driven Shield Plus to prevent false touches caused by moisture and provides high noise immunity for superior touchscreen interface functionality.

In addition, the device has SleepWalking peripherals and event systems that are independent of the core. These peripherals can keep the microcontroller core in sleep mode for a long time to reduce power consumption. It is also equipped with on-chip analog, including operational amplifiers (o op amps), digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), which can run in sleep mode and connect to various sensors. The PIC32CM LS60 is compatible with MPLAB Data Visualizer and Power Debugger tools, which can be used to monitor, analyze and fine-tune power consumption data in real time. This makes it easier for customers to develop low-power applications and bring products with longer battery life to market faster.

Development Tools

Microchip supports the PIC32CM LS60 and other models with the following development tools and services: Trusted Platform Configuration Service, Trusted Platform Design Suite (TPDS), MPLAB Harmony v3 Platform with MPLAB Code Configurator for Arm TrustZone, Touch Library, Touch Configurator, MPLAB Data Visualizer, Power Debugger, as well as the PIC32CM LE00 Curiosity Pro Evaluation Kit, PIC32CM LS00 Curiosity Pro Evaluation Kit, PIC32CM LS60 Curiosity Pro Evaluation Kit, PIC32CM LE00 Ultra-Low Power Waterproof Touchscreen Reference Design, MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and its ecosystem of debuggers, programmers and compilers.

Availability

In addition to the PIC32CM5164LS60 security model, the PIC32CM LE00 general purpose model and the PIC32CM LS00 Arm TrustZone technology model (without security subsystem) are also available. The PIC32CM5164LS60, PIC32CM5164LS00 and PIC32CM5164LE00 are available now in 100-pin TQFP packages, with a minimum order of 10,000 pieces and a unit price of $5.48, $4.33 and $4.18, respectively.

resource

High-resolution images available via Flickr or by contacting the editor (free to publish)