MACsec
Xiphera’s cryptographic Security Protocol portfolio secures point-to-point communication as well as server-client connections over the Internet.
About the product
MACsec is a point-to-point protocol in the second layer of the OSI model. Xiphera’s comprehensive MACsec solution portfolio protects both the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted data on a point-to-point communications link. The confidentiality and authenticity of transmitted data is protected by AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) in GSM (Galois Counter Mode) with either 128- or 256-bits long keys. The underlying crypto engines in the MACsec solutions are based on Xiphera’s own AES-GCM IP (Intellectual Property) cores. With the introduction of our extreme-speed AES-GCM core, Xiphera also offers extreme-speed 100G MACsec IP core.
MACsec relevance in the modern world extends far beyond its initial purpose of safeguarding wired local area network communications. Today, it plays a crucial role in various applications, such as ensuring the security of vital control messages within communication networks and as a safeguard for the confidentiality of sensitive measurement data in industrial automation settings. Additionally, MACsec offers security enhancements for secure point-to-point video connections.
We offer our MACsec IP cores in a collaboration solution with our technology partners. Read more about our partners, and learn how we collaborate with our technology partner BittWare on our MACsec and IPsec cores.
Xiphera’s MACsec solutions are available in balanced (B), high-speed (H), and extreme-speed (E) versions, and their Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) logic resource usage ranges from 16000 LUTs (lookup tables) to 55000 LUTs:
- MACsec AES256-GCM IP core, balanced variant (XIP1213B)
- MACsec AES256-GCM IP core, high-speed variant (XIP1213H)
- 100G MACsec AES256-GCM IP core, extreme-speed variant (XIP1213E)
Key features
- Moderate resource requirements: Xiphera’s MACsec offerings do not require any multipliers or DSPBlocks in a typical FPGA implementation.
- Performance: MACsec offerings achieve a throughput in the tens of Gbps range. The extreme-speed 100G MACsec IP core pushes performance beyond hundreds of Gbps for a single stream of data.
- Standard Compliance: MACsec offerings are fully compliant with the MACsec protocol as standardised in IEEE Std 802.1AE-2018. The cipher suite is fully compliant with the Advanced Encryption Algorithm (AES) standard, as well as with the Galois Counter Mode (GCM) standard.
- Test Vector Compliance: Xiphera’s MACsec offerings pass the relevant test vectors specified in Annex C of IEEE Std 802.1AE-2018.
For more details, including FPGA resources & peak performance as well as ordering instructions, open the full product briefs in PDF. Contact us here, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Partner collaborations
We are proud partners with leading global as well as innovative growing FPGA companies. We offer a selection of our cryptographic IP cores for our technology partners. Visit our partner pages to learn more about our MACsec offering on our partner portfolios.