Barco Silex and Imagination collaborate on SoC security

Imagination’s Trusted Element IP to integrate Barco Silex’ eSecure solution for MIPS platforms

London, UK and Louvain‐la‐Neuve, Belgium ‐‐ March 14^th, 2017 ‐‐ Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) and Barco Silex today announced a collaboration through which they are developing IP for secure system-on-chip (SoC) platforms based on Imagination’s MIPS family of processors. Imagination will integrate Barco Silex’ eSecure solution for embedded security into a new Trusted Element (TE) IP product. Imagination’s licensable TE will enhance security for customers’ connected devices.

The eSecure solution is an acclaimed IP module that turns ASIC and SoC designs into fully-secured hardware platforms. Under the agreement, Barco Silex will provide an embedded security solution based on eSecure which will embed a MIPS microAptiv CPU as an ultra-low power controller. Imagination will then provide customers with a range of robust security options designed around eSecure for their MIPS-based SoCs for systems as diverse as data centre equipment to low-power IoT wireless sensor nodes. Imagination’s TE will provide secure boot, root of trust, authentication for systems that operate in a trusted execution environment, and more. In a system that uses Imagination’s OmniShield-ready MIPS CPUs for multi-domain security, this combination will provide high levels of system security performance and capabilities for connected devices not available in other solutions.

“In an increasingly connected world, having security embedded in hardware is a must,” says Jim Nicholas, EVP, MIPS business unit at Imagination. “Imagination has been at the forefront of driving multi-domain hardware security with our OmniShield technology. Now with Barco Silex’ eSecure, we have selected a state-of-the-art solution to add a new level of hardware security to our 32/64-bit MIPS processor-based subsystems. Today, our MIPS CPUs already power billions of products. By integrating this exceptional security platform, we are further strengthening that position.”

Barco Silex’ eSecure module functions as hardware root-of-trust, guaranteeing the authenticity and integrity of the application’s hardware, software, data, and communication. It offloads all security operations to hardware and scales according to the needs of the application. eSecure takes care of the secure storage and management of keys, and its cryptographic engine supports the latest algorithms for TLS/DTLS 1.3, Thread Networking, Apple HomeKit, Bluetooth, ZigBee and more.

“We are very pleased be part of this ambitious collaboration. It squarely fits with our ambition to help create secure and intuitive IoT devices, networking platforms from device to cloud and enterprise systems,” comments Thierry Watteyne, CEO of Barco Silex. “This agreement recognises the quality of our security solutions and the reach of our expertise. In addition it will help our developers to further push our embedded security platforms beyond the state-of-the-art, especially in terms of optimising the low-power/high-security ratio in chip architectures.”

Imagination’s range of Trusted Element IP will be available for licensing in mid-2017. To learn more, email info@imgtec.com.

Barco Silex and Imagination at Embedded World

Visit Imagination and Barco Silex at Embedded World at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre:

• Barco Silex: Hall 4 / 4-518
• Imagination: Hall 4 / 4-629

To access Imagination’s press kit for Embedded World 2017, please visit: https://imgtec.com/press-kit.

About Barco Silex

Barco Silex (Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium) is a world leader in security IP cores and platforms, encryption and video processing, as well as in electronic design services (ASIC, FPGA, DSP, Board). Thanks to its continued stream of innovations, Barco Silex provides state-of-the-art security solutions, with security platforms and encryption cores that deliver unrivalled speed and performance in a very compact footprint. Barco Silex is a subsidiary of Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR), the global leader in networked visualisation products for the entertainment, enterprise and healthcare markets. For more information about Barco Silex, see www.barco-silex.com

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination is a global technology leader whose products touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. The company’s broad range of silicon IP (intellectual property) includes the key processing blocks needed to create the SoCs (Systems on Chips) that power all mobile, consumer and embedded electronics. Its unique multimedia, processor and connectivity technologies enable its customers get to market quickly with complete and highly differentiated SoC platforms. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, network operators and OEMs/ODMs who are creating some of the world’s most iconic products. See: www.imgtec.com.