Digital Security Chip Detection Circuit Area Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing security chips have a high risk of being identified and attacked due to the large area of analog circuits used for monitoring operating conditions, which compromises the security and reliability of the chip.

Innovation Solution

A digital circuit is designed to detect the security chip's operating state, utilizing a first register unit, a triggering unit, a delay unit, and a routing unit to generate and select delayed signals, performing logical operations to determine if an alarm signal should be output, thereby reducing the circuit's size and making it harder to identify within the chip layout.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If analog circuits are used for monitoring operating conditions, then the monitoring function can be implemented, but the circuit area increases and security risk rises

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring functionVSAvoidcircuit area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces analog circuits with digital circuits for monitoring operating conditions. The digital circuit uses register units, triggering units, delay units, and routing units to detect voltage, temperature, light, and clock information. This substitution reduces circuit area while maintaining monitoring functionality and improving security by making the circuit harder to identify in the layout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If analog circuits are used for monitoring operating conditions, then the monitoring function can be implemented, but the security risk increases due to easier identification in layout

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring functionVSAvoidattack risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces analog circuits with digital circuits for monitoring operating conditions. The digital circuit uses register units, triggering units, delay units, and routing units to detect voltage, temperature, light, and clock information. This substitution reduces circuit area while maintaining monitoring functionality and improving security by making the circuit harder to identify in the layout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Area of stationary object

If digital circuit is used instead of analog circuit, then the circuit size is reduced and security is improved, but the detection capability must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircuit sizeVSAvoiddetection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces analog circuits with digital circuits for monitoring operating conditions. The digital circuit uses register units, triggering units, delay units, and routing units to detect voltage, temperature, light, and clock information. This substitution reduces circuit area while maintaining monitoring functionality and improving security by making the circuit harder to identify in the layout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operating parameters and signal processing methods from analog to digital domain. The delay unit introduces controlled time delays to create multiple delayed signals, and the routing unit selects appropriate signals based on detection needs. This parameter transformation enables the digital circuit to maintain detection capability while reducing area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10489595B2Method and detection circuit for detecting security chip operating state

Publication Date: 2019.11.26 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

The present invention provide a method and a detection circuit for detecting a security chip operating slate. The detection circuit includes: a first register unit, a triggering unit, a delay unit, a routing unit, and a second register unit, where the second register unit is connected to the triggering unit. A first signal is delayed in the delay unit, to obtain a second signal, a third signal is obtained according to the second signal, and logical operation is performed on the first signal and the third signal, to output a level signal to trigger an alarm unit. Because each unit may be implemented by using a digital circuit, a size of the circuit can be reduced.