MCU Flash Controller Sub-Area Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current information protection methods for MCU chips only protect programs from being stolen by users and do not prevent cooperative companies from stealing the program from each other, as they cannot divide the user area into sub-areas for separate protection.
Innovation Solution
The MCU chip's flash controller divides the user area into multiple sub-areas, each with its own working state, allowing access control through an instruction bus and data bus, with specific access permissions and transition states to prevent unauthorized access, and uses reading protection levels and private peripherals to secure the program.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the user area is protected as a whole, then the program is protected from being stolen by users, but cooperative companies can still steal the program from each other
Solution Approach 1:
The flash memory's user area is divided into multiple sub-areas (first sub-area, second sub-area, etc.), each with independent access control. This segmentation allows different companies to be assigned to different sub-areas, enabling individual protection while maintaining overall system security. The flash controller manages these sub-areas separately, preventing one company from accessing another company's program code.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the user area is divided into sub-areas, then multi-company program protection is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flash controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it manages the division of user area into sub-areas, controls access permissions for different companies, monitors transition states between sub-areas, and enforces waiting time protocols. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single controller, the patent avoids the need for multiple separate control devices, thereby reducing overall system complexity while achieving multi-company protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions between different working states (first working state, second working state, transition state) based on the current access requirements. The flash controller adjusts access permissions in real-time, allowing a company to access its assigned sub-area during its working state while preventing access during transition states. This dynamic behavior enables flexible multi-company collaboration without requiring complex static access control structures.
3Reliability
If access control is implemented between sub-areas, then cooperative companies cannot steal programs, but the access operation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flash controller pre-establishes access control rules and working states for each sub-area before actual program execution begins. Each company's access permissions, working states, and transition protocols are configured in advance. When a company needs to access its sub-area, the controller automatically applies the pre-defined access rules, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making during operation and simplifying the actual access process.
Solution Approach 2:
The flash controller continuously monitors the working states of different sub-areas and adjusts access permissions accordingly. When detecting a transition state between sub-areas, the controller enforces waiting time protocols and updates access control decisions based on the current state feedback. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automates the access control process, reducing manual intervention complexity while maintaining secure inter-company protection.
Data Source
AI summary
An information protection method and device based on a plurality of sub-areas for an MCU chip, the MCU chip comprises an instruction bus, a data bus, a flash controller and a user area of a flash memory, the method comprises: determining a preceding sub-area when the instruction bus accesses the user area; entering corresponding preceding sub-area working state; determining the current sub-area when the instruction bus accesses the user area; when the preceding sub-area is inconsistent with the current sub-area, entering the transition state; determining whether the duration of the transition state reaches the preset waiting time; if yes, entering the corresponding current sub-area working state. The information protection method and device prevent the cooperative companies which develop the program together from stealing program from each other.