Obfuscation State Machine Cycle Transition for IC Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in ensuring the integrity and authenticity of integrated circuits (ICs) due to counterfeiting and overbuilding, where unauthorized or substandard components are introduced into the supply chain, eroding trust and posing significant risks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that employs an embedded active obfuscation technology, requiring authentication by the IP owner to transition a protected electronic device from a non-functional, obfuscated state to a functional state, using a specified number of cycles, thereby preventing unauthorized use and ensuring the device's integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If obfuscation technology is applied to protect electronic devices, then device security and authenticity are improved, but device functionality is worsened (device becomes non-functional until authenticated)
Solution Approach 1:
The device is placed in an obfuscated non-functional state before authentication, preventing unauthorized use. The authentication process activates the device by transitioning it from the obfuscated state to a functional state, ensuring security is established before functionality is provided.
Solution Approach 2:
The device dynamically transitions between two states: a non-functional obfuscated state for security and a functional state for operation. This dynamic state change allows the device to adapt its functionality based on authentication status, resolving the contradiction between security and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If authentication requirements are implemented, then supply chain trust is improved, but manufacturing complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication logic is extracted as a separate obfuscation unit that can be independently implemented and verified. This modular approach allows the authentication mechanism to be added without fundamentally redesigning the entire manufacturing process, reducing the impact on manufacturing complexity while maintaining supply chain trust.
3Measurement precision
If state traversal through obfuscation states is implemented, then device authenticity verification is improved, but time to activate functionality is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication process rapidly traverses through the obfuscated states to reach the functional state. By optimizing the state transition process to complete quickly, the system verifies authenticity with high precision while minimizing the time loss during activation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method to cause an obfuscated non-functional device to transition to a starting functional state using a specified number of cycles are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: an electronic system comprising: a protected electronic device; and an embedded obfuscation unit coupled with the protected electronic device, the embedded obfuscation unit including an obfuscation state machine, the embedded obfuscation unit further including control logic to: determine an initial obfuscation state and a starting functional reset state; determine a number of traversal cycles needed to traverse through states of the obfuscation state machine from the initial obfuscation state to the starting functional reset state; and initiate a state traversal operation to traverse through states of the obfuscation state machine from the initial obfuscation state to the starting functional reset state in the determined number of traversal cycles.