RAM XOR Engine for In-Memory Cryptographic Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory systems lack efficient mechanisms for accelerating encryption and decryption operations, particularly in processors, which are crucial for secure data handling.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an XOR engine within random access memory (RAM) to perform encryption/decryption operations directly on data stored in RAM, leveraging the XOR engine's capabilities to enhance processing speed and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If encryption/decryption operations are performed using traditional processor methods, then data security is maintained, but processing speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the XOR engine with the memory system by integrating it into the memory controller or memory device, allowing encryption/decryption operations to be performed directly within the memory subsystem. This merging eliminates the need for separate processor operations, thereby improving processing speed while maintaining acceptable system complexity through unified architecture design.
Solution Approach 2:
The XOR engine acts as an intermediary component between the memory device and the processor. It handles encryption/decryption operations as an intermediate step during data access, allowing the processor to focus on other tasks while security operations are performed in parallel by the dedicated XOR engine within the memory subsystem.
2Loss of time
If encryption operations are performed externally to memory, then data security is ensured, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the XOR engine into the memory system architecture, encryption and decryption operations are performed inline with memory access operations. This eliminates separate encryption/decryption steps, reducing time loss while maintaining operational simplicity through unified memory access protocols that automatically invoke cryptographic operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The XOR engine is pre-configured within the memory system with encryption keys and algorithms, allowing encryption/decryption to be performed as preliminary actions during data write/read operations. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for separate post-processing encryption steps, reducing overall time loss without complicating user operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatus of Exclusive OR (XOR) engine in a random access memory device to accelerate cryptographical operations in processors. For example, an integrated circuit memory device enclosed within a single integrated circuit package can include an XOR engine that is coupled with memory units in the random access memory device (e.g., having dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM)). A processor (e.g., System-on-Chip (SoC) or Central Processing Unit (CPU)) can have encryption logic that performs cryptographical operations using XOR operations that are performed by the XOR engine in the random access memory device using the data in the random access memory device.