Actel Expands Security Solutions with Encryption Cores

Actel Corporation announced the availability of new Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Data Encryption Standard (DES) intellectual property (IP) cores optimized for Actel’s nonvolatile Axcelerator, ProASIC, ProASIC Plus, RTSX-S and SX-A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) architectures. Through Actel and its partners, Amphion Semiconductor, Inc. and Helion Technology, customers now have access to design services and a range of encryption cores certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that support AES, DES and triple DES (3DES) algorithms. With a wide variety of configurations, these flexible IP cores offer users high-performance data encryption for wireless and wire-line communications, including e-Commerce, secure enterprise networks and personal security devices.

“To safeguard against reverse engineering, cloning and overbuilding, Actel’s nonvolatile antifuse- and flash-based FPGA architectures offer exceptional levels of design security protection. Often, our customers are also interested in securing and authenticating their data streams,” stated Dr. Yankin Tanurhan, senior director, IP solutions at Actel. “The introduction of these new AES, DES and triple DES encryption cores further underscores Actel’s commitment to deliver secure solutions for a wide range of applications in the communications, consumer, military, aerospace, aircraft and industrial markets.”

“It’s quite conceivable that every mobile communicator, server and Internet-enabled appliance in the worldwide communications infrastructure will embed high-performance encryption technology in some form or other,” said Dr. J. G. Doherty, president and chief executive officer at Amphion. “Coupled with the inherent design security of Actel’s FPGAs, these AES, DES and triple DES solutions are ideal for applications that require maximum levels of data privacy.”

“We see a growing demand in the industry for high-performance encryption functions to secure data for e-Commerce transactions, secure enterprise networks and personal security devices,” said Graeme Durant, chief executive officer at Helion. “Our customers, such as Ember Corporation, have already benefited from the security advantages offered as a result of the implementation of our standard AES encryption core optimized for Actel’s nonvolatile devices.”

“After evaluating Actel’s flash-based FPGA architecture, it is clear that ProASIC offers the low power, security and nonvolatility that competitive solutions are unable to deliver,” said Jeffrey Grammer, president and chief executive officer at Ember Corporation. “With Actel’s ProASIC FPGA and Helion’s standard AES IP core, we are now able to offer our customers high-performance, secure solutions for their embedded wireless sensing and control applications.”