Microchip Unveils Microcontroller Models at CES 17-12
Arm Cortex M4-based Soteria G2 custom firmware

With the growth of 5th generation mobile communication and the increasing construction of data centers for cloud computing, Microchip Technology has unveiled a MUC product equipped with Soteria G2 custom firmware.

The encryption-supported MCU model CEC1712 microcontroller is designed to block malicious malware, such as rootkits or bootkits, for systems booting from external SPI flash memory.
Microchip's Soteria G2 custom firmware embedded in Arm Cortex M4-based MCUs provides secure booting based on hardware trusted root protection in pre-boot mode for operating systems booting from external SPI flash memory.

In addition, it supports key revocation and code rollback protection, provides field security updates during the product lifecycle, and supports damage prevention, detection, and recovery for full system platform firmware recovery in accordance with NIST 800-193 guidelines.

Secure boot based on a hardware root of trust plays a crucial role in protecting the system from threats before the operating system is loaded, and ensures that the system boots using only software trusted by the manufacturer..

Soteria G2 firmware accelerates secure boot by simplifying code development and reducing risk through integration with CEC1712, while using a ROM-based built-in secure bootloader as the system's trusted root.

The secure bootloader is responsible for loading firmware, decrypting, and authenticating to execute the CEC1712 from external SPI flash memory.

The verified CEC1712 code then authenticates the firmware stored in the SPI flash memory for the first application processor, and up to two application processors each support two flash components.

Pre-provisioning of specific customer data is an option offered by Microchip or Arrow Electronics, and pre-provisioning is a manufacturing solution for preventing overbuilding and counterfeiting.

Developers can leverage this to reduce development time while significantly simplifying provisioning logistics, allowing them to easily manage products without the overhead costs of third-party provisioning services or certification authorities.

This solution can also be used as a security support measure for operating systems for connected autonomous vehicles, as well as for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and systems booting from external SPI flash.