NXP Semiconductors has set out to strengthen the security of smart connected vehicles by announcing its first automotive security microcontroller.

NXP Semiconductors announced its first automotive security microcontroller, the NCJ37x Secure Element (SE), on the 31st.

The NCJ37x is equipped with advanced cryptographic accelerators and built-in electric attack resistance for various automotive applications where security is critical, such as smart access key fobs, Qi 1.3 authentication, and C2C (Car-to-Cloud) communication.

This device supports the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) protocol and the passive NFC ISO 14443-4 interface, and combines ultra-wideband (UWB), low-power Bluetooth (BLE), and passive near-field communication (NFC) technologies with a highly secure design to meet the demand for next-generation smart fobs.

Automotive manufacturers are rapidly adopting smartphone access systems and developing smart fobs with high levels of security and wireless interfaces commonly used in the smartphone industry.

This enables new use cases, such as storing multiple digital keys for vehicles in a smart forb and adding other payment methods like bank cards.

In addition, to meet these requirements, OEMs need open multi-layer with higher security and flexibility to shorten time-to-market. I am looking for a solution platform.

The new NXP NCJ37x Secure Element works with NXP's NCJ38x automotive Secure Element and the corresponding security applet.

Passive ISO 14443-4 NFC, SPI, and I²C interfaces support robust protection against modern attack scenarios and an extended feature set for a wide range of in-vehicle security applications, facilitating entry into markets requiring secure processing of sensitive data.

Rainer Lutz, Head of Digital Key & NFC at NXP Semiconductors, said, “The NCJ37x supports the digitalization trend of next-generation access systems with industry-leading security. The dedicated smart fob applet, compatible with the CCC digital key protocol, is a smart choice for next-generation smart fob designs. With NXP’s NCJ37x, we have taken another step closer to enhancing security for smart vehicles.”