'Authorized Flashing' security feature added to programmers

Dirk Akemann, Marketing Manager, SEGGER, comments: “SEGGER has responded to increased demand by industrial customers for such a feature, which will help to keep control of the programming process in outsourced production lines. In addition it mitigates the damage, if service production devices get lost, by limiting the potential abuse.”

Using the 'Authorized Flashing' feature, a maximum number of programming cycles can be set, thereby limiting the number of devices that the firmware can be transferred to. Companies which have contracted out production can use this to protect themselves against the third party producing more than the targeted number of devices and selling them on their own account (a common problem in third-party production). With 'Authorized Flashing', the production facility cannot change the configuration.

Once the pre-defined number is exhausted, the Flasher must be re-programmed to start a new programming cycle. This has to be carried out by the owner of the IP directly on the device. As the new capability hides the firmware on the Flasher, there is also protection against manipulation.

The 'Authorized Flashing' feature has been added to most Flasher models: Flasher ARM, Flasher RX, Flasher PPC, Flasher PRO and Flasher Portable. Developers who already use these latest-gen Flashers will receive a firmware update adding the new feature.