TLS record processing accelerated for IoT communication

23rd February 2016

Synopsys Inc

Jordan Mulcare

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Synopsys has announced a collaboration with Cypherbridge Systems to optimise Cypherbridge's uSS software development kit (SDK) for the Synopsys DesignWare SSL/TLS/DTLS Security Protocol Accelerator (SPAcc). The joint solution enables the offload of cryptographic functions to dedicated hardware, giving system architects the ability to reallocate the CPU to other functions or use a smaller CPU.

The combined SDK and DesignWare SPAcc accelerate the development of device software drivers for the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, which is used as the encryption layer in web browser, IoT, payment terminal and industrial control applications.

The DesignWare SPAcc speeds the record processing of commonly used security protocols including Secure Socket Layer (SSL), TLS and datagram transport layer security (DTLS) via a highly configurable architecture that provides the exact functionality and performance level required for a specific application. The SPAcc can also accelerate lower-level cipher, hash/MAC and public key operations, as well as several high-level functions used during the handshake protocol performed by SSL, TLS, or DTLS protocols.

SDKs that rely on a system heap can result in memory fragmentation, negatively impacting system performance. The Cypherbridge uSSL SDK is an ANSI C thread-free library with an integrated memory manager for a zero-heap solution. It is available with out-of-the-box support for the most widely used embedded operating systems, TCP stacks and target development kits. The SDK and SPAcc solution offloads TLS record processing to the SPAcc for optimised performance and design efficiency, reducing CPU load and improving power balancing.

"Designers are finding that a significant percentage of their development time is spent optimising their software stack for the SoC hardware," said Steve DeLaney, Founder, Cypherbridge Systems. "By leveraging our uSSL SDK with Synopsys' DesignWare Security Protocol Accelerator, designers can accelerate their software development and ultimately get their products to market faster."

"Connected devices ranging from routers to baby monitors increasingly require stringent security technology to prevent malicious attacks and data breaches," said John Koeter, Vice President of marketing for IP and prototyping, Synopsys. "Our collaboration with Cypherbridge helps designers, who may not have deep security protocol knowledge, to implement the TLS protocol quickly and efficiently."