An Embedded Sensor Node Microcontroller with Crypto-Processors
Open Access
- 27 April 2016
- Vol. 16 (5), 607
- https://doi.org/10.3390/s16050607
Abstract
Wireless sensor network applications range from industrial automation and control, agricultural and environmental protection, to surveillance and medicine. In most applications, data are highly sensitive and must be protected from any type of attack and abuse. Security challenges in wireless sensor networks are mainly defined by the power and computing resources of sensor devices, memory size, quality of radio channels and susceptibility to physical capture. In this article, an embedded sensor node microcontroller designed to support sensor network applications with severe security demands is presented. It features a low power 16-bitprocessor core supported by a number of hardware accelerators designed to perform complex operations required by advanced crypto algorithms. The microcontroller integrates an embedded Flash and an 8-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converter making it a good solution for low-power sensor nodes. The article discusses the most important security topics in wireless sensor networks and presents the architecture of the proposed hardware solution. Furthermore, it gives details on the chip implementation, verification and hardware evaluation. Finally, the chip power dissipation and performance figures are estimated and analyzed.Keywords
This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
- A random key establishment scheme for multi-phase deployment in large-scale distributed sensor networksInternational Journal of Information Security, 2012
- Security and Privacy Issues in Wireless Sensor Networks for Healthcare ApplicationsJournal of Medical Systems, 2010
- Public key cryptography empowered smart dust is affordableInternational Journal of Sensor Networks, 2008
- LEAP+ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks, 2006
- Jamming sensor networks: attack and defense strategiesIEEE Network, 2006
- A pairwise key predistribution scheme for wireless sensor networksACM Transactions on Information and System Security, 2005
- Secure routing in wireless sensor networks: attacks and countermeasuresAd Hoc Networks, 2003
- Denial of service in sensor networksComputer, 2002
- A method for obtaining digital signatures and public-key cryptosystemsCommunications of the ACM, 1978
- New directions in cryptographyIEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 1976