IC Provides Battery Authentication

Nov 22, 2006 11:01 AM

Intersil’s ISL9206 is fixed-secret hash engine based on Intersil’s second generation FlexiHash+ technology. The device provides a fast and flexible authentication process, and multi-pass authentication can be used to provide the highest possible security level.

Authentication is achieved through a challenge-response scheme that does not require a fixed challenge and therefore eliminates situations where eavesdropping on the communication bus could reveal the secrets. The unique secret is never communicated between the host and the device being authenticated.

The device is ideal for use in systems such as mobile phones, printer cartridges, power tools, and medical devices that require active authentication to protect consumers against fraud and to protect intellectual property. Mobile phones utilizing Lithium-based batteries are particularly vulnerable to counterfeit batteries, and the ISL9206 will help to identify counterfeit batteries so the system can take appropriate action.

Key features include challenge-response based authentication scheme using 32-bit challenge code and 8-bit authentication code; a 16 x 8 OTP ROM that stores up to three sets of 32-bit host-selectable secrets with additional programmable memory for storage of up to 48 bits of ID code and/or pack information; supports of one-cell Li-ion/Li-poly and three-cell series NiMH battery packs (for 2.6-V to 4.8-V operation), or powered by the XSD bus.

The ISL9206 is available now in a 5-lead SOT-23 or a 6-lead 2-mm x 3-mm TDFN package. Pricing is $0.40 in 1000-unit quantities.