STMicroelectronics STM32U5 general-purpose microcontroller

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STMicroelectronics has announced PSA Certified Level-3 and SESIP3 certifications for its general-purpose secure STM32U585 microcontroller (MCU), passing tests for logical, board and basic physical resistance that confirm a substantial level of cyber protection.

With tamper resistance and software protection, the MCU is also suitable for controlling PIN Transaction Security (PTS) equipment that must satisfy Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) requirements. As a secure, general-purpose microcontroller, it offers an all-in-one solution to simplify the design and production of point-of-sale (POS) and self-service payment terminals.

Typically, achieving recognition as an official PTS Approved Device requires a dedicated security chip to resist online and side-channel attacks, with a separate MCU to manage features such as the keyboard, display and USB connection. The STM32U585 can consolidate all these capabilities, enabling a simplified design and streamlining production logistics from purchasing and inventory management to final assembly. Terminal makers can also test and certify their products to applicable standards such as PCI PTS v6 quickly and easily.

The product is compliant with Arm Trusted Base System Architecture (TBSA) requirements and features Arm TrustZone architecture. Numerous typical security features for connected devices are included, including cryptographic accelerators, secure data storage, secure firmware installation, secure boot and secure firmware update.

Additional security features include internal monitoring that erases secret data in the event of a perturbation attack, which contributes towards meeting PCI SSC requirements for POS applications. Further protection includes hardening of encryption of symmetric and asymmetric public-key accelerators (AES, PKA) against attacks with side-channel analysis (SCA), a hardware-unique key for secure data storage and built-in active tamper detection.

Offering cyber protection for cost- and power-conscious connected devices, the MCU also provides high-end core performance and peripheral integration. The Arm Cortex-M33 embedded core combines with rich peripherals including two analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), two digital-to-analog converter (DAC) channels, two op-amps, two comparators and multiple timer channels including general-purpose, low-power and PWM motor-control timers. 40 nm process technology and features developed by ST save power and boost performance. These include autonomous peripherals that can operate while the main circuitry sleeps to save energy, and selectable voltage regulators that cut dynamic consumption to under 19 µA/MHz.

For more information: https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32u5-series.html.