Visible to the public Low-Overhead Robust RTL Signature for DSP Core Protection: New Paradigm for Smart CE Design

TitleLow-Overhead Robust RTL Signature for DSP Core Protection: New Paradigm for Smart CE Design
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsSengupta, A., Roy, D., Mohanty, S. P.
Conference Name2019 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE)
Keywordsadders, composability, Consumer electronics, covert signature embedding process, digital signal processing chips, digital signal processor, digital signatures, DSP core protection, DSP-MP IP core, Finite impulse response filters, FIR filter, FIR filters, Flip-flops, Hardware, IP networks, IP piracy, IP vendors, Latches, logic circuits, logic design, low-overhead robust RTL signature, microprocessor chips, Multimedia Processor, Multiplexing, nonsignature FIR RTL design, policy-based governance, pubcrawl, register-transfer level, Registers, Resiliency, reusable Intellectual Property cores, robust IP owner, secured smart CE device, smart CE design, smart Consumer Electronics devices
AbstractThe design process of smart Consumer Electronics (CE) devices heavily relies on reusable Intellectual Property (IP) cores of Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and Multimedia Processor (MP). On the other hand, due to strict competition and rivalry between IP vendors, the problem of ownership conflict and IP piracy is surging. Therefore, to design a secured smart CE device, protection of DSP/MP IP core is essential. Embedding a robust IP owner's signature can protect an IP core from ownership abuse and forgery. This paper presents a covert signature embedding process for DSP/MP IP core at Register-transfer level (RTL). The secret marks of the signature are distributed over the entire design such that it provides higher robustness. For example for 8th order FIR filter, it incurs only between 6% and 3% area overhead for maximum and minimum size signature respectively compared to the non-signature FIR RTL design but with significantly enhanced security.
DOI10.1109/ICCE.2019.8661835
Citation Keysengupta_low-overhead_2019