# US 10,321,589 B2 · Tamper-respondent assembly with sensor connection adapter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,589 B2 - Document ID: US10321589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/268,959 - Filed: 2016-09-19 - Published: 2018-03-22 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-19 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Silvio Dragone; Stefano S. Oggioni; William Santiago-Fernandez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321589B2 ## CPC - H05K 5/0208: {Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof} - G06F 21/86: Secure or tamper-resistant housings - G06F 21/87: by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits - G08B 13/128: {the housing being an electronic circuit unit, e.g. memory or CPU chip (protecting computer components in secure or tamper resistant housings G06F21/86; protecting computer input devices, e.g. keyboards G06F21/83)} - H05K 1/0275: {Security details, e.g. tampering prevention or detection} - H05K 1/185: associated with components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the PCBs; associated with components incorporated in internal layers of multilayer circuit boards - H05K 2201/10151: Sensor - H05K 2201/10371: Shields or metal cases - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include an enclosure, a tamper-detect sensor, a monitor, and a sensor connection adapter. The enclosure encloses, at least in part, one or more electronic components to be protected, and the tamper-detect sensor is disposed over an inner surface of the enclosure to facilitate defining a secure volume about the electronic component(s). The tamper-detect sensor includes sensor lines disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure, and the monitor monitors the tamper-detect sensor for a tamper event. The sensor connection adapter is coupled to the inner surface of the enclosure, and is disposed over the tamper-detect sensor within the secure volume. The sensor connection adapter facilitates electrically connecting the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tamper-respondent assembly comprising: an enclosure to enclose, at least in part, at least one electronic component; a tamper-detect sensor disposed over an inner surface of the enclosure to facilitate defining a secure volume about the at last one electronic component, the tamper-detect sensor including sensor lines disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure; a monitor to monitor the tamper-detect sensor for a tamper event; and a sensor connection adapter adhesively coupled at discrete points to the inner surface of the enclosure, and disposed over the tamper-detect sensor within the secure volume, with a portion of the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor being disposed between the inner surface of the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the sensor connection adapter facilitating electrically connecting the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor, and the sensor connection adapter dislodging from the inner surface of the enclosure with an attempted tamper event into the secure volume through the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the dislodging facilitating detection of the attempted tamper event by breaking, at least in part, electrical connection of the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor connection adapter comprises a carrier with circuit lines, the carrier residing over a portion of the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor via at least one first connector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one first connector comprises a connector type selected from the group consisting of a wire-bond connector, a solder-ball connector, a spring connector, and a zebra strip connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3, wherein the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor have a line width, and wherein the at least one first connector has a different width than the line width of the sensor lines. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the monitor via, at least in part, at least one second connector, the at last one second connector being a different connector type than the at least one first connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one second connector comprises a ribbon cable connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor via a first set of connectors, and the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the monitor via, at least in part, a second set of connectors, the first set of connectors including a larger number of connectors than the second of connectors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 8, wherein the carrier comprises a rigid substrate adhesively coupled at N discrete points to the enclosure via a thermoset material selected to provide a desired breaking interface of the carrier to the enclosure, and wherein the first set of connectors open circuit with dislodging of the carrier from the enclosure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a multilayer circuit board; and an embedded tamper-detect sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, the tamper-detect sensor disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure and the embedded tamper-detect sensor within the multilayer circuit board together facilitating defining the secure volume within which the at least one electronic component resides. ### Claim 11 A tamper-respondent assembly comprising: at least one electronic component; an enclosure enclosing, at least in part, the at least one electronic component; a tamper-detect sensor disposed over an inner surface of the enclosure to facilitate defining a secure volume about the at least one electronic component, the tamper-detect sensor including sensor lines disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure; a monitor to monitor the tamper-detect sensor for a tamper event; and a sensor connection adapter adhesively coupled at discrete points to the inner surface of the enclosure, and disposed over the tamper-detect sensor within the secure volume, with a portion of the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor being disposed between the inner surface of the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the sensor connection adapter facilitating electrically connecting the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor, and the sensor connection adapter dislodging from the inner surface of the enclosure with an attempted tamper event into the secure volume through the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the dislodging facilitating detection of the attempted tamper event by breaking, at least in part, electrical connection of the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 11, wherein the sensor connection adapter comprises a carrier with circuit lines, the carrier residing over a portion of the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor via at least one first connector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one first connector comprises a connector type selected from the group consisting of a wire-bond connector, a solder-ball connector, a spring connector, and a zebra strip connector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor have a line width, and wherein the at least one first connector has a different width than the line width of the sensor lines. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the monitor via, at least in part, at least one second connector, the at last one second connector being a different connector type than the at least one first connector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12, wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor via a first set of connectors, and the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the monitor via, at least in part, a second set of connectors, the first set of connectors including a larger number of connectors than the second of connectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 17, wherein the carrier comprises a rigid substrate adhesively coupled at N discrete points to the enclosure via a thermoset material selected to provide a desired breaking interface of the carrier to the enclosure, and wherein the first set of connectors open circuit with dislodging of the carrier from the enclosure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 11, further comprising: a multilayer circuit board; and an embedded tamper-detect sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, the tamper-detect sensor disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure and the embedded tamper-detect sensor within the multilayer circuit board together facilitating defining the secure volume within which the at least one electronic component resides. ### Claim 20 A fabrication method comprising: fabricating a tamper-respondent assembly, the fabricating comprising: providing an enclosure to enclosure, at least in part, at least one electronic component to be protected; providing a tamper-detect sensor disposed over an inner surface of the enclosure to facilitate defining a secure volume about the at least one electronic component, the tamper-detect sensor including sensor lines disposed over the inner surface of the enclosure; providing a monitor to monitor the tamper-detect sensor for a tamper event; and providing a sensor connection adapter, and adhesively coupling at discrete points the sensor connection adapter to the inner surface of the enclosure, over the tamper-detect sensor, with a portion of the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor being disposed between the inner surface of the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the sensor connection adapter being disposed within the secure volume and facilitating electrically connecting the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor, and the sensor connection adapter dislodging from the inner surface of the enclosure with an attempted tamper event into the secure volume through the enclosure and the sensor connection adapter, the dislodging facilitating detection of the attempted tamper event by breaking, at least in part, electrical connection of the monitor to the sensor lines of the tamper-detect sensor.