US 6,101,255 A · Programmable cryptographic processing system and method

Abstract

A programmable crypto processing system (10) includes several processing resources (14, 16, 26) implemented on a single ULSI die. The processing system is both key and algorithm agile allowing for simultaneous execution of a variety of cryptographic programs through the use of background staging of the next program and context (key and state) during execution of a current program. The programmable crypto processing system includes a programmable crypto processor (17) for processing data units in accordance with a channel program, a crypto controller (11) for identifying a channel program, two interface processors (13, 15) for asynchronously receiving and transferring data units from and from an external host. Data units identify a particular channel program, and are processed in a selected processing engine in accordance the identified channel program. The interface processors are capable of full duplex operation and provide full physical data interface isolation for processing plain-text and cipher-text data.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A programmable cryptographic processing system comprising:

a programmable cryptographic processor for processing a data unit of a plurality of data units;
and
a cryptographic controller for identifying a channel program for processing said data unit based on information contained in said data unit, the programmable cryptographic processor processing said data unit in accordance with the channel program identified by the cryptographic controller.

A data unit processing system for processing data units having a header portion, a command portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion of a data unit identifies a channel program for processing said data unit, and the command portion identifies functions to be executed on the payload portion of said data unit, the data unit processing system comprising:

a programmable cryptographic processor for processing said data unit in accordance with said channel program identified by the header portion of said data unit;
and
a cryptographic controller for reading said header portion and causing said channel program to be downloaded to a processing engine of said programmable cryptographic processor, said cryptographic controller causing said payload portion to be transferred to a memory for said processing engine to await processing by said channel program.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Programmable cryptographic processing system and method

Life of this patent

Programmable cryptographic processing system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29