Programmable device personalization

A semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor is configured to operate in a general purpose mode in which its operation is identical to a generic commercially available semiconductor device and is further configurable to operate in a second mode different from said general purpose mode and wherein the semiconductor device comprises:

• a secure memory configured to store a programmable key, the secure memory inaccessible to read operations external to the semiconductor device;
• a programming interface for programming the programmable key in the secure memory;
• a plurality of configurable features of the semiconductor device that are associated with the programmable key, each configurable feature having a set of multiple selectable configurations;
• wherein:
• when said programmable key is programmed, the semiconductor device operates in the second mode wherein a value of the programmable key defines a selection of one of the multiple configurations for each of the configurable features;
• the programmable key comprises a plurality of sub-keys, wherein each sub-key includes information defining one of the plurality of configurable features, the configurable features comprises at least a pinout, a peripheral set availability and other settings of the semiconductor device;
• a value of each sub-key defines a selection of one of the multiple configurations for the configurable feature associated with said each sub-key;
• in the general purpose mode, the semiconductor device has a predefined pinout configuration;
• in the second mode, when an associated sub-key of the programmable key for defining a pinout configuration is programmed, the semiconductor device has pinout configuration which is different from said predefined pinout configuration, the pinout configurations defining assignment of external pins in the semiconductor device for communication of a microcontroller to a peripheral device;
• in the general purpose mode, communication operation of the semiconductor device having the predefined pinout configuration with external devices is identical to another commercially available semiconductor device;
• in the second mode, communication operation of the semiconductor device having a particular pinout configuration with the external devices is different from the general purpose mode according to the value of the programmable key utilized as an encryption key.