A-CHINA

A-CHINA

32-bit microcontrollers and PUF hardware-security solutions

About the manufacturer

A-China Semiconductor Ltd. is a Hong Kong-based fabless IC design company. The manufacturer focuses on microcontrollers and solutions where hardware security, device identity and embedded-software protection are important.

One of the company’s best-known solutions is the MCU007, a 32-bit microcontroller with a PUF (Physical Unclonable Function). PUF technology uses small natural variations created during semiconductor manufacturing to generate a unique hardware identity. Each device can therefore have a difficult-to-clone identifier without relying solely on a conventional key stored in standard memory.

The MCU007 was designed for firmware protection, device authentication and reducing the risk of copied designs. The company has also offered the MCU008 variant without the PUF function, retaining a similar application concept where specialized hardware security is not required.

A-China solutions target embedded, IoT and smart-device projects where device identification and product security matter alongside normal MCU functionality. The company has been presented in the embedded market as a supplier of security-oriented microcontrollers.

Applications

The manufacturer’s products and solutions are used in areas including:

• IoT – identification and authentication of connected devices.
• Smart home – controllers, electronic locks and home-automation devices.
• Firmware protection – limiting software copying or execution on unauthorized hardware.
• Access control – systems requiring unique device or key identification.
• Consumer electronics – microcontrollers for device control functions.
• Automotive devices and accessories – control and identification applications.
• Brand protection and anti-counterfeit systems – hardware identity used to help protect products against cloning.
• Embedded projects – device control, peripheral handling and application logic.

A-CHINA products available from Maritex

The Maritex range of A-CHINA products focuses on microcontrollers for embedded, IoT and devices requiring hardware-security functions.

Available product groups include:

• 32-bit microcontrollers.
• MCUs for embedded devices.
• Microcontrollers with hardware-security functions.
• Solutions for device identification and authentication.

A-CHINA devices can be used as controllers in electronic products and as part of a security architecture, particularly where firmware protection and unique hardware identity are important.

When selecting a microcontroller, check the CPU core, memory, available interfaces and peripherals, voltage and operating-temperature range, and in security-oriented projects also the availability of PUF functionality and the way it is integrated with device software.