Arrow Shield96 Arm Linux Board Focuses on Hardware-based Security

Powered by a Microchip SAMA5D2 SiP integrating a Cortex-A5 processor and 128MB DDR2 memory, Arrow Shield96 board has been designed for secure IoT application development with on-board hardware security.

Two versions of the SBC are offered:

• Shield96 Standard reference platform
• Shield96 Trusted Platform preloaded with the EmSPARK Security Suite software by Sequitur Labs.

Both versions come with the same hardware specifications:

• SiP – Microchip ATSAMA5D27-D1G Arm Cortex-A5 processor @ 500 MHz with 128MB DDR2
• Storage – 128MB DDR2
• Storage – 128MB (1Gbit) flash, MicroSD card slot
• Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet port, 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 via ATWILC1000 “IoT link controller module”
• USB – 1x USB 2.0 port
• HW Security – ATECC608 secure element
• Expansion – 96Boards Mezzanine connector
• Debugging – JTAG header, serial console via Micro USB port
• Power Supply – 5V via Micro USB port
• Dimensions – N/A (CNXSoft note: it’s supposed to be 96Boards compliant, but with an Ethernet port, and the Ethernet port, it’s likely only 96Boards compliant due to the mezzanine connector)

Some of the highlighted security features of the Arm Linux board include:

• Secure firmware update
• Secure storage
• Tamper detection
•  Managed key store and certified authority store
•  Unique device ID, immutable, bound to the HWRoT
• Crypto engine in secure domain with OpenSSL adaptor
• Pre-configured to use ATSAMA5D2 security architecture with secure boot, strong domain partitioning, on-the-fly memory encryption/decryption, and Hardware crypto engines

The company also provides a simple abstraction APIs for the hardware security features and preloaded keys and certificates.

Arrow Shield96 Trusted Platform board adds the EmSPARK Security Suite which implements trusted boot, firmware protection, a trusted device ID, secure storage & communications as well as secure firmware updates.

Both versions of the board can be purchased on Arrow website for $139 and $159 respectively. While the standard version will ship now, the trusted platform model is on pre-order and scheduled to start shipping on March 18, 2020.

Embedded.com reports Arrow Electronics will showcase the Shield96 board at Embedded World 2020 (booth 340, Hall 4A) at the end of the month. The company, together with Microchip Technology and Sequitur Labs will also be hosting a webinar entitled “Simplified Security for Endpoint Solutions” on February 18, 2020, in order to introduce the platform.

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