Embedded Systems | Firmware Development | Hardware Tinkering | Cryptography
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I am an Embedded Software Engineer specializing in Firmware Development, Cryptography and Audio DSP applications for Cortex-M CPUs, as well as Linux Device Driver development. Feel free to check out my GitHub profile for the source code.
What is CifradoPro? Cifradopro is a baremetal Hardware Security Module based on the STM32L4S5ZI microcontroller. It is capable of generating Random Keys in various sizes, Encrypting plaintext, and Decrypting ciphertext using the Advanced Encryption Standard. Additionally, it can create One-Time Pads of different lengths and generate a Hash of input data using the Secure Hashing Algorithm. The module can store the generated cryptographic keys in an external memory device. As a safeguard against physical tampering, the device is designed to erase the contents of the external memory if the enclosure is breached. The device leverages the Random Number Generator , AES Hardware Accelerator , and HASH Processor of the STM32L4S5ZI for cryptographic operations. It employs the built-in UART peripheral for device control via a serial terminal application such as PuTTY. The external memory, a 256kBit EEPROM from Microchip , is interfaced using the STM32L4's onboard I2C Peripheral. A GPIO pin...
Digital Camera Interface The DCMI (Digital Camera Interface) is a synchronous parallel interface designed to receive a high-speed data stream from an external CMOS camera module. It offers compatibility with 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, or 14-bit camera modules. The DCMI peripheral supports Embedded Line and Frame synchronization methods in addition to the Hardware Synchronisation from the CMOS Camera Module. It has two operating mode, namely Continuous or Snapshot mode. Additionally, it offers a crop feature and supports various data formats, including 8/10/12/14-bit progressive video (Monochrome or Raw Bayer), YCbCr 4:2:2 Progressive Video, RGB 565 Progressive Video, and Compressed Data in JPEG format. For more information on the DCMI peripheral, read the Training material for DCMI on STM32L4 from STMicroelectronics . DCMI Registers The DCMI peripheral has Control and Status registers for the DCMI Core and Interrupts. It also has a few registers for handling Data synchronizatio...
NOR Flash Memories & the Need for Wear Leveling NOR Flash is a type of non-volatile memory used to store data that needs to persist even when a device is powered off. NOR Flash is typically organized into sectors or blocks, which can be individually erased and reprogrammed. Due to the physics of flash cell structure, memory cells suffer from “wear” with every Program/Erase cycle (P/E cycle). This means flash memory has a finite usable life. If a flash memory exceeds this limit, the storage capability becomes unreliable. Wear Leveling is a common technique used by storage media to enhance the longevity of the storage media. Flash memory cells can only be programmed from a 1 to a 0 state. In order to set any cell from 0 to 1 state, the cell has to be erased to a 1. In order to update any already programmed memory sectors/blocks, the sectors/blocks have to be first erased and then reprogrammed, hence the P/E cycle. Depending on how of...