Smart Card IC features 240 KB of user-configurable memory.
Press Release Summary:
Theseus Titanium 240 utilizes 8051 controller core that allows 4 clocks/instruction cycle, as well as 60 MHz internal oscillator. Power saving features include clock gating and voltage scaling. For security, device uses flash memory and features secure memory blocks that prohibit write and erase, as well as encrypted loader application that protects OS during third-party programming. Various detectors offer protection from environmental conditions.
Original Press Release:
SST Announces Theseus Titanium 240 Smart Card IC for High-Volume GSM Mobile Applications
New Theseus Titanium 240 Features 240 KBytes of User-Configurable Memory, High-Performance 8051 Controller Core, Power Optimization and Advanced Security Features
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 6 / / -- SST (Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.) (NASDAQ:SSTI), a leader in flash memory technology, today announced the newest addition to its successful line of Theseus Titanium smart card ICs, the Theseus Titanium 240. The device offers 240 KBytes of User-Configurable Memory (UCM) based on SST's patented SuperFlash technology, giving developers of SIM cards for 3G and GSM mobile network operators even more storage capacity to house their latest applications. The Theseus Titanium 240 uses a performance-optimized architecture, making it the highest performing 8051-based smart card IC on the market today. The Theseus Titanium 240 also offers a low-power design with a number of security features to increase battery life in handsets while ensuring that sensitive data remains secure.
The Theseus Titanium 240 can enable a 64K Java Card SIM implementation or a 128K SIM card with a native operating system, giving GSM mobile network operators a single SIM card solution that can support open operating systems or their own proprietary operating system. According to data from Frost & Sullivan, the 64K Java SIM card market is the largest volume SIM card segment and is forecast to remain the largest segment over the next four years.
"Theseus Titanium 240's memory capacity, performance, security and development tool support make it a complete smart card IC solution to address the largest SIM segment," said Mike Briner, senior vice president, NAND and Smartcard Module Business at SST. "This competitive offering is becoming increasingly important to SIM card developers as more mobile subscribers move to higher-end services."
High Performance, Low Power
The Theseus Titanium 240 smart card IC uses an 8051 controller core that allows four clocks per instruction cycle. The 60 MHz internal oscillator makes this the fastest-performing 8051-based smart card IC available in the market. This improved performance comes without any significant increases in power consumption thanks to Theseus Titanium 240's power saving features, including clock gating and voltage scaling.
Theseus Titanium 240 Security Features
Because Theseus Titanium 240 uses flash memory, it is inherently secure from chemical reverse engineering. The instant programmability of flash memory allows smart card operating systems to remove insecure back doors that are required when using ROM memory. To further protect data on the smart card, the Theseus Titanium 240 includes the following additional security features:
o Secure memory blocks that prohibit write and erase, and cannot be read
from outside blocks
o Protection from environmental conditions through the use of voltage
regulators and frequency, temperature ultra-violet light and glitch
detectors
o An encrypted loader application to protect the operating system during
third-party programming
Development Tool Support
To assist software developers with the creation of operating systems and applications for Theseus Titanium smart card ICs, SST offers several software development platforms. The Theseus Emulator provides source-level debug and standalone device emulation of the Theseus Titanium family of smart card ICs. Compatible with Ashling's PathFinder or Keil uVision 3 IDE, the Theseus Emulator provides full source-level debug and emulation support for C and Assembler smart card applications. The emulator also supports the ability to debug smart card code in a fully functioning card reader system. Additional development tools include probe adaptors for both ISO7816 and SIM/U-SIM format interfaces, and the Pathfinder-51 source level debugger software. Theseus Titanium devices are also supported fully within the Keil uVision 3 development environment. Further development support is available from SST's website.
Pricing and Availability
Samples of the Theseus Titanium 240 smart card IC are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q1 2008. Pricing for the device starts at $0.45 in 100K-unit quantities for thinned, sawn wafer.
The distribution of technical information and sales of devices are conducted only under Non-Disclosure Agreements to protect the security and confidentiality of SST's smart card products.
About SST's Theseus Titanium Smart Card ICs
The Theseus Titanium family of smart card ICs has been designed to address the needs of SIM and U-SIM cards for mobile telecommunications. These devices are cost-effective platforms for delivering secure authentication of network subscribers. While targeting the SIM card market, Theseus Titanium products remain flexible and secure for use in any smart card application. The Theseus Titanium family introduced the concept of User-Configurable Memory (UCM), a fast and flexible nonvolatile memory, which simplifies smart card software development. UCM provides a single flash memory page size over the entire range of available memory, which gives the smart card software complete control over the memory assets. UCM also eliminates barriers to software flexibility by allowing the software to free unused resources to the end user. Any physical memory which is not used for operating system code can be used as application and data space. With other smart card platforms, different physical memory types force the system software into fixed boundaries. These permanent boundaries limit the capabilities of what the smart card software can do.
About Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, SST designs, manufactures and markets a diversified range of memory and non-memory products for high volume applications in the digital consumer, networking, wireless communications and Internet computing markets. Leveraging its proprietary, patented SuperFlash technology, SST is a leading provider of nonvolatile memory solutions with product families that include various densities of high functionality flash memory components and flash mass storage products. The Company also offers its SuperFlash technology for embedded applications through its broad network of world-class manufacturing partners and technology licensees, including TSMC, which offers it under its trademark Emb-FLASH. SST's non-memory products include NAND controller-based products, smart card ICs and modules, flash microcontrollers and radio frequency ICs and modules. Further information on SST can be found on the company's Web site at www.sst.com/.
For more information about SST and the company's comprehensive list of product offerings, please call 1-888/SST-CHIP. Information can also be requested via email to literature@sst.com or through SST's Web site at www.sst.com/. SST's head office is located at 1171 Sonora Court, Sunnyvale, Calif.; telephone: 408/735-9110; fax: 408/735-9036.
The SST logo, SuperFlash and Theseus are registered trademarks of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. Java Card is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
For More Information Contact:
Source: Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.
CONTACT: Ricky Gradwohl of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.,
+1-408-720-6512, rgradwohl@sst.com; or Bob Nelson of Tsantes Consulting
+Group, 1-408-426-4905, bnelson@tsantes.com, for Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.
Web site: http://www.sst.com/
