Secure mcus offer multi-interface support

The RS-4 Dual Interface series of 16bit secure cpus are intended for smart card applications requiring multifunctionality and high security such as bank cards and ID cards. The first products in the series will be the RS44X, RS45X and RS46X which will retain the capabilities of the company's previous dual interface products but, according to Renesas, will deliver approximately five times the processing performance with a maximum operating frequency of 20MHz. The supported contactless interfaces are ISO 14443 Type A/Type B. Selection can be accomplished by either software based communication type selection or by a hardware based automatic interface switching function that detects the interface type based on the signal from the reader. Another function monitors power from the reader and optimises the processing speed accordingly. Renesas says that the secure mcus used in smart cards are now expected to provide multi-interface support for a variety of communications types in addition to the advanced functionality and high performance necessary for high level security functions.