PicoChip Goes Elliptic

OTTAWA -- Elliptic Semiconductor today announced that picoChip Designs Limited has selected Elliptic's cryptographic co-processor engine for use in its PC202, PC203 and PC205 picoArray processors. picoChip processors are targeted at wireless markets such as 802.16d fixed WiMAX, 802.16e mobile WiMAX and W-CDMA cellular systems where security is extremely important.

Peter Claydon, COO and co-founder of picoChip said," The picoArray PC20x series is designed to address a wide variety of advanced wireless systems, many of which require encryption. The versatility of the Elliptic solution was a particular attraction for us. As a result, we can support both W-CDMA and WiMAX in the same device, as well IPsec for home basestations / femtocells."

There has been a significant effort by the IEEE to standardize on security standards for wireless design. However, interoperability requirement with legacy equipment requires that a cryptographic engine not only supports the Data Encryption Standard (DES) but also many modes of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The cryptographic engine jointly defined by picoChip and Elliptic permits picoChip to address a broad range of wireless standards which reflects the diversity of customers and applications for the picoArray processor family.

"Security design remains challenging with multiple standards and compliance requirements spanning legacy equipment and standards such as WiMAX that were not ratified when we began working with picoChip," indicated Al Hawtin, Vice-President of Marketing for Elliptic Semiconductor. "Working closely with the team at picoChip we were able to successfully conclude and implement the desired engine that will span the current and forecasted requirements for the wireless markets picoChip plans to serve."

Elliptic Semiconductor Inc.

picoChip Designs Ltd.