Some OEMs are concerned about personal liability issues. Others are confronted with the product damage caused by end users who try to power portable devices with inappropriate battery packs. A new authentication IC developed by Dallas Semiconductor may help allay those worries.
The DS2703 implements a challenge/response scheme, utilizing the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-1) specified in the Federal Information Publication 180-1/2 and ISO/IEC 10118-3, to authenticate battery packs. Residing in the pack, it uses a stored 64-bit secret key and unique 64-bit ROM ID to process a 64-bit host-transmitted challenge. What results is a 160-bit response word that's sent back to the host. The secret key itself is securely stored on-chip, and it's never transmitted.
Prices start at $0.77 in quantities of 10,000 and up.
Maxim Integrated Products
www.maxim-ic.com