Fingerprint sensor IC adds security to PCs, notebooks

The MBF320 Sweep Sensor is the latest product in Fujitsu's fingerprint sensor IC line. The device supports TrustedCore pre-boot authentication (PBA) and features fingerprint-matching algorithms, Cogent Systems' biometric software and a USB 2.0 full-speed interface. According to the company, the device adds a vital layer of security to PCs, notebooks and tablet PCs.

The MBF320 with TrustedCore PBA was developed by Fujitsu Microelectronics in close collaboration with Phoenix Technologies Ltd, which provided its BioTrust ID enrollment application and TrustedCore PBA software development kit for enrollment of fingerprints and sharing of credentials from Pre-Boot to Windows. The application provides PBA and re-authentication at the BIOS level and again at the OS level.

"The added layer of security in the MBF320 Sweep Sensor, provided by pre-boot authentication, represents a significant move forward in the technology," according to Keith Horn, senior sales and marketing VP for Fujitsu Microelectronics America.

"Our BioTrust ID enrollment and TrustedCore PBA are designed to assure the security of users, data and the networks that they may connect to prior to the actual machine booting," said Kort van Bronkhorst, senior marketing VP for Phoenix Technologies. "Our work with Fujitsu to integrate these leading-edge security capabilities into its new fingerprint sensor IC adds a critical level of security to notebooks, tablets and desktop PCs, and enables a new level of trust in the security of the machine, the data on the machine and user."

Constructed with a hardened surface and a rugged silicon topology for notebooks and handhelds, the MBF320 provides optimal image quality with 500dpi resolution and 8bit grayscale in an ultrathin package. The MBF320 features an operating current of 45mW and typical standby power consumption of 150μA in auto finger detect mode. It operates between 3V and 3.6V and features an efficient SNR that detects a broad range of fingers. The device also provides an Auto-Finger Detection (AFD) circuit along with an 8bit A/D converter. It measures 16-by-6.5-by-0.9mm and incorporates two interfaces, USB 2.0 and 24MHz SPI.

The MBF320 is packaged with a "finger-guide" feature in a compact, 43-pin plastic FBGA module, and will be manufactured using Fujitsu's 0.35μm process technology. Samples are already available at $6 each for orders fewer under 1,000 pieces.