Secure MCUs roll for 2.5G, 3G mobile SIM cards

STMicroelectronics has introduced two new secure MCUs designed for high-volume 2.5G and 3G mobile-phone SIM cards. The ST21Y036 and ST21Y144 provide 36Kbytes and 144Kbytes of user EEPROM, respectively. Based on an enhanced 8/16bit CPU core with up to 16Mbytes linear addressing capability, the family is produced in a state-of-the-art 0.13?m EEPROM technology to meet industry demands for high volumes, short lead times and competitive pricing.

Operators need secure SIM products with increased memory capacity to store and handle the large amounts of data used in a growing number of applications and services in mobile communications products, while maintaining overall performance and user-friendliness. The ST21Y platform promises an excellent performance-to-power-consumption ratio, meeting current GSM consumption standards.

"With more than 20 years smart card experience behind us, and world-class manufacturing capability, ST can ship these new ST21 devices in the high volumes and short timescales that the mobile industry demands," said Andreas Raschmeier, director of smart card sales and marketing, ST. "They're optimized for 2.5G and 3G products, delivering the high performance with low power drain required by the latest applications."

The ST21Y036 and ST21Y144 both include a hardware data encryption standard accelerator and user-accessible cyclic redundency code calculation block. The user EEPROM areas—which include 64bytes of user one time programmable memory—use reliable CMOS submicron technology, and provide 10-year data retention with a typical erase/write endurance of 500,000 cycles. Software and firmware generation are supported by a comprehensive set of dedicated development tools for software design and validation.

The ST21Y036 is already entering volume production while the ST21Y144 is available in sample quantities, with volume production planned for June 2007.

ST is able to offer smartcard ICs as sawn wafers and in advanced micro-modules that combine integration and security. The ST21Y devices are available in 6-contact (D17) and 8-contact (D95) RoHS-compliant modules, with contact assignment compatible with ISO 7816-2. In wafer form, the ST21Y036 is priced at 20 cents and the ST21Y144 at 75 cents, in quantities of 10,000.