GENEVA, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To help authorities stay ahead in the constant battle against electronic security attacks, STMicroelectronics, a world leader in smartcard ICs, today introduced the ST23YR80, a microcontroller for secure identity cards supporting the latest cryptography techniques and offering large memory for biometric data.
ST23YR80, which offers contact and contactless interfaces, complies with the most advanced security smartcard standards and meets the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements for Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD). It is also designed to support secure electronic identity documents such as e-ID and electronic signature. The device is planned to be certified by Q1 2009 to Common Criteria EAL5+ version 3.1
ST23YR80 includes a cryptographic co-processor which enables enhanced RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms. The EAC (extended access control) e-Passport operation, including 38 Kbytes of data, will be supported in less than 3.5 seconds.
Among the key technical advantages of the ST23YR80 are its ability to automatically detect and choose the appropriate contact or contactless application interface. Additionally, the device includes a unique feature to optimize the operating distance and transaction time by adapting its processor clock speed to the magnetic field of the application reader
In addition, the IC has 80 Kbytes of EEPROM to store extra biometric, 390 Kbytes of ROM and 8 Kbytes of RAM. Samples are available immediately, and volume production will begin in Q1 2009.
