Category: Cypress

Cypress Semiconductor PSoC 6 supports ARM Platform Security Architecture (PSA)

Posted by – March 8, 2018

Jack Ogawa, Senior Director of Marketing, MCU at Cypress Semiconductor talks PSoC 6 and arm PSA at Embedded World 2018, PSoC 6 MCUs now support the highest level of security as defined by the Arm Platform Security Architecture (PSA). In the interview, Jack discusses the three levels of hardware-based isolation for securing connecting devices. Cypress also gave a cool demo illustrating how a LoRaWAN edge node can be secured with a PSoC 6 MCU.

PSoC 6 is purpose built for the Internet of Things, enabling easy integration of sensing, processing, connectivity and security functions all in a low-power MCU. Integrating secure element functionality with on-chip hardware accelerated cryptography, PSoC 6 MCUs enable designers to easily implement security in a single chip without needing an external secure element device. For more information you can check out the announcement here and here.

Cypress PSoC 6 dual-core ARM Cortex-M4 and ARM Cortex-M0+

Posted by – March 17, 2017

The Cypress Semiconductor PSoC 6 is a dual-core microcontroller featuring all Cypress’s peripherals and configurability of previous generations, to build low-power designs with a high degree of security, for IoT. Cypress PSoC 6 features ARM Cortex-M4 and ARM Cortex-M0+ cores, in an ultra-low-power 40-nm process technology, with integrated security features required for next-generation IoT. The architecture is intended to fill a gap in IoT offerings between power-hungry and higher-cost application processors and performance-challenged, single-core MCUs. The dual-core architecture lets designers optimize for power and performance simultaneously, alongside its software-defined peripherals. The two cores can achieve 22 µA/MHz and 15 µA/MHz of active power on the ARM Cortex-M4 and Cortex-M0+ cores, respectively. The dual-core architecture enables power-optimized system design where the auxiliary core can be used as an offload engine for power efficiency, allowing the main core to sleep.

The PSoC 6 MCU architecture provides a hardware-based Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) with secure boot capability and integrated secure data storage to protect firmware, applications and secure assets such as cryptographic keys. PSoC 6 implements a set of industry-standard symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic algorithms, including Elliptical-Curve Cryptography (ECC), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA 1,2,3) in an integrated hardware coprocessor designed to offload compute-intensive tasks. The architecture supports multiple, simultaneous secure environments without the need for external memories or secure elements, and offers scalable secure memory for multiple, independent user-defined security policies.

Software-defined peripherals can be used to create custom analogue front-ends (AFEs) or digital interfaces for innovative system components such as electronic-ink displays. The architecture offers flexible wireless connectivity options, including fully integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The PSoC 6 MCU architecture features the latest generation of Cypress’ CapSense capacitive-sensing technology, enabling touch and gesture-based interfaces. The architecture is supported by Cypress’ PSoC Creator Integrated Design Environment (IDE) and the ARM ecosystem.

In this video, Cypress shows PSoC 6 using a wearable demo and the PSoC 6 pioneer kit. You can read more about PSoC 6 here: http://www.cypress.com/event/psoc-6-purpose-built-iots

$10 Cypress PSoC ARM Cortex-M3 Programmable System-on-Chip


Cypress makes programmable system-on-chip solutions used in a wide range of applications, from consumer and automotive to industrial and military products. They are launching the $10 CY8KIT-059 development board to program their ARM Cortex-M3 PSoC 5LP at http://www.cypress.com/?rid=108038 The Cypress PSoC platform includes several families of devices that feature an ARM Cortex processor surrounded by a host of programmable analog and digital resources that can easily be customized with a simple drag-and-drop design tool called PSoC Creator. Cypress’s newest PSoC innovation includes the PSoC 4 M-Series, which, with its 32-bit ARM Cortex M0- core, 128KB of flash, programmable analog and digital components, dual CAN interfaces and 55 GPIOs, make it an ideal replacement for standard 8-bit and 16-bit applications. Another recent Cypress innovation is the Cypress PSoC 4 BLE, which adds Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity to any device, and is ideal for a variety of wireless applications from fitness and health-monitoring wearables to sensor-based systems in homes.

Cypress PSoc5 Cortex-M3 at Embedded World 2011

Posted by – March 4, 2011

Cypress Semiconductor shows their new PSoc5 Cortex-M3 based solution and development kit based on their PSoc Designer 5.0 software. They also do solutions for 10-finger or more capacitive touch detection and proximity sensing.