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Microcontroller code protection — Parallax Forums

Microcontroller code protection

HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
edited 2009-08-21 20:17 in General Discussion
I was a bit concerned about code for the propeller being held in an easily
copied eeprom. But it seems that chips with integrated storage and protection
bits are so easily broken that it just does not matter.

I was over at a site that offers to get the memory contents from pretty much
any controller quickly. They even offer a circuit board copying service for 1-28 layers...
how helpful of them.

www.break-ic.com/
chip.jpg

They list all the devices I write software for.

So I guess if the code you write is valuable enough for someone to pay creeps like these guys
to steal then you are out of luck.

So setting protection bits and doing things like covering the chip with some substance that is hard to remove
are just speed bumps.

Has anyone ever come across a secure protection method?

I have heard that various government entities run their own chip fab operations... maybe this is
partly to give some protection by secret methods or obscurity...perhaps controlling the hardware
is the only protection possible.

Any method I can think up I see a way to defeat...other than an unwieldy remote authentication
system and that is just unworkable for ordinary projects.

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Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2009-08-21 17:28
    HollyMinkowski said...
    Has anyone ever come across a secure protection method?
    Yes. If I keep a design locked in my mind and never commit it to physical or programmatic form, it's quite secure. But then, I've never been tortured by break-designer.com. smile.gif

    -Phil

    Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 8/21/2009 6:44:37 PM GMT
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2009-08-21 17:48
    HollyMinkowski said...(trimmed)
    Any method I can think up I see a way to defeat...other than an unwieldy remote authentication
    system and that is just unworkable for ordinary projects.
    Yet the software companies jumped right on this.· The idea is if you're using certain pieces of software, you're most likely connected to the internet.· I have no less than 5 applications that will not run if I am not connected to the internet at the time I run them (not counting applications that inherently require the internet, such as FTP client or chat program).· There are also several games that are the same way.· They are not internet playable, but they authenticate on startup with a remote server before running.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Engineering
  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2009-08-21 17:48
    i have made designs next to imposible to break but with enough money and write equipment it is still possible to copy.

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  • waltcwaltc Posts: 158
    edited 2009-08-21 17:57
    The only way I've seen for companies to protect themselves against this sort of thing is with aggressive use of lawsuits which limits such a tactic to larger companies that have a large staff of lawyers on hand.

    But it doesn't do any good if the culprit is in China or some other nation where IP rights are not respected.
  • Agent420Agent420 Posts: 439
    edited 2009-08-21 18:13
    Does the Propeller offer any kind of code protection?· I've not needed to implement it, but a quick scan of the documention doesn't reveal anything.· I know pics and avrs offer some kind of rudimentary code locking.

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  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2009-08-21 18:16
    None whatsoever.

    Leon

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  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2009-08-21 18:16
    Adding to what Walt said, it helps to implement a subtle signature into your code so that if it is copied you can prove that it is yours. Then legal action moves forward more easily.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Engineering
  • dMajodMajo Posts: 855
    edited 2009-08-21 20:17
    I have done this way:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=814127

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=818404

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