Embedded Systems Conference, SAN JOSE, Calif., April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) and Micrium today announced that Fujitsu has ported Micrium's uC/OS-II real-time kernel and uC/TCP-IP network protocol stack to its 32-bit MB9040x MCUs, which are designed to provide network security for users accessing the Internet from handheld or personal computers.

The Fujitsu 32-bit MB9040x network-security microcontroller series delivers a highly reliable network solution for banking and finance applications. The devices incorporate a full set of security features including encryption circuitry that supports the Advanced Data Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), 3DES, and other established cryptographic systems.

Adding uC/OS-II to the MB9040x microcontrollers complements Fujitsu's development solution for network security applications, according to Akio Nezu, senior marketing manager for the Embedded Products group at Fujitsu Microelectronics America. uC/OS-II is a highly portable, ROMable, scalable, pre-emptive, real-time, multitasking kernel (RTOS) for microprocessors and microcontrollers with performance comparable to -- and in many cases exceeding -- other commercially available kernels.

uC/OS-II delivers constant, deterministic and rapid execution times, and features a compact, simple scheduler that provides very efficient operation in a wide range of applications. Written in ANSI C, uC/OS-II has been ported to more than 40 different processor architectures ranging from 8- to 64-bit CPUs. uC/OS-II manages up to 255 different tasks, and provides services ranging from time and timer management to message queuing, task management, and event flags. uC/TCP-IP supports IPv4 and is available with a number of other protocols such as DHCP, DNS, FTP, HTTP, POP3, SMTP and others.

"Network security has become a critical requirement in the financial services industry, which continues to seek the most reliable, cost-effective systems to ensure against unauthorized system access and password use," said Nezu. "This controller-based security solution provides the banking industry with an excellent option for identifying account holders who are attempting to access the system using portable or handheld computing devices. The Fujitsu network security controller solution provides secure authentication using very efficient hardware and software."

Nezu added that the compact, efficient uC/OS-II is an ideal real-time operating system for the Fujitsu MB914x series, since the RTOS has been used in hundreds of products worldwide, such as engine controls, network adapters, industrial robots and audio equipment.

"uC/OS-II provides a very robust kernel that has been used in some financial applications, such as ATM machines, and is also certifiable by the Federal Aviation Administration (DO178B Level A), so it is suitable for critical systems in aviation products," said Jean Labrosse, founder of Micrium. "We are very pleased to be working with Fujitsu to offer a full network application development environment."

The Fujitsu networking security MCU series includes the MB91403, which supports both IPv4 and IPv6 over Ethernet. The MB94103 enables Internet-capable appliances to connect to a network using individual IP addresses, with the assurance of complete security. The MCU's hardware-based, layer-filtering functionality admits only the appropriate packets, so the communication process runs effectively via an appliance's central processor.

The series also includes the MB91402, which is available for customers whose designs do not require security features.

All the controllers can operate as standalone systems or as companion chips for existing designs, and each can simplify development of IPv6-capable products for ubiquitous-computing environments. Each device incorporates a 32-bit RISC CPU, an FR core, a timer, an interrupt controller and an UART, so the MCU can serve as a controller for any appliance. The encryption circuits in the MB91403 are 150 to 200 times faster than software-based encryption, and are complemented by authentication circuitry. The series also supports the MD5 and SHAR1 authentication standards, key exchange methods DH 1/DH 2, and the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol with hardware engine.

Pricing and Availability

The MB91403 is manufactured using Fujitsu's 0.18-micron CMOS process, and packaged in 144-pin LQFPs. Pricing for the complete network-security-solution MCU begins at $12.86 each in 1,000-unit quantities.

About Micrium

Micrium ( http://www.micrium.com/ ) provides high-quality, royalty-free software components for the embedded market. Micrium's software has been used in hundreds of products worldwide in networking, medical, avionics, industrial, consumer and many other applications.

About Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) leads the industry in innovation. FMA provides high-quality, reliable semiconductor products and services for the networking, communications, automotive, security and other markets throughout North and South America. For more information about the Fujitsu network security controllers please see http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/mcu or address e-mail to inquiry@fma.fujitsu.com.

NOTE: All company/product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Jean Labrosse of Micrium, +1-954-217-2036, or
Jean.Labrosse@Micrium.com; or Emi Igarashi of Fujitsu Microelectronics
America, +1-408-737 5647, or eigarash@fma.fujitsu.com; or Dick Davies of IPRA,
+1-415-777-4161, or ipra@mindspring.com, for Fujitsu Microelectronics America

Web site: http://www.micrium.com/

Web site: http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/mcu or