Driven by technologies including AI and IoT, industrial manufacturing is accelerating its shift toward intelligence and high efficiency. The realization of advanced concepts such as smart factories and unmanned factories relies on core chips like MPUs, which greatly boost production efficiency and product quality.

Nevertheless, with the continuous upgrading of industrial manufacturing, a series of security issues such as data security, system stability, network security and equipment security have become increasingly prominent. Specializing in secure chips, MEGAHUNT is committed to addressing these security issues to safeguard industrial manufacturing operations.

To tackle the mounting security challenges across industrial manufacturing, MEGAHUNT officially rolled out its new-generation industrial-grade secure MPU, the MH1905. Equipped with cutting-edge built-in security features including encryption technology, the chip delivers all-round security protection for smart manufacturing systems. It also achieves comprehensive upgrades in performance, interfaces, security, low power consumption and real-time responsiveness, poised to drive industrial manufacturing transformation and offer robust support for the industry rapid growth.

Balancing IIoT Security and Development

Rapid technological advances have fueled the boom of the IoT industry, a key enabler of smart factories and Industry 4.0. By connecting physical equipment, IoT technology enables real-time collection, transmission and analysis of data, drastically elevating the intelligence level of industrial production and injecting new momentum into manufacturing transformation and upgrading.

Yet the widespread adoption of IoT has exposed prominent security vulnerabilities. First, the wide variety of IoT devices feature inconsistent hardware and operating systems, making unified security assurance difficult and leaving numerous security loopholes. Second, there is a high risk of private data leakage. When IoT devices gather and transmit data involving personal privacy and sensitive business information, such data is vulnerable to theft or misuse.

Boasting powerful processing capacity, large memory addressing space and native security functions such as encryption and identity authentication, MPUs stand out as a critical technology to resolve industrial manufacturing security risks. They deliver solid security safeguards for smart manufacturing, allowing enterprises to harness the convenience of the Industrial IoT while effectively mitigating security threats and guaranteeing safe, efficient production workflows.

Driven by the rapid development in IIoT and smart manufacturing, market demand for industrial-grade secure MPUs continues to grow. According to RAM research, the global industrial cybersecurity market reached USD 15.2 billion in 2020 and is projected to hit USD 22.3 billion by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. This upward trend underscores the vital role of industrial-grade secure MPUs in defending industrial systems against cyberattacks and preserving data integrity.

Data from IC Insights offers further evidence of market potential: global MPU sales totaled USD 87.7 billion in 2020 and are expected to climb to USD 112.2 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 5.1%. The embedded MPU market is forecast to expand from USD 17.5 billion in 2020 to USD 23.7 billion in 2024.

With the remarkable growth of the industrial-grade secure MPU market, MEGAHUNT, an expert in the security chip industry, is actively expanding its footprint in this segment and advancing iterative upgrades of industrial manufacturing through innovative technologies.

Debut of the First Industrial-Grade Secure MPU

MEGAHUNT recently released its latest R&D achievement, the MH1905. Built on a heterogeneous asymmetric architecture, it integrates a high-performance Application Processor (AP) and a Security Processor (SP), delivering disruptive solutions for consumer electronics, industrial control, IoT and many other vertical industry.

In detail, the AP subsystem of MH1905 adopts an ARM Cortex-A5 core with a maximum operating frequency of 1.2 GHz, capable of effortlessly handling complex OS tasks. It supports 720p video output and camera access up to 5 megapixels, providing robust computing power for image processing, video surveillance and other applications. Additionally, the AP is compatible with multiple memory types and integrates a Gigabit Ethernet MAC to meet high-speed data transmission requirements.

On the security front, the SP processor of MH1905 delivers outstanding performance as well. Built around a 32-bit RISC core running at up to 200 MHz, it specializes in real-time and security-focused workloads. The SP incorporates a powerful encryption engine with hardware acceleration supporting a full suite of cryptographic algorithms including AES, DES, TDES, RSA, ECC and SHA. Furthermore, it features tamper-proof pins and a sensitive data storage area (such as for keys) powered by a button battery, where data can be retained for more than five years. It also features anti-disassembly and other functions, providing all-round protection for data security.

Notably, an efficient crossbar switch facilitates data exchange between the two subsystems of the MH1905, enabling seamless collaboration between the AP and SP. The chip also shares abundant peripheral interfaces including USB, I2C and SPI, alongside general-purpose input/output (GPIO) ports and a barcode engine, greatly broadening application flexibility. Manufactured with advanced FCCSP packaging, the MH1905 measures 13×13 mm with 361 solder balls on a 0.65 mm pitch, making it highly suitable for embedded deployments.

The unique dual-subsystem architecture of the MH1905 not only boosts processor performance and security, but also delivers more comprehensive, efficient solutions for diverse application scenarios. To accelerate development for customers and developers, MEGAHUNT has partnered with ecosystem players to launch the SecurePi series modules built around the MH1905, including SP2301 and SP2302, adaptable to a wide range of electronic devices. 

Leveraging its exceptional security performance and abundant system resources, the MH1905 has been widely deployed in unattended equipment worldwide, such as payment acceptance terminals, electric vehicle instrument panels and identity authentication devices. Its strong market adaptability and application potential set it apart from competing products, making it an ideal platform for security-certified, high-performance hardware.

Overall, the launch of the MH1905 marks a solid milestone for MEGAHUNT in the embedded systems field. Boasting comprehensive functionality, powerful computing capacity and state-of-the-art security features, this high-performance multi-core processor is poised to trigger transformative changes across consumer electronics, industrial control, IoT and beyond. Moving forward, MEGAHUNT will continue to ramp up R&D investment, roll out more innovative products, and contribute further to the development of the IoT industry.