ICECS 2005: Configurable Logic Style Translation Based on an OpenAccess Engine

Abstract: In the field of SCA-resistant circuit design several promising countermeasures are under investigation. In this article we focus on countermeasures at the gate level and their impact on a typical semi-custom design flow. Standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools are not capable of handling side-channel analysis (SCA) resistant logic styles. Additional non-trivial steps in the semi-custom design flow are needed. We present a file interface stand-alone program solution and compare it to an approach based on OpenAccess. OpenAccess offers standardized access to integrated circuit (IC) design data which makes these steps independent from the semi-custom design flow. This allows for modular, robust and flexible solutions configurable for different SCA-resistant logic styles.