Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Elkana Korem

David H Hartley

A semiconductor device having a plurality of on-chip processors, a plurality of key RAMs, a plurality of key RAM controllers, a fuse bank, a fuse bank controller and a boot controller is described. The boot controller is arranged to, in a first programming stage, allocate a first array of fuses in the fuse bank in dependence on the size of a first device key for storing the first device key in the fuse bank and, during boot-time, provide the first device key to a first key RAM controller. The fuse bank controller is arranged to program the first array of fuses with the first device key in the first programming stage, provide the first device key to the boot controller during boot-time, and prevent access to the first device key in the fuse bank during run-time. The first key RAM controller is arranged to, during boot-time, store the first device key in the first key RAM, and, during run-time, restrict access to the first device key in the first key RAM to exclusive access by the first on-chip processor. The first on-chip processor is arranged to, during run-time, retrieve the first device key from the first key RAM () and use the first device key in the first key-protected processing.

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Tsoram, Israel

Elkana Korem