Dynamic operating mode and dataset-based register access locking

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC), including multiple registers and functional units for performing operations of the integrated circuit, provides security of register accesses. A bus interface controller coupled to the registers provides read/write access from bus interface. The IC includes a state controller for managing multiple operational modes, and an access control manager coupled to the state controller and the bus interface controller that asserts a dynamic lock over the accesses to the registers according to a selected operating mode and one or more protected addresses of the addressable register space corresponding to the current operating mode. A data screener compares data associated with the read or write accesses to sets of valid or invalid data values for the current operating mode and the protected addresses, and the access control manager permits or denies the read or write accesses in conformity with a result of the comparison.