Secure multi-rail control for sparsely encoded signals

Abstract

Techniques, apparatuses, and systems for secure multi-rail control for sparsely encoded signals are disclosed. Integrated circuits (ICs) may transmit various signals to manage interactions between circuit components of the IC. These critical signals are common targets for malicious attacks because, when altered, they can cause the IC to perform differently than is intended, and in some cases, bypass security measures. While various strategies may be used to protect against these attacks, modern circuit synthesis tools may optimize away these security measures, leaving the IC vulnerable to manipulation. In contrast, the secure multi-rail control for sparsely encoded signals described herein utilizes multiple rails to transmit sparsely encoded critical signals. Each rail may be controlled by a separate finite state machine (FSM) to reduce vulnerabilities that may arise due to circuit synthesis, provide an adjustable solution that may be leveraged differently based on implementation, and provide comportability to different ICs.