Protection and licensing of application code in microcontrollers

Microcontrollers, with their constrained processing power, memory, and energy resources, present unique challenges for software protection and licensing. They have limited processing power, yet complex cryptographic algorithms required for robust protection often demand significant computational resources. Storing license data and cryptographic keys can consume valuable memory space, leaving less for the application itself. Cryptographic operations and license verification can be power-hungry, impacting battery life in battery-powered devices. Embedded systems are often physically accessible, making them vulnerable to tampering and reverse engineering.

On top of that, licensing checks and enforcement should not interfere with the microcontroller’s primary tasks, which often have strict timing requirements. Moreover, the overall solution must be cost-effective, considering the typically lower profit margins of microcontroller-based products.

Implementing a secure licensing mechanism requires specialized knowledge and can increase development time and costs. And so, addressing these challenges necessitated an innovative approach to optimize resource utilization and security.