Design Article
Maxim SoC targets smart grid security
Anne-Francoise Pele
10/8/2012 11:18 AM EDT
PARIS – Maxim Integrated Products said it has launched Zeus, a smart meter SoC for embedded smart grid equipment that needs to measure and to communicate securely.
Maxim said Zeus supports various security and communication requirements. A built-in cryptographic module secures communication; a secure bootloader prevents unauthorized firmware modification; and tamper detection assures providers that any attempts to physically attack the meter will be detected, recorded, and reported.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Key features:
. Superior metering accuracy: multiple ADC channels each run at 10ksps, offering 0.1 percent accuracy over a 5,000:1 dynamic range
. Future proof to support tomorrow’s applications: uses a 120MHz ARM Cortex M3 application processor and a 40MHz, 32-bit MAXQ30 microcontroller with DSP support for the metering function
. Multicore architecture supports WELMEC separation of legally relevant and irrelevant functions to ease validation

The Zeus platform includes the MAX71616, MAX71617, MAX71636, and MAX71637. Each device contains three computing cores: a 32-bit fixed-point DSP compute engine, a 32-bit MAXQ30 processor dedicated to sensitive metrology tasks and a robust ARM Cortex-M3 responsible for communications and other supervisory tasks.
See related links:
Smart grid security market to be $2 billion by 2016
Europe makes smart grid security recommendations
Architecting the smart grid for security
Modern power line communication for the smart grid
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Maxim said Zeus supports various security and communication requirements. A built-in cryptographic module secures communication; a secure bootloader prevents unauthorized firmware modification; and tamper detection assures providers that any attempts to physically attack the meter will be detected, recorded, and reported.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Key features:
. Superior metering accuracy: multiple ADC channels each run at 10ksps, offering 0.1 percent accuracy over a 5,000:1 dynamic range
. Future proof to support tomorrow’s applications: uses a 120MHz ARM Cortex M3 application processor and a 40MHz, 32-bit MAXQ30 microcontroller with DSP support for the metering function
. Multicore architecture supports WELMEC separation of legally relevant and irrelevant functions to ease validation

The Zeus platform includes the MAX71616, MAX71617, MAX71636, and MAX71637. Each device contains three computing cores: a 32-bit fixed-point DSP compute engine, a 32-bit MAXQ30 processor dedicated to sensitive metrology tasks and a robust ARM Cortex-M3 responsible for communications and other supervisory tasks.
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See related links:
Smart grid security market to be $2 billion by 2016
Europe makes smart grid security recommendations
Architecting the smart grid for security
Modern power line communication for the smart grid
------------------------
If you found this article to be of interest, visit SmartEnergy Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of clean technologies. And, to register to our weekly newsletter, click here.
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