Secure microcontroller simplifies EMV contactless payment terminals

Manufacturers of mPOS terminals, ATM keyboards, EMV card readers, contact/contactless pin pads, and other mobile payment devices can now save PCB space and reduce the BOM, while bringing their products to market faster with the MAX32560 DeepCover secure microcontroller from Maxim Integrated Products. The device embeds all the security features required to address stringent PCI-PTS requirements, including active tamper protection, scrambling keypad for PIN handling, and a secure cryptographic engine. It integrates a number of analog interfaces to reduce the PCB footprint, including a full EMV contactless reader interface, two EMV smart card interfaces, a DSP-based high performance magnetic stripe reader, two-channel ADC, and a DAC. The device offers 1MB of embedded flash memory, 384KB of SRAM, and 8KB of secure NVSRAM. The memory can be further expanded through external fast serial flash memories via a flexible QuadSPI controller with XiP, and can quickly read and decrypt code or data using an on-the-fly AES engine. For communication interfaces, it provides a USB device port, three SPI controllers, two UARTs, and two I²C controllers. It is available in a 9mm x 9mm BGA144 package and operates across the -40C to +85C temperature range. “Achieving a level of integration that has never been done before, the MAX32560 is the first single chip solution that brings together the functions and interfaces required to build new generations of trusted devices for EMV contactless, smart, and magnetic stripe cards,” said Gregory Guez, director, embedded security, Maxim Integrated. “Because the MAX32560 comes with a pre-certified EMV-L1 contact and contactless software stack, it can be quickly deployed to new designs. To empower our customers with a turnkey solution, Maxim teamed with Alcineo to provide EMV-L2 stack support.” “In a constantly evolving payment industry, Alcineo is working with Maxim to help our customers develop the safest and most innovative devices,” said Arnaud Corria, CEO at Alcineo. “The MAX32560 combines a new level of functionality with the highest level of security for modern financial pin pad and mPOS products.”