Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a microprocessor (1), a memory (2) and one or more internal peripherals (3) connected, firstly, to one another and, secondly, to circuits external (4) to this integrated circuit by means of connections circuits (5). The peripherals comprise circuits called options circuits (6) enabling the operation of these peripherals to be configured. For an operating session corresponding to putting of the integrated circuit into service, the operations of these peripherals are defined as a function of information elements stored in the the first part of the memory (7). The memory also has a second part (8) designed to store instructions that can be executed by the microcontroller. This configuration of the peripherals takes place when the integrated circuit is put into service, by the linking of said peripherals to said first part of the memory. This memory is of the programmable type.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for protecting a write operation of a memory cell within an integrated circuit that comprises the introduction of a random period (d1) between the reception of an external write command and the application of a physical variable to the memory cell so as to thwart the determination of the applied waveform characteristics as a function of time of this physical variable. The present invention also concerns an integrated circuit that comprises a memory whose write operation is protected according to this method. An application of the present invention is in the domain of chip carrying cards, i.e. smartcard applications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to test the running of a program of instructions encoded on one or more words, carried out by an integrated circuit, the program being contained in a memory connected to a central processing unit by means of an instruction address bus. A stack of registers is formed and this stack is connected to the instruction address bus in such a way that the address of the first word of each instruction carried out is stored in the stack at the time when it is carried out.