Abstract: An active security tag is embedded within the digital logic of an electronic design for logic destined for an integrated circuit such as an FPGA. The security tag includes security tag data which permits identification of the electronic design, and facilitates efforts to enforce copyrights in the designs. The security tag also includes a transmitter designed to covertly transmit security tag data to a receiver. Other information, such as error information and status information about the integrated circuit may also be transmitted. The transmitted information is concealed from detection by being hidden within background noise signals or other signals created by normal usage of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A field programmable gate array has security configuration features to prevent monitoring of the configuration data for the field programmable gate array. The configuration data is encrypted by a security circuit of the field programmable gate array using a security key. This encrypted configuration data is stored in an external nonvolatile memory. To configure the field programmable gate array, the encrypted configuration data is decrypted by the security circuit of the field programmable gate array using the security key stored in the artwork of the field programmable gate array. The secret key consists of a number of bits of key information that are embedded within the photomasks used in manufacture the FPGA chip.

Abstract: A field programmable gate array (70) has security configuration features to prevent monitoring of the configuration data for the field programmable gate array. The configuration data is encrypted by a security circuit (64) of the field programmable gate array using a security key (62). This encrypted configuration data is stored in an external nonvolatile memory (32). To configure the field programmable gate array, the encrypted configuration data is decrypted by the security circuit (64) of the field programmable gate array using the security key stored in the field programmable gate array.