Broadcom Adds Security to e-Commerce Chip

By
iApplianceWeb
(08/30/01, 09:03:23 AM EDT)

Broadcom Corporation's second-generation e-commerce accelerator, the BCM5821, is now sampling. The chip makes it possible to secure Internet traffic with increased throughput to up to 4000 transactions per second in Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Targeted towards advanced network equipment operating at a 2 gigabit per second transfer rate, it sets a standard for secure Web transactions.

The BCM5821, the newest member of Broadcom's security processor family, is designed for Web switches, content switches, and load balancers, where its high throughput can eliminate bottlenecks created by the computationally-intensive encryption processing of secure transactions by offloading the central processor from these tasks.

The BCM5821 e-Commerce Processor provides all the cryptographic and peripheral support necessary for high-performance SSL/TLS encrypted connections, which rely heavily on RSA transactions. It also provides scalability to many thousands of RSA transactions with the ability to add multiple chips on a blade and use multiple blades in a system. The BCM5821 also accelerates ARCFOUR at 600 Mbps and supports 3DES and DES symmetric algorithms, MD-5, SHA-1 hash algorithms, and random number generation through its 64-bit 33/66 MHz PCI 2.2 interface. For IPsec applications, the BCM5821 is able to support 470 Mbps IPsec bulk payload processing (3DES-CBC, HMAC-SHA-1) and set up 3000 Internet Key Exchange sessions per second.

The highly integrated, single-chip solution requires no external components or memory and is software compatible with all of Broadcom's family of security solutions. Broadcom's cryptographic software reference library includes Linux and VxWorks support for the BCM5821. The chip is designed in a 0.18-micron standard CMOS process. Package options include a 256-pin TBGA or a 324-pin Fine Pitch BGA.

The BCM5821 e-Commerce Processor is sampling now with production quantities scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2001. Sample quantities are priced at $425 each. An evaluation kit, the BCM95821, is also available and comes complete with a BCM5821 evaluation card (PCI card), software drivers, and documentation.

Link:
Broadcom