Fuzzy modular multiplication architecture and low complexity IPR-protection for FPGA technology

The strong possibility of pirating, reengineering and over-deployment is a major impediment to the commercialization of IP-cores in the FPGA design environment. A mechanism for IP-protection based on public key bitstream encryption has previously been proposed. This paper describes a reasonable cost practical realization of the modular multiplication function required for the previously proposed system. A technique called fuzzy modular multiplication is employed to decrease the cost of modular squaring computations required for the public key exchange. An implementation using the Virtex-4 device from Xilinxreg is demonstrated to illustrate the low complexity cost. A refinement of the IP exchange scenario for the proposed IP-protection system is also included in this paper