We’ve posted a number of articles lately about security in general and the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) specifically. The TPM standard defines a hardware root of trust, which is widely accepted as being more secure than a software approach and is generally employed in conjunction with software, thereby enabling those software-based features.
Due to the ongoing concern around security and root of trust, WINSYSTEMS adds TPM 2.0 to most of its newer CPU board designs. For example, the WINSYSTEMS SBC35-427 SBC features the Intel Atom® E3900 series SoC processor (formerly the Apollo Lake-I) with a soldered down TPM 2.0 chip, which establishes the root of trust for hardware deployment.
It’s well known that security starts with the hardware root of trust. And pairing with Processors that offer advanced software security options provides a powerful yet secure starting point for small form-factor designs that are size, weight and power (SWaP) optimized for applications in the industrial and Mil/COTS arenas.
The SBC35-427 boasts a combination of off-the-shelf functionality with multiple expansion and configuration options and a very low profile, making it a great fit for industrial IoT installations such as transportation where SWaP is important for retrofitting vehicles, particularly where fanless operation is needed for operating in industrial temperatures ranges, from -40°C to +85°C.
Note that TPM 2.0 isn’t just for X86-based designs. WINSYTEMS employs the solution on its Arm-based offering, the ITX-P-C444 Arm-based single board computer. This SBC fits an industrial Pico-ITX form factor and is designed with the powerful NXP i.MX8M processor. Other features include dual Ethernet, industrial I/O, and a host of expansion options. The tiny Pico-ITX 100mm x 72mm form factor performs at industrial operating temperatures with the heat spreader provided.
As we have come to learn, you can pack in whatever features you desire. But if your system isn’t secure, it doesn’t matter. Look for SBCs that include TPM 2.0 and provide the small form factor design to meet your SWaP requirements.