CCS News

CCS Programming Solutions Help Prevent Design Theft

Thursday 01 September, 2011

The CCSLoad programmer control software has been enhanced to help companies protect their intellectual property. Beginning with version 4.032, CCSLoad now gives embedded developers the option of generating encrypted hex files for their Microchip PIC® MCU. The encrypted hex file can be distributed to manufacturing sites without fear that it will be disassembled and the source code reverse engineered.

The encrypted hex file is designed to work in tandem with the CCS ICD-U64, MACH X, Load-n-Go and Prime 8 programmers. The programmers work in conjunction with CCSLoad at the manufacturing site, writing the hex file to the target and setting the MCU security bits as specified in the encrypted file. Since there are no intermediate or temporary unencrypted hex files ever present in the host PC's memory, the design is not able to be hacked by interrupting CCSLoad as the PC downloads the hex file.

CCS makes it easy to safeguard your designs...and it is absolutely free to ICD-U64, MACH-X, Load-n-Go and Prime 8 programmer owners. Updated versions of CCSLoad are available online to users wishing to take advantage of this new capability. Download CCSload from www.ccsinfo.com/secure

Don't own a CCS programmer? CCS offers great programmers at incredible prices. And to make our pricing even sweeter, IDE-Compiler owners receive a $50 discount on the Load-n-Go handheld, battery operated ICSP™ programmer/debugger. Use discount code: SECURE