1993-11-09 - Info on Clipper chip and fabrication of it

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From: tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: bc345bff2bed172e4f59490467b8eef35256611428b8b685a4c86e3703241cba
Message ID: <199311091947.LAA03093@mail.netcom.com>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1993-11-09 19:48:39 UTC
Raw Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 11:48:39 PST

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From: tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 11:48:39 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Info on Clipper chip and fabrication of it
Message-ID: <199311091947.LAA03093@mail.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Clipperpunks (Not!),

Someone in the know passed on some information to me about the
Clipper/Skipjack stuff. Here it is:

***begin quote***

An ARM processor will be used as a controller inside the Skipjack & ??
chips (don't think it's currently used in Clipper).

VLSI progammable logic (EEprom based?) is used to both
store the keys, and provide some other logic functions, so you can't read
anything if you take the chip apart. I don't think any other exotic
technologies are used. Mykotronix designs the mask- they're fabricated at
VLSI.

***end quote***

We knew all of this, except for the part about the ARM processor
(formerly the "Acorn Risc Machine") being used in the core. The ARM is
a high MIPS-per-watt processor that is being used in the Apple Newton
and the 3DO game machine.

(I'll leave it to you all to construct some theories about what this
might mean--but probably doesn't--for Newtons and 3DO containing
Skipkjack features.)

--Tim May





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