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Hardware suggestion to work on TrustZone in Android

Alberto Maria Scattolo
Note: This was originally posted on 29th August 2011 at http://forums.arm.com

Hi everybody,

For my MSc thesis I have to work on ARM TrustZone and the idea is to use it in Android OS (2.3+). I'm pretty new to this world but reading the forum and the documentation I understand that a dev board (or even a consumer device) powered by a TrustZone capable CPU (Cortex A15, A9, A8, A5 and ARM1176) is not enough to work on TrustZone since it would also requre to have a Protection Controller, an Address Space Controller and a TrustZone "aware" interrupt controller.
So, as fas as I can understand, I think that devices like Google Nexus S, which is powered by a Samsung Hummingbird Cortex-A8, will not guarantee that I can actually work with TrustZone.
- Does this mean I have to use a development board?
- Only development boards by ARM? I've never used a dev board but I see there are a lot of dev board manufacturers.
- Do you have any board to suggest me as candidate for the project? I must work on TrustZone but I also need to run Android.

Thank a lot for you help.
Bests,

Alberto
Parents
  • Note: This was originally posted on 31st August 2011 at http://forums.arm.com

    Hi,

    Along these same lines but probably an even more basic question.  If I refer back to the ARM V7 Architecture Reference to the description of the Security Extensions, they are described as being "Implementation Dependent".   When I look at one of the specific reference manuals for the processors mentioned above ( Cortex A8, A9, etc.)  there doesn't seem to be any doubt that they are there.  My initial interpretation was that it would be up to one of the ARM partners actually implemeting one of the above as to whether or not they wanted to include them.  Now I'm thinking the that it actually means the particular design within the ARM v7 portfolio.   In other words, if someone realizes a Cortex-A8 design, it will have the security extensions.  True?

    Thanks.
Reply
  • Note: This was originally posted on 31st August 2011 at http://forums.arm.com

    Hi,

    Along these same lines but probably an even more basic question.  If I refer back to the ARM V7 Architecture Reference to the description of the Security Extensions, they are described as being "Implementation Dependent".   When I look at one of the specific reference manuals for the processors mentioned above ( Cortex A8, A9, etc.)  there doesn't seem to be any doubt that they are there.  My initial interpretation was that it would be up to one of the ARM partners actually implemeting one of the above as to whether or not they wanted to include them.  Now I'm thinking the that it actually means the particular design within the ARM v7 portfolio.   In other words, if someone realizes a Cortex-A8 design, it will have the security extensions.  True?

    Thanks.
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