Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the industry's first secure MultiMediaCard as a flash
card for storing digital contents requiring content protection, for music distribution and
similar applications. Sample shipments of the 16-Mbyte HB288016SM1 will begin in August 2000.
This new product employs the UDAC-MB*1 general-purpose content protection technology
jointly developed by Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Fujitsu Limited, and Hitachi, Ltd., to achieve
stringent security. It is also upward-compatible with the MultiMediaCard(TM)*2 standard, and
is of the same size, including thickness.
The new card comes in a range of seven colors-silver, beige, orange, pink, blue, white, and
purple-as a fashionable content recording card for the "Keitaide-Music"*3 music distribution
system for mobile phones.
Background
With the explosive growth of the Internet and the widespread personal use of PCs, mobile phones,
and similar products, various kinds of digital information are beginning to be distributed
using this new approach. Music information distribution, in particular, is expected to be
handled more and more 1) via the Internet and 2) via mobile phone carriers, in addition to
traditional retail media such as CDs.
However, this kind of distribution has not been fully developed due to concerns over copyright
infringements by illegal copying, and so forth. At present, the SDMI (Secure Digital Music
Initiative)*4 is moving ahead with the establishment of content protection technology standards
to prevent such illegal activities in the area of music downloading and distribution to personal
computers from the Internet.
Focusing on the mobile phone market, with its fast-growing number of subscribers and increasing
variety of high-speed distribution services, Sanyo Electric, Fujitsu, and Hitachi developed the
"Keitaide-Music" content distribution system, optimized for distribution networks and mobile
phones, as announced in the press last year. This has now been followed by the development of
a 16-Mbyte secure MultiMediaCard as a flash card based on this standard.
Secure MultiMediaCard
The new product contains flash memory and a controller in a single chip. The flash memory used
is 0.25 ¦Ìm, 128-Mbit AND-type, employing Multi-Level Cell technology*5, that allows
dimensions to be minimized, while the controller employs a Hitachi SuperH(TM)*6 RISC
microcomputer as its CPU core for high-speed encryption processing.
The main features of the new product are as follows.
1. Built-in high-speed security functions
A high degree of security is achieved, based on the UDAC-MD system. The card itself has
encryption/decryption functions, and is also provided with a TRM area*7 that allows license
keys*8, etc., used in encryption/decryption to be stored in a secure area within the card.
Moreover, the security level required by music distribution systems is achieved by the addition of
a content protection related command set*9.
2. Compatibility with current MultiMediaCards
The new product maintains upward-compatibility with MultiMediaCards, using not only the
same functions, but also identical dimensions, including thickness. This means that this
secure MultiMediaCard can be used not only in new products that require content protection
functions, but also in current products using MultiMediaCards. As with conventional
MultiMediaCards, 2.7 V to 3.6 V low-voltage operation is possible, and the industry's highest
speed levels are achieved,
with a reading speed of 14 Mbits/sec and a writing speed of 3 Mbits/sec. Seven pins are used,
with the same pin arrangement as conventional MultiMediaCards.
Work will continue on increasing memory capacity, with the development of 32 M-byte/64-
Mbyte products, and also on improving the writing speed.
This secure MultiMediaCard specification has been proposed to the MultiMediaCard
Association*10 by Infineon Technologies AG of Germany, Sanyo Electric, and Hitachi, as an
open standard for MultiMediaCards with a content protection function. This technology allows
flexible provision not only for music distribution applications, but also for the storage and
distribution of various kinds of contents requiring content protection measures, including
books and images.
Notes:
1.UDAC-MB (Universal Distribution with Access Control - Media Base): A content protection
technology that implements user-friendly legal copying and legal playback when contents are
distributed to secure MultiMediaCards, etc., and exchanged between users.
2.MultiMediaCard is a trademark of Infineon Technologies AG of Germany.
3.Keitaide-Music: A technical specification for a system that distributes music to mobile and
PHS phones, developed jointly by Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., and Fujitsu
Limited.
The "Keitaide-Music" standard is based on the UDAC-MB general-purpose content protection
technology developed by the three companies, and comprises security guidelines, a protocol
specification, a secure MultiMediaCard specification, and a download and playback system
specification.
4.SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative): A group formed in February 1999 to coordinate
technology specifications for protecting digital music distribution from illegal copying,
cmprising more than 110 companies including content holders such as RIAA (Record Industry
Association of America) together with hardware, software, and systems related companies.
The SDMI has already published "SDMI Portable Device Specification Part 1 Version 1.0" which
stipulates technical specifications for playback type portable players.
(http://www.sdmi.org/)
5.Multi-Level Cell technology: A technology that is effective in reducing chip size, and is
suitable for future large-capacity flash memories. In contrast to the two threshold levels
(0 and 1) of normal memory, four threshold levels (00, 01, 10, and 11) are used, enabling
one cell to do the work of two cells.
6.SuperH is a trademark of Hitachi, Ltd.
7.TRM (Tamper Resistant Module): Tamper resistant technology physically and logically
prevents internal analysis of, or tampering with, a semiconductor chip. A tough and highly
viscous coating may be applied to the inside of the chip, so that if the surface is peeled
off, the internal circuitry will be totally destroyed, for example, or dummy wiring may be used.
¡¡ A TRM is a silicon area, or card area, formed or configured using this technology.
8.License key: Information whereby a key for unlocking encrypted contents is encrypted with a
public key, etc., unique to the medium to which distribution is performed. The license key is
purchased via a network, etc., or recorded in a secure MultiMediaCard by legal transfer.
In playback, encrypted contents can only be decrypted after secure transfer to a legal decode
chip.
9.Content protection related command set: An encryption related command set provided
exclusively for secure MultiMediaCards for content protection. Instructions such as ENCRYPT
and DECRYPT are included.
10.MultiMediaCard Association: A standardization group for MultiMediaCards and proposed
secure MultiMediaCards, the world's smallest class of currently available flash cards.
The MultiMediaCard Association currently has approximately 70 member companies.
< Typical Applications >
All kinds of personal devices that handle digital information requiring content protection
Mobile phones with music download/playback functions, portable music players, toys, game
machines, and similar portable entertainment products
Digital video cameras, digital cameras, and similar portable imaging systems
Portable information devices such as palm-size PCs and electronic organizers
Portable communication products such as smart phones and pagers
< Prices in Japan > (For Reference)
Part Number Capacity Price
HB288016SM1 16 Mbytes Open price
< Specifications >
Item Specifications
Memory capacity 16 Mbytes
InterfaceMulti MediaCard
SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)
System performance Reading: 14 Mbits/sec typ. (multi-block read)
Writing: 3 Mbits/sec typ. (multi-block write)
Power supply specifications Operating voltage: 2.7 V to 3.6 V
Read current: 40 mA
Write current: 40 mA
Read/write specifications 512-byte block reads/writes
Multi-block reads/writes also possible
Operating temperature range -25¡ëC to +85¡ëC
Package dimensions 32 mm x 24 mm x 1.4 mm, 7 pins
* Same pin arrangement as MultiMediaCard
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