Green Hills Software has announced secure virtualisation support for the multicore OMAP 4 applications processor from Texas Instruments.
It is aimed at smartphones running Android or Windows.
The Integrity Secure Virtualization (ISV) for the OMAP 4 platform uses TI’s built-in M-Shield technology, which is based on ARM TrustZone technology.
“ISV creates a partition between security and real-time critical applications hosted by the Integrity real-time operating system and a general purpose multimedia OS such as Android, Meego, or Windows,” said Green Hills.
ISV consists of a certified operating system coupled with facilities to execute one or more guest operating systems on TrustZone technology-enabled SoCs.
There is also a communications interface for the normal zone to request services of the secure zone.
“This architecture enables security and reliability-critical applications to safely execute with guaranteed memory, CPU time resources, and device access control, regardless of what is happening in the normal zone,” said Green Hills.
According to David Kleidermacher, chief technology officer at Green Hills Software: “This solution enables end users to trust their mobile devices for powerful next-generation features, such as in-person proofing, mobile money, sensitive information processing, and remote control of automobile functions.”
“When seeking complementary solutions for TI’s OMAP 4 platform virtualization capabilities, we look for smaller embedded hypervisor footprints to optimize processor efficiency in mobile devices,” said Robert Tolbert, director of product management, OMAP smartphone business line at TI.
See: Unlock the power of multicore, says Green Hills Software