Secure SOIC Click

How does it work?

Secure SOIC Click is a compact add-on board specifically designed to support Microchip’s CryptoAuthentication™ family of devices, which offer advanced security capabilities including EEPROM storage, certificate handling, consumption logging, and a wide range of secure data configurations. This Click board™ provides flexible communication support through SPI, I2C, and SWI interfaces, making it a versatile solution for various security-critical applications such as Network and IoT node endpoint protection, secure boot implementation, small message encryption, secure key generation for software downloads, ecosystem access control, and anti-counterfeiting mechanisms.

Engineered for complete compatibility, Secure SOIC Click allows any CryptoAuthentication™ IC to operate with full functionality. To achieve this universal support, the board integrates an 8-position DIP switch that enables users to select and route communication lines according to the specific device and application requirements. By adjusting these switches, users can easily configure the board for the desired communication protocol, as indicated by the reference table printed on the back side of the Click. In addition to communication versatility, the board includes an onboard intrusion switch that enhances tamper detection capabilities, as well as solder pads for an external power supply, which are essential for OTP (One-Time Programmable) operations.

Recognizing that several CryptoAuthentication™ devices uses parasitic power supply methods, Secure SOIC Click also incorporates a PWR MODE selection jumper. When this jumper is removed, the board operates in parasitic mode, powering the IC exclusively through its data lines; when placed, the system reverts to standard power operation. The onboard design includes all necessary capacitors, a diode, and carefully calculated pull-up resistors to ensure optimal signal integrity and power stability during parasitic operation. Nevertheless, users may fine-tune component values depending on specific use cases and application demands.

Although the CryptoAuthentication™ chips themselves require only a minimal pin count, the Secure SOIC Click connects all available UART (used for SWI communication), I2C, and SPI lines of the mikroBUS™ socket. This comprehensive connection scheme ensures compatibility with the full range of communication scenarios and device configurations supported by Microchip’s secure IC family, providing developers with a flexible, ready-to-use hardware platform for secure embedded design. Additionally, the board features an SWIO2 switch that allows the SDA/SDI lines from the SOIC socket to be used as SWIO lines, further enhancing its flexibility in supporting single-wire communication configurations.

This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. Also, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Specifications

Pinout diagram

This table shows how the pinout on Secure SOIC click corresponds to the pinout on the mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).

Notes	Pin					Pin	Notes
	NC	1	AN	PWM	16	SW2	SWIO Line
	NC	2	RST	INT	15	GP	General Purpose Input/Output
Chip Select	CS	3	CS	RX	14	TX	SWI Line
SPI Clock	SCK	4	SCK	TX	13	RX	SWI Line
SPI Data Out	SDO	5	MISO	SCL	12	SCL	I2C Clock
SPI Data In	SDI	6	MOSI	SDA	11	SDA	I2C Data
Power Supply	3.3V	7	3.3V	5V	10	5V	Power Supply
Ground	GND	8	GND	GND	9	GND	Ground

Onboard settings and indicators

DIP Switch configuration table

Software support

We provide libraries for all click boards in the Secure family on our LibStock page, as well as a demo application (example), developed using MikroElektronika compilers. The demo can run on all the main MikroElektronika development boards. However, due to many different ICs compatible with Secure SOIC click, the existing libraries from the other Secure family click boards may be used.

Secure SOIC click comes with the ATSHA204A IC included in the package.

For more information about the individual integrated circuits, features, libraries and examples, visit the desired web page, linked below, depending of the chip being used:

• ATSHA204A-SSHCZ-T - used on Secure 6 Click

Additional notes and informations

Depending on the development board you are using, you may need USB UART click, USB UART 2 click or RS232 click to connect to your PC, for development systems with no UART to USB interface available on the board. The terminal available in all MikroElektronika compilers, or any other terminal application of your choice, can be used to read the message.