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Advanced INFOSEC Machine
AIM was a highly programmable embeddable cryptographic unit, developed
my Motorola in the late 1990s. It consisted of a hardware
platform with a 9-million transistor custom-built cryptographic processor (AIM)
and a Secure Operating System (SOS) that allowed multiple channels with
different types of encryption to be used simultaneously. It had the potential
to replace many existing encryption solutions with a single device.
In 2000, AIM was approved by the NSA as a Type-1
cryptographic device.
In 2001, the Integrated Information Systems Group (IISG) of Motorola
was taken over by General Dynamics (GD),
where it was integrated with General Dynamics C4 Systems. The company has
since introduced the more advanced AIM II processor.
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According to Motorola, AIM was one of the most revolutionary developments
in the world of cryptography at the time [1].
AIM basically consisted of a custom-built VLSI chip with approx. 9 million
transistors, running at 30MHz. It was capably of encoding/decoding up to
1024 individual data channels simultaneously at 100Mb/s.
AIM was highly configurable and the device was unclassified until programmed.
The image on the right shows an early prototype of the AIM chip as it was
released on Motorola's website at the time. The chip contains the necessary
building blocks to create state-of-the-art encryptions algorithms such
as SAVILLE,
BATON and DES, using the three built-in cryptographic engines
(PCE, CCE and KMCE). Each engine is based on RISC architecture.
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The chip was designed to support a host of legacy protocols and algorithms,
including DS-101, DS-102
and full support for a Crypto Ignition Key (CIK).
Standard cryptographic algorithms can be implemented with a varying deree
of performance, allowing backwards compatibility with existing equipment.
In addition, the chip can be programmed freely, allowing future algorithms
to be added later.
Around the same time, a similar crypto-chip, called GCD,
was developed in Europe.
The simple block diagram above shows an example in which AIM is used
to encode/decode three legacy protocols simultaneously using two
external (de)multiplexers whith full RED/BLACK separation.
In this case, two data algorithms are used (KG-194 and KG-84)
whilst a SAVILLE
voice channel [10] is processed at the same time.
Context switching is fully supported by the AIM chip.
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Development of the AIM started in the mid-1990s at Motorola's System
Solutions Group.
On 28 October 1998 it was announced that the new chip was working and that
it had been demonstrated to communicate with two independant US Government
Type-1 link encryptors (probably KG-81,
KIV-19
or KIV-7)
simultaneously [4].
As it was Motorola's intention to make AIM available world-wide, they
applied for an export licence in 1999.
On 13 July 1999, the US' top two law enforcement officals,
Attourney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh,
strongly objected against this and adviced Congress not to lift
any export restrictions [5]. According to them, it would enable
terrorists, drug trafficers and child pornographers to use strong
voice and data encryption, which would have a devastating effect
on law enforcement and damage national security.
Despite these strong objections, the Department of Commerce
(DoC) lifted the export restrictions on 21 July,
by giving it a favorable commodity classification (5A992) [6].
As a result, AIM became available to third parties world-wide,
allowing companies to export products that incorporated AIM
without having to invoke strong export controls.
Motorola subsequently released a series of development tools
allowing third parties to develop AIM-based products.
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Later that year (September '99) it was announced that Lockheed
Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems had awarded Motorola a $23.2 million
contract to update the Cryptographic Security Module (CSM) in
F-22 Advanced Tactical Fighers (ATF) with the Advanced INFOSEC Machine
(AIM) [7].
The AIM became available in the so-called SEM-E packaging
and was eventually integrated into the KOV-5, a plug-in upgrade for
the existing COMSEC equipment in the F-22, shown in the image
on the right.
The KOV-5 had already been announced by Motorola a few years earlier
(in 1997) in an advert in Flight International [9].
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In January 2000, AIM was finally approved by the NSA
as a Type-1 Encryption Product, which Motorola announced in a press release [8].
Strangely, this was the last public announcement about AIM,
which should probably been seen in the light of the 9-11 attacks (11 September 2001).
After the last press release in 2000, the website was moved to a different
location and was no longer updated. Eventually, in late February 2002,
the website dissappeared completely.
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- AIM Development Card
The AIM Development Card (ADC) was a PCI extension card that fitted a standard
Personal Computer (PC). It was used in conjunction with the AIM Evaluation Kit
and the AIM Development Platform (see below).
- AIM Evaluation Kit
The AIM Evaluation Kit (AEK) was a collection of hardware and software which
allowed users to explore the features of the AIM and test and demonstrate the
chip.
- AIM Development Platform
The AIM Development Platform (ADP) contained all of the hardware and software
that was needed to develop a working product, program the embedded VLSI part and
run the necessary emulations.
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- Multiple channels (up to 1024)
- Multiple algorithms (up to 8)
- Many algorithms pre-coded
- Legacy algorithms
- PKE algorithms (public key)
- Key management
- Built-in Random Number Generator (RNG)
- Type-1 to Type-4 encryption product
- Built-in Secure Operating System (SOS)
- High speed
- Low power
- 2 x Full-duplex serial I/O (RS232, RS422, etc.)
- Configurable 32-bit parallel I/O
- DS-101 and DS-102 compatible
- Crypto Ignition Key (CIK) interface
- Math Accelerator for PKE
- 32-bit RISC processor
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The table below shows the performace of some well-known algorithms
as a percentage of the input clock rate. Please note that different
versions of AIM may run at different clock speeds. As an example,
running BATON at 10MHz, produces an encryption rate of 12.9Mb/s.
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- BATON: 129%
- PHALANX: 139%
- DES (64-bit): 76%
- Tripple DES (3DES): 25%
- ACCORDION: 28%
- SAVILLE: 4%
- KEESEE: 100%
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The following cryptographic algorithms are supported by AIM [11]:
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- Accordion
- AES (AIM)
- Baton
- Crayon
- DES, 3DES
- DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm)
- Firefly
- Jackknife
- Keesee
- Mark XII (Cadmus)
- Medley
- Phalanx
- Saville
- SHA-1/256/384/512
- Vallor
- Walburn
- Weasel
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AIM II is compatible and interoperable with the following devices and
techniques [11]:
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AIM
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Advanced INFOSEC Machine
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VLSI
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Very Large Scale Integration
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- Motorola Inc. AIM Website 'www.aim.motorola.com'
As of February 2002 no longer available.
- Motorola Inc., AIM Brochure
RC-115-4001A. 18-page full-colour brochure. USA, 1999.
- Motorola Inc., AIM Leaflet
R3-115-4002A. 2-page full-colour leaflet. USA, 1999.
- Motorola, Advance Crypto Engine Revs Up System Operation of Motorola's New Programmable Advanced INFOSEC Machine, AIM
Motorola press release, 28 October 1998.
Retrieved October 2012.2
- Motorola, Reno and Freeh Oppose Easing Export Controls on Encryption
Motorola press release, 13 July 1999.
Retrieved October 2012.2
- Motorola, Motorola Crypto Platform Receives Favorable Export Classification
Motorola press release, 21 July 1999.
Retrieved October 2012.2
- Motorola, Motorola Crypto Device to Secure Communications for F-22 Figher
Motorola press release, 13 September 1999.
Retrieved October 2012.2
- Motorola, Motorola Crypto Platform Receives NSA Type 1 Certification
Motorola press release, 19 January 2000.
Retrieved October 2012.2
- Flight International, The F-22 Story
9-15 April 1997. p. 5.
Retrieved October 2012 from the 'www.flightglobal.com' website.
- Crypto Museum, SAVILLE, NSA Type-1 cryptographic algorithm
Website. December 2011.
- General Dynamics, Advanced INFOSEC Machine (AIM)
March 2008. Retrieved March 2013.
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Motorola's website that contained information about AIM is no longer
available.
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Retrieved by means of WayBack Machine.
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Any links shown in red are currently unavailable.
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© Copyright 2009-2013, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Monday, 04 March 2013 - 15:23 CET
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