This chapter continues our custom security hardware journey by using a BeagleBone Black (BBB) cape. In BeagleBone parlance, a cape is a daughterboard that attaches to the BBB. We'll briefly introduce hardware cryptographic devices and then explore the CryptoCape, which is a BBB cape containing numerous security features. We'll describe the process of creating your own cape using the CryptoCape as an example. This chapter introduces the crypto chips on the cape and shows you how to implement a biometric authentication device using the CryptoCape and a fingerprint scanner.
This chapter will discuss the following topics:
The pros and cons of hardware-based cryptography
An overview of the CryptoCape
How cape EEPROMs enable automatic hardware configuration on the BBB
How to use the CryptoCape's real-time clock
How to program an ATmega328p from BBB
How to implement a biometric authentication system