ethernet RS-232 security communication

hi!

Depends if you have a open or closed system. If you gan get the remote devices through your hands, before they are deployed (closed system) use a symmetric algorithm like AES or RC4. If anybody can buy the devices and add them willy-nilly to the system (open system) a form of PKI may be necessary. SSL is a nightmare on embedded devices and only usefull if you have to connect to an existing infrastrucure.

Wim

I think that if you need SSL, a Linux based SBC might be a good choice, but you will need a significant amounts of RAM, FLASH and processing power to run it.

On the other hand, if you want a simple low cost device you might consider using CS8900 and a processor with a bus interface. Maybe an ARM7 from atmel or Phillips. If you don't mind using single supplier solution, you can look at modules based on Netsilicon processors that include LAN and a RTOS, I think some of them might even do SSL.

regards, Johnny.

It depends on what you mean by "significant amounts of RAM, FLASH and processing power ". A few years ago I got SSL going on a board with a 25MHz Intel 386EX, 8MB Flash and 4MB RAM and the performance was acceptable for the application. Bringing up a connection took a few seconds because the public key encryption wasn't that fast, but once the SSL handshake was out of the way the overhead was a lot less.

I agree, these days I'd look seriously at an ARM with on-chip Ethernet.

regards Charles

I think 4MB RAM is quite a lot. I suspect you needed this mostly becuase you were running Linux, and a many embedded RTOS implementations woud use a small fraction of that.

Agree with which part? That an ARM7 is a good choice in general, or specifically the Netsilicon silicon / development tool package?

Any experience with Netsilicon tools and OS? (I have not).

regards, Johnny.