FAQ HDL IP Protection


ipencrypter


Q. Which ipencrypter tools are needed by IP authors?
A. IP authors need ipecrypt to encrypt IPs. They may also need ipeproxy to support s/w licenses.

Q. Which ipencrypter tools are needed by EDA tool vendors?
A. Tool vendors need ipeclient to read encrypted IPs.

Q. Can I use IP encrypted with ipecrypt with any EDA tool supporting IEEE Std 1735™-2014 standard?
A. The encrypted IPs are interoperable i.e.they are usable across a set of supported tools from different vendors.

Q. Can I use third-party license manager with ipeproxy?
A. Yes, ipeproxy is designed to integrate with third-party license manager toolkit for licenses.

Q. Which HDL languages are supported by ipencrypter?
A. ipencrypter supports SystemVerilog and VHDL languages. It can encrypt and decrypt IPs written in SystemVerilog and VHDL languages.


Encryption


Q. How can I encrypt RTL source file?
A. The process of encrypting RTL (Verilog or VHDL) source file is described in detail in User Guide: ipecrypt

Q. Do I need a license to encrypt my HDL IP?
A. No, the IP encryption tool ipecrypt is available without any charge. [Download HDL IP Encrypter (ipecrypt)]

Q. Can I encrypt my IP for multiple tool vendors or multiple keys from same vendor?
A. This can be done by adding multiple toolblock sections, one for each vendor. If you need to support multiple keys from same vendor then you need onetoolblock section for each key.

`pragma protect begin_toolblock
...
`pragma protect end_toolblock

`pragma protect begin_toolblock
...
`pragma protect end_toolblock

Decryption

Q. How can EDA tool handle encrypted IPs using ipencrypter?
A. Most of the EDA tools can easily be enhanced to support encrypted IPs. ipencrypterprovides a module ipeclient that can easily be integrated with EDA tool. [Download Trial ipeclient Software]


Licensing

Q. Does ipencrypter support licensing?
A. Yes, ipencrypter supports licensing. IP author can control the accessibility of IP through licensing – decryption and its use at various phases of design.


General


Q. How to get “1735-2014 – IEEE Recommended Practice for Encryption and Management of Electronic Design Intellectual Property (IP)” standard document?
A. The document is available at IEEE website, click the following link.
IEEE Recommended Practice for Encryption and Management of Electronic Design Intellectual Property (IP)