Smartcard Platform Boasts Direct Java Byte-Code Execution

By combining direct execution of Java byte-codes with a powerful native RISC instruction set, the 32-bit SmartJ smartcard platform can offer what's claimed as significant performance advantages over alternative approaches that emulate the Java instruction set, while retaining the benefits of native RISC mode for cryptographic and operating system support. The platform also includes a new development methodology that allows rapid product development without compromising security.
At the heart of the platform is the ST22 microprocessor, a 32-bit RISC architecture specifically developed to provide fast execution of Java. The chip achieves this by augmenting its own native RISC instruction set with a hardware decoder that directly converts Java byte-codes into native microcode instructions. The processor core is complemented by on-chip ROM, RAM and up to 128 kbytes of EEPROM.