Ethernet Bridge Goes Beyond The Firewall For Internet Protection

A microcontroller jointly produced by Zilog and Icon Labs features an embedded firewall that offers another layer of security for networked devices. The ZGATE Security Bridge Reference Design, based on Zilog’s eZ80 Acclaim microcontroller and embedded with Icon Labs’ Floodgate technology, helps reduce the incidence of security breaches for products within the defense, telecommunications, utility, transportation, medical, and industrial arenas. Floodgate provides protection by controlling the packets the embedded device is allowed to process. Its filtering engine can block denial-of-service attacks, packet floods, port scans, and other Internet-based threats. The Reference Design includes such features as a ZGATE embedded security firewall; 5-MHz crystal oscillator input; 50-MHz maximum speed via a PLL; 1 Mbyte of external high-speed SRAM; 8 Mbytes of external flash and 8 kbytes of internal RAM; two 10/100BaseT Ethernet PHY with RJ45 connectors; and real-time clock support with backup battery. ZGATE modules measure 50 by 47.5 mm.