The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast #693 – Small Scale Electronics Manufacturing with Colin O’Flynn
May 13, 2025
In this conversation, Colin O’Flynn, a researcher at Dalhousie University and New AE Technology, dives into the world of small-scale electronics manufacturing. He discusses the intricacies of side-channel attacks and innovative security measures, like the OpenTitan project. Colin also shares insights on the challenges posed by the pandemic, the dynamics of local manufacturing, and his experiences with pick-and-place technology. Additionally, he highlights the impact of AI in education and hints at his upcoming book on small-scale production, perfect for tech enthusiasts!
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Episode notes
Side Channel Attacks Explained
- Side channel attacks use physical measurements like power and timing to extract secrets from devices.
- JTAG and data buses can leak info through observable side effects like jitter and power usage variations.
Physics Limits Hardware Security
- Hardware side channel vulnerabilities stem from fundamental physics, like capacitances charging to set bus states.
- Mitigations include dual-rail logic and cryptographic algorithm changes to obfuscate power signatures.
Multiple Ports Leak Secrets
- Side channel attacks can exploit multiple ports beyond power rails, including JTAG and SD card interfaces.
- Clock signals leaking phase jitter become a side channel vector for secret data extraction.
