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So then if none of those things are true, wht do FPGA manufacturers keep their bitstream formulas secret?
by c3534l 11y ago
So then if none of those things are true, wht do FPGA manufacturers keep their bitstream formulas secret?
- Aissen 11y agoLawyers. Semiconductor/IP vendors are afraid of anything weakening their IP and patents. This is most of the time not true, but they'd do anything to protect their IP, even if it undermines the business.
- StringyBob 11y agoSadly true. Security by obscurity doesn't work for encryption, but a bit of obfuscation is very good at fending off opportunistic patent trolls. I expect the potential lawyer cost is more than any lost business (see also binary blobs vs open source).
- nickpsecurity 11y agoA hardware guru I know practically specialized in this where they were constantly obfuscating products and R.E.'ing 3rd party stuff they needed to make sure it worked right. He also said his company, in Asia, refused to do business in U.S. due to patent suits. There was plenty money to be made elsewhere with less legal liability past people cloning their products. Hence, his obfuscations.
- sobkas 11y agoVendor lock-in? Because there is no better(sarcasm) strategy in business, than chaining your clients to your toolchain?