Secure OTA Firmware Update for low-power MCUs

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an innovative framework that allows devices to communicate with sensors, ultimately enhancing human convenience and improving various aspects of daily life. IoT utilizes smart devices and the internet on a global scale to provide innovative solutions to the challenges and problems that organizations, governments, and the private sector encounter. Microcontrollers (MCUs) are the energy-efficient and effective ”brains” of IoT devices. MCU is crucial for controlling sensors, processing data, and serving various purposes in IoT applications. Firmware update of MCUs is essential for bug fixes and feature additions. Over-the-Air (OTA) updates can be used to update the firmware on-field wirelessly. It simple, reliable, cost-efficient, and convenient mechanism to transfer the firmware remotely without having a physical connection. This paper aims to demonstrate an OTA secure firmware update solution via a local network and via the Amazon Web Services(AWS) cloud interface for PSoCTM 62 MCU. A similar approach can be used to develop a firmware update for various other MCUs In this experiment, PSoCTM 62 MCU-based ‘CY8CPROTO-062-4343W’ was used.