
HCS410
1997 Microchip Technology Inc.
Preliminary
DS40158B-page 3
1.2
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Code Hopping Encoders
When the HCS410 is used as a code hopping encoder
device, it is ideally suited to keyless entry systems,
primarily for vehicles and home garage door openers. It
is meant to be a cost-effective, yet secure solution to
such systems. The encoder portion of a keyless entry
system is meant to be held by the user and operated to
gain access to a vehicle or restricted area.
Most keyless entry systems transmit the same code
from a transmitter every time a button is pushed. The
relative number of code combinations for a low end sys-
tem is also a relatively small number. These
shortcomings provide the means for a sophisticated
thief to create a device that ‘grabs’ a transmission and
retransmits it later or a device that scans all possible
combinations until the correct one is found.
The HCS410 employs the K
nology and an encryption algorithm to achieve a high
level of security. Code hopping is a method by which
the code transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver
is different every time a button is pushed. This method,
coupled with a transmission length of 69 bits, virtually
eliminates the use of code ‘grabbing’ or code
‘scanning’.
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code hopping tech-
The HCS410 has a small EEPROM array which must
be loaded with several parameters before use. The
most important of these values are:
A 28/32-bit serial number which is meant to be
unique for every encoder
60-bit seed value
A 64-bit encoder key that is generated at the time
of production
A 16-bit synchronization counter value.
Configuration options
The 16-bit synchronization counter value is the basis
for the transmitted code changing for each transmis-
sion, and is updated each time a button is pressed.
Because of the complexity of the code hopping encryp-
tion algorithm, a change in one bit of the synchroniza-
tion counter value will result in a large change in the
actual transmitted code. Once the encoder detects that
a button has been pressed, the encoder reads the but-
ton and updates the synchronization counter. The syn-
chronization counter value, the function bits, and the
discrimination value are then combined with the
encoder key in the encryption algorithm, and the output
is 32 bits of encrypted information (Figure 1-1). The
code hopping portion provides up to four billion chang-
ing code combinations. This data will change with every
button press, hence, it is referred to as the code hop-
ping portion of the code word.
The 32-bit code hopping portion is combined with the
button information and the serial number to form the
code word transmitted to the receiver. The code word
format is explained in detail in Section 2.1.
FIGURE 1-1:
BASIC OPERATION OF A CODE HOPPING TRANSMITTER (ENCODER)
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Encryption
Algorithm
Button Press
Information
EEPROM Array
32 Bits of
Encrypted Data
Serial Number
Transmitted Information
Encoder Key
Sync Counter
Serial Number