A Low-Cost High-Performance Montgomery Modular Multiplier Based on Pipeline Interleaving for IoT Devices

Abstract

Modular multiplication is a crucial operation in public-key cryptography systems such as RSA and ECC. In this study, we analyze and improve the iteration steps of the classic Montgomery modular multiplication (MMM) algorithm and propose an interleaved pipeline (IP) structure, which meets the high-performance and low-cost requirements for Internet of Things devices. Compared to the classic pipeline structure, the IP does not require a multiplexing processing element (PE), which helps shorten the data path of intermediate results. We further introduce a disruption in the critical path to complete an iterative step of the MMM algorithm in two clock cycles. Our proposed hardware architecture is implemented on Xilinx Virtex-7 Series FPGA, using DSP48E1, to realize the multiplier. The implemented results show that the modular multiplication of 1024 bits by 2048 bits requires 1.03 μs and 2.13 μs, respectively. Moreover, our area–time–product analysis reveals a favorable outcome compared to the state-of-the-art designs across a 1024-bit and 2048-bit modulus.