The MAXQ1103 microcontroller is a low-power, 32-bit RISC device that combines high-performance, singlecycle processing, sophisticated tamper-detection technology, and cryptographic hardware. Advanced security features are designed to meet the stringent requirements of regulations such as ITSEC E3 High, FIPS 140-2 Level 3, and the Common Criteria Certifications. The MAXQ1103 is targeted at electronic commerce, banking, and data security systems that require the highest levels of secure access control, secure data storage, digital signature, or certificate authentication. A secure memory protection unit protects critical internal and external memory against tampering with triple-DES (3DES) encryption. Tamper sensors instantly zeroize critical encryption keys when physical intrusion is detected. A 32-bit MAXQ30 core powers the cryptographically secure MAXQ1103. Applications are supported with 512KB of high-performance internal flash memory for code/data storage and 32KB SRAM. Up to 8MB of additional external program and data memory is supported through a dedicated word-wide memory bus with programmable wait states. Additional peripherals such as serial I/O, 16-bit timers, hardware math accelerator, ISO 7816 UART, and a USB controller increase system utility while reducing component count. System security is enhanced by the addition of highspeed cryptographic hardware accelerators for ECDSA, DSA, RSA, Secure Hash Algorithm, and triplekey 3DES. The embedded hash engine supports multiple hash functions recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The true hardware random-number generator (RNG) supports FIPS 186-2 with an available software library.