AFMEP Microelectronics Analysis

ObjectSecurity’s AFMEP prototype is an innovative solution to analyze microelectronics circuit boards. It automatically collects relevant information about the analyzed microelectronics device from images and scans of the analyzed device, as well as many public and vendor-provided sources.

Thanks to its automation under the hood and the convenience of the rich user interface, AFMEP makes determining the bill of materials for the circuit board much easier and more reliable. And thanks to its innovative patent-pending technology, AFMEP is in many cases able to confirm automatically that the identified microelectronics parts should be on the analyzed circuit board, and that the analyzed circuit board should be in the analyzed device. Importantly, AFMEP achieves this without the need for a “golden unit”. It also automatically analyzes the risk associated with particular parts.AFMEP brings together a wide range of results and detailed supporting information in an automatically generated report.

The AFMEP Story

ObjectSecurity was selected as a Finalist for its Supply Chain Risk Analysis Management System (SCRAMS) at the “Supply Chain and Provenance Challenge” run by Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) in partnership with AFWERX (idea 4531, viewing requires registration here). The Challenge seeks solutions to solve a problem that exists today around provenance of microelectronics and Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) solutions that the USAF would like to utilize on Air Force Bases and in operational environments.

AFWERX is looking for non-destructive methods, techniques, and tools to trace the parts of any COTS assembly (hardware and software) to prove provenance and suitability for use in military applications in a cost-effective manner. That includes the method of assembly, the source of boards, components, packaging, microchips, intellectual property blocks (or custom designs), process technology, the foundry of origin, raw materials.

After being selected as semi-finalist out of 85 submissions, ObjectSecurity presented their supply chain provenance ideas to an expert team from AFWERX/AFRL on May 30, 2019, and – together with teaming partner Riverside Research – was selected as one of three finalist teams.

ObjectSecurity was part of one of three teams that has been contracted by AFWERX/Defensewerx to develop a showcase prototype and showcased its joint solution with partner Riverside Research at the AFWERX booth at the International Test Conference, Washington D.C., 12-14 November 2019