micro-ecc
A small, fast ECDH and ECDSA implementation in C for 8-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit embedded processors.
What is micro-ecc?
micro-ecc is a compact, high-performance cryptographic library implementing Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) and Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). It solves the need for secure key exchange and digital signatures on resource-constrained devices like microcontrollers and embedded systems, where traditional crypto libraries are too large or slow.
Embedded systems developers, IoT engineers, and firmware programmers working on AVR, ARM, or other low-power processors requiring cryptographic functionality.
Developers choose micro-ecc for its minimal code size, side-channel attack resistance, and support for multiple processor architectures—offering a reliable, portable alternative to heavier crypto libraries in constrained environments.
Overview
ECDH and ECDSA for 8-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit processors.
Use Cases
Best For
- Securing communication on 8-bit microcontrollers like AVR
- Implementing ECDH key exchange in IoT devices
- Adding ECDSA signatures to embedded firmware
- Cryptographic operations on ARM Cortex-M series processors
- Projects requiring side-channel resistant elliptic curve cryptography
- Resource-constrained environments where OpenSSL is too large
Not Ideal For
- Servers or applications requiring full TLS/SSL stacks or additional cryptographic algorithms like AES or SHA
- Projects needing modern elliptic curves such as Curve25519 for EdDSA or X25519 for key exchange
- Dynamic systems where flexible memory management is preferred over static allocation
Pros & Cons
Pros
Implements protections against timing and power analysis attacks, as highlighted in the README, ensuring robust security for embedded devices vulnerable to such threats.
Supports 8-bit AVR, 32-bit ARM/Thumb, and 64-bit processors with optional GCC inline assembly, offering performance tweaks for diverse hardware platforms.
Features small code size and no dynamic memory allocation, making it ideal for memory-constrained environments like microcontrollers, as stated in the key features.
Includes support for standard SECG curves (secp160r1 to secp256k1), ensuring interoperability with other cryptographic systems per the README.
Cons
Only provides ECDH and ECDSA implementations, missing other common functions like encryption, hashing, or protocol support, which may require additional libraries.
Requires specific GCC flags for optimal performance on platforms like ARM/Thumb and AVR, such as -fomit-frame-pointer, which can complicate setup for less experienced developers.
Lacks support for modern curves like Curve25519, limiting its relevance in applications that prefer contemporary cryptographic standards over the included SECG curves.
Frequently Asked Questions
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