Security features are now expected even in small embedded projects, but many engineers and makers still struggle to translate cryptography theory into working microcontroller code. In Practical Microcontroller Cryptography, Dogan Ibrahim and Ahmet Ibrahim present a hands on guide that connects core cryptographic concepts with real implementations on popular microcontroller platforms.

The focus is practical throughout. Instead of abstract math alone, readers see how encryption, hashing, and key handling can be implemented and tested on resource constrained hardware.

Learning Cryptography with Real Microcontroller Projects

The book starts with classical ciphers, not as historical curiosities, but as teaching tools you can run and modify yourself. A wide range of well known methods are implemented with complete programs on boards such as Arduino Uno and Raspberry Pi Pico.

Readers work through Spartan Scytale, Atbash, Caesar, ROT13, Alberti Disk, Vigenère, Affine, Polybius, Playfair, Beaufort, Ottoman Codebook, and One Time Pad. There are also practical demonstrations showing how classical ciphers can be attacked, helping readers understand why stronger methods are needed.

The Alberti Cipher disk

Random Numbers, AES, and Embedded Constraints

Modern cryptography depends heavily on good randomness and efficient symmetric algorithms. The book explains how to build pseudo random and true random number generators on microcontrollers and how randomness quality affects security.

Symmetric encryption is covered with working implementations of the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in 128 and 256 bit versions. The authors also discuss something often skipped in theory books: the real limits of embedded targets. Memory usage, execution time, and code size are measured and compared, giving a realistic picture of what different algorithms cost on small devices.

DES Block Diagram
AES Block Diagram

 

Public Key Methods and Secure Communication

The later chapters introduce asymmetric cryptography and system level security building blocks. Topics include public and private keys, digital signatures, RSA, SHA 256, and key derivation methods. Each concept is supported with microcontroller oriented examples.

One highlight is a complete secure communication program that combines RSA and AES 256, showing how key exchange and fast symmetric encryption can be used together in a working embedded setup.

From Theory to Secure Firmware

This is a book for readers who want to do more than recognize algorithm names. It is suited for students, hobbyists, and engineers who want to understand how cryptography behaves on real hardware and how to integrate it into their own firmware.

If you have ever wondered how secure messaging, protected storage, or encrypted device links are actually built on small controllers, this is a very practical place to begin experimenting.

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