EngineeringComputer EngineeringElectrical EngineeringComputer ArchitectureElectromagneticsPropagationDigital Signal ProcessingElectromagnetic WavesFrequency AnalysisModulationSide-channel AnalysisSignal ProcessingElectromagnetic AnalysisElectromagnetic InterferencePeriodic Signal AnalysisProcessor ArchitectureRadio Frequency Signal Processing
While all computation generates electromagnetic (EM) side-channel signals, some of the strongest and farthest-propagating signals are created when an existing strong periodic signal (e.g. a clock signal) becomes stronger or weaker (amplitude-modulated) depending on processor or memory activity. However, modern systems create emanations at thousands of different frequencies, so it is a difficult, error-prone, and time-consuming task to find those few emanations that are AM-modulated by processor/memory activity.
19