The application security unit (ASU) is based on a MicroBlaze RISC-V processor module with several security units, streaming DMA, and a key transfer pathway to the PMCs security logic. The main purpose of the ASU is to accelerate crypto operations and to act as the key storage unit for runtime applications running in the APU, RPU, or processors instantiated within the PL. The ASU firmware is loaded during the boot process by the PLM firmware. This is done in a secure manner with authentication and/or decryption.
For more information, refer to ASU Subsystem section in Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 and Prime Series Gen 2 Technical Reference Manual (AM026).