Digi International has released a new line of cellular routers for critical infrastructure and intelligent traffic system applications. The company said it wants to be the “IoT connectivity player of choice”.
The firm said it is working to “align” enterprise customers and IoT solutions in the of public safety, transportation, smart cities, and retail. Its new TX line, for the transportation space, goes alongside its product groups for industrial (IX), and enterprise (EX).
“We intend to make Digi the IoT connectivity player of choice as the generation of IoT we’ve heard about for years becomes a reality,” said Brian Kirkendall, vice president of product management at Digi International.
The new TX54 and TX64 are the first products in its new TX line of transportation and intelligent traffic system routers. The company is also readying the launch of a new EX12 cellular extender for indoor use cases in the signage, retail, and food service markets.
The TX54 and TX64 are available now; the EX12 will be available in the summer.
The TX64 (pictured left) features dual Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios. “It is an industrial computer with a quad-core 1.9GHz processor, with added routing capabilities,” the company said in a statement. “This creates new capabilities outside that of a traditional router for local file streaming and storage, to facilitate applications such as onsite camera monitoring, emergency response kits, and Wi-Fi for on-board transit applications.”
Digi now has routers that include 5Ge / Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios, Band 71 and CBRS connectivity, which are 5G and FirstNet ready. Digi said its new offerings match the shifting needs of the IoT marketplace.
The TX54, TX64, and EX12 are built on the same Digi Accelerated Linux (DAL) operating system, which now comes with multicasting, additional routing protocols, dual APN capabilities, and suppport for dynamic DNS updates.
Each router also comes with Python built-in, allowing users to add intelligence on the device, from simple scripts to fully-fledged IoT applications. They also feature Digi Remote Manager for centralised device deployment, monitoring and control, and Digi TrustFence as a built-in security framework.
Digi International said in a statement: “In traffic systems, these routers lay the connectivity groundwork needed for traffic monitoring and optimisation for connected and even self-driving car capabilities in the future.
“Dual cellular and dual Wi-Fi makes them ideal for on-transit-vehicle connectivity by both eliminating network downtime with immediate cellular failover and providing simultaneous, firewalled passenger and administrator connectivity to meet the demands of modern riders without jeopardising the transit organisation’s operations.”
