Routers and software for IoT and 5G signage

Routers and software announced by Digi International address IoT connectivity and 5G for retail, digital signage, transportation and smart cities.

The new releases are the Digi TX54 and Digi TX64, the initial products in the TX line of transportation and intelligent traffic system routers. There is also the Digi EX12 cellular extender which joins the Digi EX15 for indoor signage, retail and food service applications.

Digi’s portfolio now has routers that include 5Ge / Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios, Band 71 and CBRS connectivity, 5G readiness, and are FirstNet Ready.

Supported devices can also use the Digi Core plug-in module, to adapt to the LTE standard.

Digi’s TX54, TX64 and EX12 are all built on Digi Accelerated Linux (DAL). This secure operating system adds multi-casting, expands routing protocols, and – critical for transportation applications – offers dual APN capabilities and supports dynamic DNS updates.

They also all share Edge Compute, which combined with the integral Python, allows users to add intelligence on the device. This can be from simple scripts to IoT applications.

They all also have Digi Remote Manager for centralised device deployment, monitoring and control. With Digi Remote Manager, organisations can automate firmware, software and configuration updates of all units in the field for asset tracking and compliance, including security protection. It is also available as an Android or iPhone mobile app.

Digi TrustFence is a built-in security framework, which protects internal and external I/O ports to prevent unwanted local intrusion. Digi TrustFence also provides data authentication and device identity management options. It uses the latest encryption protocols for data in motion and over-the-air (OTA) transmissions to ensure the integrity of data flowing across a network.

Designed for transportation, intelligent traffic system (ITS), and public safety applications, the Digi TX54 and Digi TX64 can be used in traffic systems for traffic monitoring and optimisation for connected and even self-driving vehicles, in the future. Dual cellular and dual Wi-Fi makes them suitable for on-transit-vehicle connectivity; eliminating network downtime with immediate cellular failover and providing simultaneous, firewalled passenger and administrator connectivity.

Additionally, the Digi TX64 with its dual Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios is ready for 5G as part of AT&T’s 5G rollout. This industrial computer has a Quad-core 1.9GHz processor, with added routing capabilities. It can be used for onsite camera monitoring, emergency response kits, and Wi-Fi for on-board transit applications, in addition to file streaming and storage.

The EX12 is Digi’s most affordable cellular extender for low to medium bandwidth applications, including business continuity, point of sale, and digital signage connectivity in retail and primary LTE connectivity in kiosks, ATMs, and lottery machines.

The TX54 and TX64 are available now. The EX12 will be available by this summer.

http://www.digi.com

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Chipset family supports 6GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi 6E

Equipped with an architecture designed to maximise use of the 6GHz band, the QCS-AX2 chipset family is optimised for high-throughput Wi-Fi applications, such as access points, gateways, and mesh networking solutions for dense environments and under-served areas, says ON Semiconductor.

The QCS-AX2 supports the 6GHz spectrum band based on the enhanced Wi-Fi 6E standard. The chipset is built on an integrated baseband and RF architecture that supports key Wi-Fi 6E features, such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), advanced multi-user, multi-input, multi-output (MU-MIMO), 160MHz channel support for faster speeds and SmartScan channel selection.

The family consists of the QCS-AX2-A12, tri-band (6GHz/5GHz/2.4GHz) with AdaptivMIMO technology. It supports flexible 8×8 or 4×4 configurations, the QCS-AX2-T12, a tri-band concurrent 4×4 operation for high performance, cost-effective router solutions, says ON Semiconductor, and the QCS-AX2-T8, a tri-band concurrent eight-stream configuration for mesh nodes and mainstream access points.

The Federal Communications Commission anticipates the opening of the 6GHz band in the US later this year, with up to 1,200MHz of newly available spectrum to be designated for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use. With almost five times more spectrum than the current 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands combined, the 6GHz band is accelerating the development of Wi-Fi 6 applications. The 6GHz client ecosystem will take time to build but the Wi-Fi infrastructure devices, such as gateways, routers, and access points will need to continue to support existing dual band (2.4GHz/5GHz) clients.

ON Semiconductor’s Wi-Fi 6E products accommodate the transition to the 6GHz band with AdaptivMIMO technology. A Wi-Fi 6E infrastructure device with AdaptivMIMO allows the network to operate in the 5GHz or 6GHz band depending on the clients present in a subscriber’s home network to maximise performance, coverage, and utilisation. The QCS-AX2 series provides the Wi-Fi performance and connectivity in congested environments to multiple devices that applications demand.

ON Semiconductor is now sampling the QCS-AX2 solutions to customers.

http://www.onsemi.com

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Bridgetek adds PanL relay to control smart devices

Bridgetek has added the PanL relay to its PanL home automation connectivity platform for the control of smart devices.

According to the company, it brings greater functionality to installed systems to increase levels of comfort. It can deliver smart switching capabilities, via one of the system’s PanL human machine interface (HMI) touch displays. Incorporating PanL relays in a home automation implementation will allow users to be able to activate or deactivate domestic appliances and other items of electrical equipment (like fans, lamps and outdoor heaters).

The relays are contained within compact, low profile enclosures, measuring 145.7 x 96.7 x 29.5mm. Each has a 100MHz-rated, 32-bit FT903 RISC microcontroller, four standard electromechanical relays for conventional control requirements and four solid state relays for controlling higher power electrical devices. All relays have corresponding status indicators, so that users can see what is being controlled.

PanL Relay units can be powered from a 16 to 24V DC supply. They connect directly, via RS485 interfaces to the PanL hub which is at the centre of the home automation system. It is possible to daisy chain multiple units together, for large-scale implementations where more capacity is required (such as residential complexes or office buildings).

The PanL relays are CE- and FCC-compliant.

Founded in 2016, Bridgetek supplies ICs and board level products. The company’s Embedded Video Engine (EVE) graphic controller ICs integrate display, audio and touch functionality in a single chip to reduce the time period and bill-of-materials costs associated with developing next generation HMI systems. These are complemented by its speed-optimised microcontrollers with augmented connectivity features.

http://www.brtchip.com

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Sub-compact board has desktop system flexibility, says Aaeon

Powered by eighth generation Intel Core processors, the Gene-WHU6 is the latest compact board from Aaeon. It is built for full-sized applications, says the company, with full-sized functionality and is able to deliver the flexibility of a desktop system in a compact form factor.

The GENE-WHU6 is powered by eighth Generation Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and Celeron processors (formerly Whiskey Lake) and combines this processing power with up to 32Gbyte of DDR4 SODIMM RAM.

It is designed for full-sized functionality, with a full set of I/O features, including four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and up to two COM ports supporting RS-232/ RS-422/ RS-485. The Gene-WHU6 also offers flexibility with display ports, featuring HDMI 2.0, VGA and LVDS. A full-sized mPCIe slot and two M.2 slots (one 2280 B Key and one 2230 E Key) allow for expandability. The Gene-WHU6 supports artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator modules, such as Aaeon’s Kneron KL520 NPU modules or the AI Core X family featuring Intel Movidius Myriad X.

The Gene-WHU6 is built to power embedded applications and is designed for tough conditions, says Aaeon. It has a wide voltage input (9.0 to 36V) and a wide operating temperature range (0 to 60 degrees C). These attributes, combined with the compact 3.5-inch form factor, the Gene-WHU6 can be deployed in smart manufacturing and intelligent safety and security applications.

Aaeon can provide customers with custom configurations and end-to-end project support.

Established in 1992, Aaeon designs and manufactures intelligent IoT computing platforms, including industrial motherboards and systems, industrial displays, rugged tablets, embedded controllers, network appliances and related accessories, as well as integrated solutions. Aaeon also has the hardware and services for premier OEM/ODMs and system integrators worldwide.

As an Associate Member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, the company offers customised services from initial product conceptualisation and board product development to mass manufacturing and after-sales service programmes.

http://www.aaeon.com

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