Digi has introduced routers and software to address IoT connectivity and 5G needs of retail and digital signage, as well as transportation and smart city applications.

The products are for critical infrastructure and intelligent traffic system applications as well as enterprise use, all on a security-enhanced operating system to align with IoT market needs.

The Minnesota-based company has launched several cellular routers and extenders, each designed to meet present and future connectivity needs of organisations in the transportation and enterprise marketplaces.

The TX54 and TX64 mark the launch of its TX line of transportation and intelligent traffic system routers, while the EX12 cellular extender joins the EX15 in supporting indoor, enterprise use cases, particularly in signage, retail and food service markets.

Digi now has routers that include 5Ge and gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios, Band 71 and CBRS connectivity, 5G readiness, and FirstNet Ready.

The company created its cellular connectivity offerings to match the shifting needs of the IoT marketplace and revamped their features to align with customer needs, whether TX for transportation, IX for industrial or EX for enterprise. On supported Digi devices, additional flexibility is available with the Digi Core plug-in module: no need to replace the whole unit, just swap the Core to the LTE standard needed.

While designed for different applications, the TX54, TX64 and EX12 are built on a foundation that is shared by the rest of Digi’s routers, including:

Dal accelerated Linux: A secure operating system for demanding business-critical and mission-critical applications. This release adds multicasting, expands routing protocols and, for transportation applications, offers dual APN capabilities and supports dynamic DNS updates.
Edge compute: Each new router comes with Python built-in, allowing users to add intelligence on the device from simple scripts to full-fledged IoT applications.
Remote Manager: For centralised device deployment, monitoring and control, Remote Manager lets organisations automate firmware, software and configuration updates of all units in the field for complete asset tracking and compliance, including security protection. It is also available as an Android or iPhone mobile app.
TrustFence: The built-in security framework protects internal and external IO ports to prevent unwanted local intrusion. TrustFence also provides data authentication and device identity management options. It uses the latest encryption protocols for data in motion and over-the-air transmissions to ensure the integrity of data flowing across a network.
“We’re unveiling a number of new networking devices today and that will only continue throughout the year as we work to align with customer needs and the next generation of IoT applications in public safety, transportation, smart cities, retail and beyond,” said Brian Kirkendall, vice president at Digi. “The Digi TX54, TX64 and EX12 routers are ready to begin that process out of the box today, but also as we continue into the future. 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.”

Designed for transportation, intelligent traffic systems and public safety applications, the TX54 and TX64 are built to make smart cities a reality. 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 wifi makes them suitable 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.

Additionally, the TX64 with its dual gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios is ready for 5G as part of AT&T’s 5G rollout.

Essentially, it is an industrial computer with a quad-core 1.9GHz processor, with added routing capabilities. This creates 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 wifi for on-board transit applications.

Digi built the EX12 – and the already available EX15 – for indoor retail and enterprise use cases. These offerings provide users with choice, to ensure they get the right features for their application needs at the right value. 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.

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