Altair Semiconductor’s FourGee-3800/6300 Category 4 chipset will be used in the new M2M gateway from Intelliport Solutions, the companies announced June 16.
The resulting improved M2M capabilities will allow for the 450mHz gateways to connect Intelliport’s outdoor video surveillance cameras. Each gateway can control up to four IP cameras, and Altair’s chipset enables support for two simultaneous video streams for each camera, one for storage and the other for real-time transfer via LTE. Also, users will get real-time alerts from the cameras should line crossing, movement, or sabotage take place.
Altair’s LTE-only chipsets are an ideal match for IoT/M2M applications, according to Eran Eshed, co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development, because of their affordability, extensive security features, performance, and power management.
“Carriers to date have served tens of millions of M2M subscribers with 2G networks,” said Eshed. “In most cases these networks delivered on the need, in others, they didn’t, and more expensive 3G connections were put to use. Two things are now happening – the first one has to do with 4G being dramatically more spectrally efficient and better than 2G, so carriers simply cannot afford not to migrate. This is what sunsetting [older cellular networks] is all about, adapting to the changing techno-economic reality. The second one is the anticipated growth of IoT, which renders 2G almost irrelevant. LTE is the only means by which cellular carriers will get a seat at the IoT table. LTE is not a nice-to-have; for them, it is an absolute must.”
In terms of affordability, an Altair chipset costs less than what a 3G module sells for today.
As for security, Altair’s solutions provide all the security already found in LTE today, and adds to that by offering microcontrollers with secure boot and virtualization functionality. The secure boot enables the IoT device to authenticate the code that exists on the memory upon waking up, and makes sure that code is trusted. If even a single bit in the software has been changed, the chip rejects the interaction.
Altair also offers comprehensive power management to allow for maximum sleep time and to wake devices exactly when they are needed. That allows IoT applications based on Altair technology to run for up to 10 years on a single battery.
That, of course, makes the Altair chipsets an ideal match for wearables, among other applications. Other business use cases Altair addresses include Industrial Internet applications involving data collection from, and control of, devices like generators, HVAC devices, and surveillance cameras; M2M commerce applications, including automatic teller machines, point of sale terminals, and vending machines; smart metering for electricity, gas, and water in the utilities industry; smart city applications including digital signage, parking meters, parking space management, and traffic light control.; and vehicle telematics, including telemetry from the car, stolen vehicle recovery, and usage-based insurance.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh