FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hitachi Launches H4E Series of Compact Finger Vein
Authentication Modules for Embedding in Devices Featuring
Significantly Improved Authentication Accuracy and Usability withEnhanced Support for Outdoor Use
Designed for doors, safes, attendance management, FA equipment and more acrossa wide range of industries, with ease of use in various environments and support for
the "New Normal" through antibacterial coating

H4E series compact finger vein authentication module exterior (left) and example of the usage (right)

Tokyo, December 14, 2020 – Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501; “Hitachi”) and Hitachi Industry &Control Solutions, Ltd. (“Hitachi Industry & Control”)today announced that they havedeveloped the H4E series(1) of device-embedded-type compact finger veinauthentication modules featuring vastly improved authentication accuracy and usability
compared with conventional models(2) and enhance support for outdoor use. The H4E
series will go on sale in Japan, the People's Republic of China and Europe starting
today. Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will take advantage of its improved
outdoor performance to provide the H4E series to door lock manufacturers and homeequipment manufacturers, and expand sales to a range of industries including safe
manufacturers, attendance management service providers and FA equipment
manufacturers.
In recent years, biometric authentication has become a familiar technology providing
high levels of security and convenience for applications such as PC logins, corporate
attendance management and access control system, not to mention its inclusion insmartphones. Among these technologies, finger vein authentication is unique in thatthe device is compact, and makes use of patterns indicating distinct biometriccharacteristics inside the body that make impersonation or forgery difficult and achieve- more -- 2 -

high authentication accuracy. In addition, conventionally the control of biometricauthentication features embedded in equipment or devices has required combined
installation with high-performance control units such as PCs, but since 2008 Hitachiand Hitachi Industry & Control have been providing compact standalone module
products that can perform all processes from capturing and verifying finger vein images
to issuing authentication results without the need for a separate control unit.
However, with conventional embedded compact finger vein authentication modules,
differences can arise between when the information is registered and authentication isperformed depending on the way a finger is placed and temperature changes. When
this results in authentication rejections or errors, it may be necessary to repeat theauthentication process from the beginning, posing issues for operation andmanagement. What's more, despite the strong demand for outdoor installation of such
modules, there are limits on the authentication accuracy due to dirt on the sensor andenvironmental resilience (applicable temperatures, dust and water-proofing). In
addition to that, specifications that can stand up to alcohol sterilization to prevent thespread of COVID-19 infections are needed.
In response, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control developed the H4E series, offering
vastly improved authentication accuracy and usability combined with improved outdoor
performance to address these issues.
The key improvements made to the H4E series are as follows.
(1) Improved authentication accuracy
・ Through an enlarged scanning area and improved authentication algorithms,authentication accuracy has been improved by roughly 10 times (3) comparedwith conventional models, offering enhanced security.
・ An automatic learning function for biological drift deals with differences in finger
vein patterns at the time of registration and authentication due to finger
placement and temperature changes, reducing authentication errors.
(2) Enhanced usability
・ When an authentication error occurs due to a misaligned scanning position,
the continuous authentication function allows continuous authentication
through minor adjustments to finger placement in real-time, shortening the time
taken for re-authentication.
・ A three-colored LED indicator (green: operating guide, red: error, yellow:warning) and beep sound have been added as a status notification function tocheck that a finger has been correctly placed.
・ The shape of the finger guide has also been improved to naturally encourage- more -- 3 -

correct finger placement.
(3) Enhanced outdoor performance and other specifications enabling embedding
in various equipment and devices
・ With the addition of an automatic dirt detection function to the sensor, improved
IP rating dust and water-proofing (4) and an expanded temperature range (20ºC to 50ºC), the new specifications are suited to outdoor use. An outside
light mode (5) can also be selected to facilitate authentication in environmentswith external light, such as outdoors.
・ Thanks to a more compact optical component, the module has been shrunk byaround 64% compared with conventional models(6), enabling it to be embedded
in a greater variety of equipment and devices than before.
(4) Support for the "New Normal"
To conform to the new normal, the module features an antibacterial coating(7)that allows regular sterilization with alcohol.
Going forward, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will continue to pursue thedevelopment of anti-viral coatings and new contactless authentication units that cater
to customers' increasingly diverse requirements and the "New Normal" while providing
solutions that interface with various systems in the areas of IT, finance and building
management to contribute to build a safe, secure and convenient society.
(1) H4E series (model: PCT-KCD0010)(2) H2E series (model: PCT-KCC5031)(3) Compared with conventional models, the false acceptance rate (the percentage of times a different person isincorrectly recognized as the authorized person) has been improved from 0.001% (1-in-100,000) to 0.0001%(1-in-1,000,000).
(4) The module is rated for IP54 (performance against dust ingress that would cause malfunction, protection fromwater spray from any direction), the equivalent of JIS Grade 4 protection (protected against splashing water).
(5) Due to differences in installation environments and individual characteristics, this is not a guarantee thatauthentication will always succeed.
(6) Comparison of module areas as seen from above. Excludes finger guide and protrusions.
(7) Antibacterial coating has been verified to resist pealing for seven years under certain conditions. For the fingervein access control system terminal (model: FVA-100FL/SL), support has been provided for antiseptic coatingand simple contactless operation (September 2020). Support for antiseptic coating in finger vein authentication
modules (models: PCT-KCAX010, PCT-KCUA011) is planned for January 2021 onwards.

- more -- 4 -About Pricing and Release
Product NamePrice

H4E series compact finger veinauthentication module for deviceOpenRelease
December 14,embedding

2020

Additional Note
When exporting this product, please follow the necessary procedures after confirming
the regulations of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, and other exportrelated laws and regulations of the United States and other countries.
Contact
Hitachi Europe Ltd.
Security Product Group, Digital Media Group
About Hitachi Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focused on its Social
Innovation Business that combines information technology (IT), operational technology(OT) and products. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2019 (endedMarch 31, 2020) totaled 8,767.2 billion yen ($80.4 billion), and it employedapproximately 301,000 people worldwide. Hitachi drives digital innovation across fivesectors – Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT – through Lumada, Hitachi's
advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights todrive digital innovation. Its purpose is to deliver solutions that increase social,environmental and economic value for its customers. For more information on Hitachi,please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.
About Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions
Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions is a key company supporting the Industry &Distribution Business of the Hitachi Group. Hitachi Industry & Control provides various
solutions for industry, social infrastructure, embedded devices and video applications
that support the businesses of manufacturers and other customers in the industrial andsocial infrastructure fields. Through consulting services based on IT and control
expertise honed over many years, Hitachi Industry & Control works with customers toidentify their issues and addresses them with solutions that combine products andtechnologies.
To learn more, please visit the website of Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions at- more -- 5 -

https://www.hitachi-ics.co.jp/ (Japanese)
https://info.hitachi-ics.co.jp/eng/ (English)- more -- 6 -

Appendix
Specifications
Specification
Model nameProduct structure
Size

WeightPower supply voltage
Current
consumption

Stand-byEnrollment/verification

Connection interface

User interface

Data storage location of finger vein data
Maximum number of enrollments
Authentication method
Accuracy
False Rejection Rate(FRR)
False Acceptance Rate(FAR)
Capture mode
IP rating
Dust resistance/Waterproof
Environmental
conditions

Ambient
temperature
Ambient
humidity
Operating environment conditions
Firmware update command

PCT-KCD0010
Sensor-integrated authentication
device39(W)×40(D)×34(H) mm

Approx. 32g
DC5.0V-1.0V to 5.0V+1.4V(4.0～6.4V)
0.7μA typ.
130mA typ. 600mA max.

Asynchronous serialcommunication
3.3V CMOS 12pin connector
Indicator LED(Green, red and yellow）
BuzzerIn the device
1,000 fingers
1:1 and 1:N
0.01% (1/10,000)

Remarks

Without detachable finger
guide.
Except for the protruding
parts.
Applicable to dry batteries
Touch sensor OFF
Varies depending on
individual finger andenvironment

Save in flash ROM

0.0001% (1/1,000,000)
Normal mode
Outside light mode
Conforms to IEC IP54
(Exposed part)-20 ºC to 50 ºC Operation-20 ºC to 60 ºC Storage
20 to 80%Rh Operation
10 to 90%Rh Storage
No direct sunlight at scanning
area
Available- more -Default: Normal mode
The host equipment needs
waterproof in the built-inpart.

No condensation

- 7 -

Improved items compared to the conventional device
Specification

Conventional product H2E

New product H4E series

series（PCT-KCD0010）

Advantage（PCT-KCC5031）
1Accuracy

False Rejection Rate (FRR)
0.01% (1/10,000)
False Acceptance Rate (FAR)
0.001% (1/100,000)

False Rejection Rate (FRR)
0.01% (1/10,000)
False Acceptance Rate (FAR)
0.0001% (1/1,000,000)

Increased accuracy 10times(FAR)

2Maximumnumber ofenrollments

360 fingers

1,000 fingers

Increased about 3 times

3Size

44 x 56 x 23.5 mm(Except forthe protruding parts)

39 x 40 x 34 mm(Except for the protrudingparts)

Area ratio 64%(Area ratio seen from thetop. Except for finger guideand protruding parts)

4

Dust resistanceand Waterproof

IPX3IP54

Improved IP rating for dust
resistance and waterproof

5

Ambienttemperature(Operation)

0 ºC to 40 ºC-20 ºC to 50 ºC

Expanded operating
temperature range

6Power supply
voltage

DC 4.75V to 5.25V

DC 4.0V to 6.4V

Support for dry batteries

7Stand-by current

75μA typ.

0.7μA Typ.
(Touch sensor can be turnedoff)

Stand-by current is 1/100(Touch sensor OFF)8

Firmware update
commandN/A

Available

Can be updated remotely

9Target design
product life
(Assumedoperatingconditions)

5 years (12,000 hours)(8Hr/day,25days/month)

7years (61,320 hours)(24Hr/day,365days/year)

Extended 5 times by using
long-life parts- more -- 8 -

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