SUCCESS STORY

ASUS IoT and Hitachi Energy Transform
Energy Industry with TRO610 Cellular Router

The Customer
Hitachi Energy is at the forefront of global efforts to develop more

infrastructure. The solution is sending data in real time acrossflexible, sustainable and reliable electricity systems. Headquarteredcellular networks via routers at the edge.

in Switzerland, the company employs more than 40,000 people in
90 countries and with a turnover of approximately $10 billion. It
serves a broad range of customers in the utility, industry andinfrastructure sectors with equipment such as high-voltage
switchgear and power quality systems through to substations andgrid edge solutions. With customers and partners, Hitachi helps
develop technologies that enable the digital transformation of thepower distribution networks, accelerating the energy transition
towards a carbon-neutral future.

The Challenge
The development and upgrade of electrical networks worldwide
has resulted in the deployment of many IoT-enabled smart assets
out in the field – enabling better grid stability, supporting thelaunch of new customer services and reducing total cost ofownership. These intelligent devices, such as sensors and smart
meters, can collect valuable data that must be transmitted tocentral control centres. However, the extent of these networks

Hitachi Energy recognized the highly secure, always-on
connectivity requirements to enable grid modernization. Thisrequirement progressed into the conception of a cellular routerwith state-of-the-art cybersecurity and communications that
could perform in harsh environments in the field. The challenge
was designing and building a high availability, reliability andthroughput device, in a rugged and compact form factor, thatwould be capable of increasing field asset and application
visibility.
"We had already launched a larger router with broadband meshand cellular capabilities, but as grid providers deploy more
assets in the field, it became apparent that there was a need fora smaller cellular-only device at a specific price point to drive
connectivity and communication," says Michael Dulaney, Global
Head of Wireless Sales at Hitachi Energy. "It had to be rugged towithstand extreme temperature and humidity variations andcompact enough to be installed in various locations."means many of these devices are located across vast geographic

Typically, Hitachi Energy would design the product and thenareas that are not always connected to wired communications

rely on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). But in thiscase, it wanted to pursue a more in-depth relationship with anfactor. The device offers Bluetooth connectivity options, industry

original design manufacturer that could take the initialstandards compliance, and always-on cellular connectivity, making

specifications and provide a complete product development

it ideal for end-use applications in utility, petrochemical, andservice to scalable production. "We wanted to give as much

manufacturing environments.

freedom to our ODM partner as possible to allow it to leverageinternal economies of scale," said Dulaney. "We started adialogue with ASUS IoT, and it became clear it was a perfect
partner to engage with because they understood our technicalrequirements and the price point."

In line with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP*2)
specification, TRO610 operates on both public and private 3G and4G cellular networks across multiple frequencies, including
Citizens Broadband Radio Service, Anterix™, 410Mz, and 450MHz.
The device is especially suited for power distribution networks
through its compliance and certification for IEEE 1613 and IEC

The Solution

61850 standards. Furthermore, the TRO610 can be managed

Working from the initial specifications, Hitachi Energy partneredwith ASUS IoT to develop a next-generation communication
gateway – the TRO610 cellular router – purpose-built to support
industrial IoT applications. From the start of the project, technicalthrough Hitachi Energy's Supros unified network management
and monitoring system. Supros simplifies installation with thelow-touch deployment of wireless devices and remote terminal
units and supports over-the-air firmware updates.

teams from both organizations worked closely together toprogress the design.

The Outcome"We had weekly sessions where engineers from both sides wouldHitachi Energy has launched the TRO610, and the router is being

come together to talk about the scope of the product and to growmanufactured in volume at ASUS IoT's production facility in Taiwan.

out the development phase," says Patrick Chiu, Product Manager at

Scalability has been built into forecasts to cater to increasing demand.

ASUS IoT. "Resource allocation changed significantly over time as
we sought to meet each of the milestones that had been set. Up to30 people were on the review calls at one stage – not only productmanagers but also electrical, mechanical, power, software, testing,and qualification engineers. Capturing all requirements was a realteam effort."

So far, the TRO610 has been very well received by the market, andthere are plans for the product to evolve – possibly by adding 5G
connectivity. Such a development would require a new chipset
and module, and discussions are ongoing about how that could
be best achieved. Hitachi says these forward-looking discussions
illustrate the high level of trust that was established and built up

This collaborative work ensured that the TRO610 progressed tosign-off – with ASUS IoT aligning with customer expectations bymeeting all specifications and delivering at the right price point. As
a commercialized product, an NXP Layerscape processor powers
the TRO610, providingprovides edge computing capability andstate-of-the-art cybersecurity in a compact and ruggedized form

between the two organizations.
Hitachi Energy is also considering utilizing ASUS IoT's original design
manufacturer capabilities for other systems and technologies, withperhaps routers for different verticals such as automotive and mining.
In each case, ASUS IoT is seen as having the design, development andmanufacturing skills to bring new products to fruition.
Looking back, Michael Dulaney at Hitachi Energy says the project wasa resounding success. "All the way through, ASUS IoT provided us withvisibility and transparency," he says. "The project team never madeassumptions about what we required: there was always excellent
dialogue, with ASUS IoT engineers keeping us informed about thedeliverables. They were incredibly responsive to all of our needs."
Patrick Chiu at ASUS IoT says the partnership with Hitachi Energy
has been an extremely rewarding experience. "We are delighted toTRO610

support Hitachi Energy with the launch of this product and lookforward to future collaborations," he says.

iot.asus.com

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