English
At Embedded World 2025, Tuxera announced new software capabilities that extend the operational lifetime and improve the resilience of smart meters used in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The company’s storage management and networking solutions, which are already deployed in automotive and industrial sectors, are now optimized for the unique reliability and data integrity demands of the energy metering space.
Aging Infrastructure and Flash Limitations
Smart meters have become central for utility companies looking to modernize their grid operations through real-time monitoring, control, and billing services. However, aging infrastructure and the inherent limitations of NAND flash storage are threatening the long-term reliability of these devices.
Many smart meters are expected to operate in the field for 15 to 20 years without maintenance. This requirement becomes problematic in systems that rely on flash memory since write amplification and fragmentation issues rapidly degrade flash devices. Write amplification refers to the phenomenon where writing a small amount of data to flash memory ends up requiring a much larger amount of physical writing than expected. This extra overhead accelerates wear on the flash storage and shortens its lifespan, compromising its long-term utility in smart meter deployments.
Write amplification and NAND flash.
“Flash memory forces you to write in pages and erase in larger blocks, so even a small write can trigger a full block rewrite,” said Marko Finnig, Tuxera's VP of embedded solutions. “That’s write amplification. If you don’t manage it carefully, you wear out the flash much faster than expected.”
Additionally, power outages and abrupt shutdowns can cause file system corruption in low-cost meters that lack redundant hardware protection. As utility companies shift from basic consumption tracking to dynamic grid optimization through data analytics, it becomes more important to guarantee the accuracy, availability, and durability of data. Software-defined architectures must now support both read-heavy telemetry and frequent write operations, often under constrained flash storage conditions.
Software-Defined Storage Architecture
Tuxera is addressing these challenges with its embedded file systems, engineered specifically for flash-based media and long-term reliability. The company's proprietary file systems, including Dynamic Transaction Point and copy-on-write mechanisms, provide atomic transaction models that guarantee consistency of both user and metadata during ungraceful shutdowns. By aligning closely with flash memory constraints, Tuxera reduces write amplification and mitigates premature wear.
The architectural goal is to write one page at a time to prevent redundant block erases, a pattern that minimizes write amplification and enables predictable, low-latency performance. In field tests with leading smart meter OEMs, Tuxera's flash-friendly design extended meter lifespans from a baseline of 20 years to 25 years. In some test cases with simulated workloads of over a billion flash transactions, this number extended to as many as 30 years.
“With your average run-of-the-mill product, you could get 18 years of lifetime,” explained Tuxera portfolio manager Eva Rio. “But a smart meter has to run for at least 20 years. We managed to extend that lifetime significantly with our techniques.”
Tuxera’s software also incorporates deterministic execution guarantees so that read and write operations are complete within bounded time windows. The inclusion of tree-based allocation accelerates file operations by up to two orders of magnitude compared to legacy methods, translating to faster data retrieval and lower overhead during peak processing.
Resilient by Design
Tuxera’s file systems are built with fail-safe protections against power loss so that no partial writes or metadata inconsistencies corrupt stored data. Traditional file systems often claim metadata-level safety, but they cannot guarantee the same protection for user data. Tuxera solves this issue with transaction-based journaling, which commits entire data sets only upon successful completion. In a power failure scenario, this prevents corrupted or orphaned data states.
Tuxera addresses security through its networking stack and cryptographic libraries. The embedded TCP/IP stack and CryptoCore library protect against unauthorized access and secure data transmission between meter and utility servers. They also comply with evolving standards like ISO 26262 for functional safety and upcoming cybersecurity requirements, such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act.
Tuxera emphasized that modern software-defined meter platforms must now meet the same safety and security thresholds once reserved for automotive or industrial control systems. The company's modular architecture allows OEMs to integrate only the needed functionality while still achieving compliance.
Software as a Smart Meter Differentiator
With smart meter hardware becoming increasingly commoditized, software capabilities can be an important differentiating factor. Utility companies now demand that OEMs deliver data that is actionable, secure, and up-to-date.
“Customers tell us, ‘We can build the OS and business apps, but we need someone to handle the middleware like file systems.’ That’s a clear trend we’re seeing,” Finnig said.
Tuxera is extending its software-defined infrastructure to energy metering to meet those needs.
