RFID Technologies CC

Contents
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1) Expanding the abilities of RFID
2) Getting your own complete RFID system

Expanding the abilities of RFID
===============================
RFID systems are sensor systems that are data capture devices for computer networks. Generally users would want applications solved and would use RFID systems to capture the data and software written by software companies to organise the data and provide a solution for the application.

Users of Trolley Scan equipment and readers of this newsletter will know that Trolley Scan provide a range of leading edge RFID systems. Trolley Scan make fixed readers that can read transponders up to 13 meters away, 800 in a zone at a time, 70 per second and up to 300 kph. Trolley Scan also make portable readers that can be used in logistics and asset tracking applications with a 10 meter range. Trolley Scan are the only manufacturers of RFID systems that give precise location of the transponders in a zone up to 40 meters deep, a product that is known worldwide as RFID-radar. Trolley Scan also make a variety of transponders compatible with their readers, from thin wire laundry tags, to very efficient credit card sized tags and even battery assisted tags.

Trolley Scan are in regular communication with some 4500 companies on a monthly basis. Many of these people have highlighted the need for a technology to provide affordable location information over much larger areas to find assets, such as supermarket trolleys in a large car park, airport luggage trolleys, golf carts on a golf course, farm implements on a farm, fishing boats and yachts sailing from a club or a harbour. The issue has been to drastically increase the operating range without using increased bandwidth or afford ability. The system is great for positioning static or near static items that are moving and is no use for tracking soccer players on a pitch.

The system is very different from RFID-radar, fits different operating situations, and complements the range of products offered by Trolley Scan.

Over the past three months the prototype has been under test and currently its parts are being industrialised. We will shortly be announcing the addition to Trolley Scan's product range

Getting your own complete RFID system
===========================================
You can order RFID systems from RFID Technologies

RFID Technologies provide small RFID reader systems which give new users the ability to evaluate UHF RFID and their applications without needing specialised skills. The systems comprise a reader, antennas and 100 transponders based on the EcoTag technology. The user just connects the reader to a computer and provides mains power to have a fully operational system.

These systems are already operating in 50 countries.

To find out details of the systems and to order see http://rf-id-systems.com/evalsys.html

Contents
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1) Leap in the performance of UHF passive transponder technology

In this newsletter we detail another major performance achievement for passive UHF RFID transponders.

Another leap in the performance of UHF passive transponder technology
=====================================================================
The distance is 25.6 metres and the transponder is attached to a metal item!!.

This is the functional distance from the reader, as measured with the RFID-radar, of the new generation passive UHF transponder developed by RFID Technologies. UHF transponders attached to metal items are another problem situation addressed by the RFID Technologies development.

Passive transponders do not have their own onboard source of power but extract operating power from the energising field of the reader.

Previously, the maximum range with passive transponders with RFID Technologies readers was 13 metres.

The impressive performance comes from the combination of a new integrated circuit specially made for RFID Technologies and from RFID Technologies's spectacular RF antenna developments for transponders.

The new transponder has been specifically designed to be used with tracking laptop computers and office equipment, but also finds use in tagging metal items.

The actual operating range achieved with the new transponder is not important. RFID Technologies have for a long time supplied battery assisted transponders that had a 40 metre range, and this improvement just means lower costs, increasing operating life from a few months to 100 years, and providing simpler technology for medium range situations.

What the development does signify is how passive types of transponders are moving into applications that in the past could only be satisfied with battery assisted and active type transponders. It also allows progress on the development of low power technology to be accurately measured.

By way of an explanation for those technically interested.
The staff at RFID Technologies were involved in the first developments of UHF transponders for retail applications, namely the development of Supertag in 1990 in Pretoria, South Africa.
At that time we aimed to build a single chip transponder for use in tagging items in a grocery trolley. Then semiconductor technology was at such a stage of development that there were analogue type devices which could handle RF components, and a separate type of technology was in use for digital circuitry for data handling. Hence we ended up with two chips on each transponder. About ten years later single chip devices were practical that had both the RF and the digital circuitry on a single device and single chip transponders became available.

The transponders get their power from the energising field and to visualise the power distribution back in 1990, we made a number of small dipoles with light emitting diodes. Attaching these to the wall of the office and aiming the energising antennas at the wall from about 3 metres away, together with a fair size RF power generator, we could get the LEDs to glow if they were in the main beam and hence see the power distribution. Those devices needed about 54 milliwatts of power in the collecting area and had an operating range of about three metres with the transmitters and antennas we then used. The two chip transponders needed similar power.

Since January 2004, RFID Technologies have been supplying 200uW versions of transponders, that is a 250 times improvement on the originals. We now have a new transponder which is also passive, is attached to metal items, and uses just 40 microwatts (uW) of power, that is 1350 times less power than the originals.

This dramatic improvement over time, has meant greatly increased range for operation. It also has led to reduced energising power being needed from the reader, which means smaller RF amplifiers and the ability to use lower gain antennas which can spread the power over a wider angle increasing the area of coverage. The lower power needs of the new transponders also means that portable readers which can operate on batteries for a reasonable time and yet give a 10 metre read range are practical.

RFID Technologies make UHF RFID fixed readers. UHF portable readers, UHF RFID-radar systems and a range of transponders for different packaging requirements. The new transponder technology is compatible with all the reader products made by RFID Technologies and with all the earlier ranges of transponders.

Contents
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1) Development directions for RFID

Development directions for RFID
===============================
In 2010 we here in South Africa will be hosting one of the globe's largest media and sporting events, namely the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. Technology is going to cause an interesting split in viewers of this event. Some will want high bandwidth communications so that they can watch it on a 5 centimetre cell phone screen, while others will want 42 inch screens with high definition satellite feeds. The people watching on the cellphones are never really going to know what is going on in the game, but they are going to feel good about their application of technology.

In the same way, RFID is a technology that is suitable for some applications and not necessarily for others. RFID is a rapidly developing technology that is steadily finding its niche applications and it might be worthwhile to consider the directions of some of those developments.

RFID is a data capture technology that allows the identity of items that are in close proximity to a reader to be communicated to a computer system for processing. It can read large numbers of identities in a zone, very quickly, accurately, and within radio distance of the reader. It can be made at very low cost which means that relatively inexpensive items can be cost effectively labelled. What makes it useful is when it is combined with the correct software application to manage these large amounts of data and generate simple, human compatible outputs.

The ultimate application of RFID is in reading the contents of a supermarket trolley, an application that was first demonstrated in South Africa in 1994. Although technically RFID can meet this challenge, it is not a commercially viable application due to the high cost of the transponders.

There are a number of new developments happening that are improving RFID.

1)Lower power RF performance.
As passive transponders operate on energy received in the form of radio power, and as this radio energy that is available degrades with distance, major developments are taking place to produce lower powered transponders. These developments focus both on the radio properties and the intrinsic operating powers of the transponders. The lower power developments mean that passive transponders are replacing the former active types of transponders due to their increased range and lower costs. The lower power devices also result in the viability of portable reader systems with good operating ranges and good battery life.

2)Range information
When transponder operating powers were high and ranges short, location of the transponders was not an issue as they were immediately in front of the reader. As ranges increased beyond 6 metres and approach up to 40 metres, it has become important to know the position of the transponder relative to the reader so that the item can be easily physically identified. These longer ranges mean that a single reader can now monitor an area that in the past had to be covered by many readers. This has resulted in Real Time Locating Systems (such as RFID-radar) moving into the RFID-reader market space.

3)Manufacturing cost
For many years there has been a wish to have very low cost transponders, especially by high volume users. Those who understand the issues realise that there is a floor to the pricing and very low cost parts are not going to be a reality. There are three major cost centres to making transponders, namely the chip, the antenna and the assembly/packaging. In a survey we were part of a few years ago, it became apparent from participants that roughly one third of the costs can be assigned to each of these centres.

4)Smaller antenna size
To transfer energy by radio means, antennas are used to convert electrical signals to radio waves and vice versa. The size of these antennas are dependant on the operating frequency of the systems. Breaking the relationship of size/frequency generally results in a drastic reduction in effectiveness. Users would like antenna systems that are as small as possible but still effective.

5)RF interference
As RFID systems become more popular it is going to be more likely that one RFID reader will interfere with another RFID reader close by as many users try to share the same allocated radio spectrum. Attention is going to have to be given to the interference profile of the different types of protocols. At present there are low interference tag-talks-first and high interference reader-talks-first protocols.

6)Increasing dynamic range
RFID readers are amazing pieces of technology, detecting very weak signals from transponders while in the presence of relatively strong energising signals. As the operating range of systems has been increasing, the readers have had to simultaneously detect transmissions from transponders that are very close to the reader and those that are very far. This has to be done without changing the amplification of the readers so as not to miss any transmission.

7)New protocols
Presently the simple protocols in use require each transponders to have a unique identity to be identified correctly. There are available more advanced RFID protocols that allow many transponders with the same identity number to be accurately identified and counted, protocols where the uniqueness of the data is not used for identity. In future systems where only product numbers are needed, these advanced protocols will be needed.

Contents
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1) Interesting projects
2) New developments in passive transponder technology

Interesting projects
=====================
RFID systems are the data capture components of some bigger productivity/management system. When a transponder comes close to a reader, the reader is able to identify the transponder and pass its identity on to a computer system for processing of the event. Most RFID systems only work over very short range, but the advanced technology available from RFID Technologies allow operating ranges up to 40 meters, 800 tags in a zone at a time, read rates up to 70 per second and speeds up to 300kph - as well as Rfid-radar systems that can measure the physical position of tags in the zone to millimeter accuracy.

With such versatile performance for the data capture components of a system, RFID systems have become a basic building block of many IT systems that are used for measuring performance, management, security or the monitoring of assets.

The ability of long range UHF RFID to be able to detect passing laptop computers even when they are being carried in a case, has resulted in many projects being initiated to protect companies from losing their laptop computers due to theft. The ability to match computers to their owners when passing through security checkpoints allow quick processing of staff and visitors at exit points without the loss of security.

Recently RFID Technologies have provided systems to detect underground services such as fibre optic cables for telecom providers. The cables are buried when they are laid and need to be located when repairs are needed. By burying cheap passive transponders at the time of laying with the cables, the exact position of the cable can be determined when repairs are needed. The UHF energy from the portable reader penetrates the ground to power up the transponder which then emits its identity. The use of this technology is complicated due to the absorption of energy by the soils in different moisture conditions.

Because of the ability to detect transponders at speed, RFID Technologies systems are widely used in timing systems for sports events. This allows enthusiasts to build a low cost timing system by just adding a computer and some software. Recently we have provided a 1000 transponder system for the timing of mountain bikes - add to the portfolio of systems in use worldwide.

RFID-radar can measure the position of multiple transponders physically relative to the reader. Applications are being developed to use these features to assist disabled people, particularly those who are vision impaired.

RFID has invaded the arts with RFID-radar systems which are being used as sensor systems to allow patrons to interact with art displays in galleries. By sensing transponders on the body, the controlling computer can change the electronic displays that the patron is observing by movements of the body of the patron.

New developments in passive transponder technology
==================================================
One of the key parameters to measure the technological progress of RFID, is to monitor the amount of RF energy needed to operate a passive transponder. The transponder collects its energy from the energising field of the reader, and when the amount collected reaches the operating requirement, the transponder is powered-up and can function properly.

The energy density from the reader decreases as the inverse square of the distance - that is every doubling of distance requires four times as much power, or a tag 10 meters from a reader only receives 1% of the power density of a tag 1 meter away. Hence by reducing the amount of energy needed to operate a transponder, operating ranges can be increased, operating power of readers can be reduced and portable equipment operating on battery power becomes more viable.

In its simplest form, a transponder comprising a dipole antenna with a five volt logic circuit would need 54 milliwatts of power. For the past six years RFID Technologies have been providing passive transponders that could operate on just 200 microwatts of power - that is 260 times more efficient than a simple transponder and that could be read by a RFID Technologies reader at distances as far as 13 meters.

RFID Technologies have in the past few weeks been developing a new design, one that operates on just 112 microwatts of power. This is nearly 500 times more efficient than a standard transponder and will give an operating range for a simple passive transponder of about 18 meters, while still being as small as a credit card.

Passive transponders are dramatically cheaper and more green than their active transponder counterparts. There was a time when passive transponders had operating ranges of only 1 meter if you were lucky - and otherwise you had to use active transponders which contain onboard batteries. As the operating sensitivity of the passive transponders reduce so passive technology is replacing active transponder technology - reducing costs and increasing transponder operating life.

The new transponders will be part of the standard RFID portfolio available from RFID Technologies within the next few months.

Contents
========
1) Productivity challenges
2) Sports timing
3) A portfolio of RFID technologies

Productivity challenges
=======================
Many companies phone RFID Technologies daily with details of potential problems that need solutions. As RFID Technologies manufacture advanced reader systems, a wide variety of low power UHF transponders in different shapes, and now are delivering standardised software packages to provide a "solution in a box" - we are approached by innovative clients wanting a solution that is different from the classical applications of RFID.

RFID hardware systems form part of information gathering technology. The systems will capture the identities of items to which transponders are attached. - some at distances up to 10 metres, with up to 800 tags in a zone at a time and at read rates up to 70 per second. Data from the reader, which is arriving much faster than can be processed by the human mind, is usually interpreted by a computer attached to the reader.

What is becoming clear is that the secret to productivity with these systems is the need to marry the UHF reader with some database and to report on descrepancies. Say for instance you are a farmer with a large number of cattle. UHF readers at waterholes and feedpoints can continually gather the identity and time recorded of animals passing the readers. By linking that to a database of all the animals you own that are known to be in the pasture, you can remotely check to see that all your animals are still in the pasture and quickly identify if a particular animal has not been near the water hole in the past 8 hours. Hence you are able to do a slow continuous stock count of your herd with no personal involvement.

A similar situation could be for hire companies of TV equipment where they want to check on despatch and return that all the equipment is correct, that nothing is missing, and that nothing extra is bundled in the shipment. This would involve automatically matching the invoice for the shipment to the codes read at exit.

Sports timing
=============
Because RFID Technologies equipment offers long read ranges, multiple transponders in a zone at a time, read speeds up to 300kph, and at read rates up to 70 per second; many companies worldwide are using our systems as the sensor part of sports timing systems.

RFID Technologies have developed a software package to manage the timing, the results and other administration tasks involved in timing sports events. This is part of the "systems in a box" concept aimed at sport events organisers who want to just buy a complete system and not develop their own software.

A portfolio of RFID technologies
================================
RFID is a new technology that is rapidly evolving as new developments are brought to the market. Range performance of passive transponders is increasing, reader energies are dropping, and more compact packaging of reader systems are being developed.

Currently there are three separate lines of products for UHF readers.

a) Fixed readers which are often mains operated and can monitor transponders entering a zone up to 13 metres in front of the antennas with up to 800 transponders in a zone and travelling up to 300kph.

b) Portable readers that are linked by Bluetooth type technologies to laptop computers forming a mobile data capture and processing system. Due to the low power abilities of Ecotag type transponders, battery operated reader equipment is viable and can read tags up to 8 metres range for long periods.

c) RFID-radar systems which can measure the identity, and accurately the range and position of multiple transponders in a zone at a time. Despite these measurements being accurate, they use very little bandwidth allowing many RFID systems to operate in close proximity. Used in conjunction with battery operated transponders, useful ranges of up to 40 metres are achievable.

In addition there are a variety of different forms of passive and active transponders packaged in different forms for different applications. These might be credit card sized, thin wire types, tags for notebook computers, or long range battery-assisted types where the plastic of the housing forms a focussing lens.

Contents
========
1) Future advancements in RFID applications
2) A laptop tracking software/hardware system in a box

Future advancements in RFID applications
=========================================
RFID hardware systems form part of information gathering technology. The systems will capture the identities of items to which transponders are attached. - some at distances up to 10 metres, with up to 800 tags in a zone at a time and at read rates up to 70 per second. Data from the reader, which is arriving much faster than can be processed by the human mind, is usually interpreted by a computer attached to the reader.

Large improvements in productivity are going to be realised when databases that are resident in computer systems are linked to the received RFID data and interpreted correctly. An example of linking databases to RFID would be in the tracking by tour operators of their clients' luggage on a bus trip - where the guide would want to be able to check that all the luggage is present and ready for loading when the bus departs from the hotel, and knowing what luggage should be delivered to which hotel room in the evening at the next stop.

RFID applications usually require a simple program running on a computer, a program that in the past could typically be written by a high-school student. Unfortunately the computer "program-creating" skills of the world seem no longer to be a skill that resides in every home, even although most homes have numerous computer systems.

Basically most applications for RFID in small businesses are the same. Whether you are running an asset management system, a security system to control the removal of your assets from your premises, a program to track deliveries from your vehicles or an access control system - they have remarkable similarity in structure of the computer software. This is not a widely published fact as there is a strong industry writing middleware, bloatware, and "you_will_forever_be_poor-ware"!!

RFID Technologies have been developing a suite of pseudo object orientated application software that integrate with their RFID hardware systems to provide the solutions to most common RFID applications. Basically most productivity applications involve interacting with the RFID hardware, interacting with a series of databases, fitting the information to a set of rules, and generating reports, alarms and notifications. These programs receive data from readers, look up and maintain databases, generate reports and alarms, and email warnings if needed.

Below you will read about the latest of these "systems in a box" hardware and software solutions. Because it is modular object orientated code - the software is low cost, costing a few hundred dollars for the entire solution in most cases.

About 4500 companies get this newsletter globally. If any have applications that they feel are RFID orientated and would have a solutions that would be common for many users, let us know and we can see if the new software solutions can be fine tuned.

A laptop tracking software/hardware system in a box
===================================================
RFID Technologies have developed a software package to manage laptop computers that are required to enter and leave premises with their assigned operators.

Thanks to the availability of RFID Technologies's long range passive technology for both laptop transponder and personal ID tag formats, a fixed reader at a checkpoint can read the identity of both the notebook and its operator passing without hindrance.

The purpose of the new software is to process ID codes from the reader at the checkpoint, to match the laptops to their authorised operators, and to report any discrepancies.

This software had a special challenge as decision could only be made when both ID codes were received, and if a certain time had expired since a laptop had been read and it had not found a matching user code, then an alarm had to be quickly sounded.

This is another in the new low cost series of "system in a box" software with the software costing just a few hundred dollars.

A portfolio of RFID technologies
================================
RFID is a new technology that is rapidly evolving as new developments are brought to the market. Range performance of passive transponders is increasing, reader energies are dropping, and more compact packaging of reader systems are being developed.

Currently there are three separate lines of products for UHF readers.

a) Fixed readers which are often mains operated and can monitor transponders entering a zone up to 13 metres in front of the antennas with up to 800 transponders in a zone and travelling up to 300kph.

b) Portable readers that are linked by Bluetooth type technologies to laptop computers forming a mobile data capture and processing system. Due to the low power abilities of Ecotag type transponders, battery operated reader equipment is viable and can read tags up to 8 metres range for long periods.

c) RFID-radar systems which can measure the identity, and accurately the range and position of multiple transponders in a zone at a time. Despite these measurements being accurate, they use very little bandwidth allowing many RFID systems to operate in close proximity. Used in conjunction with battery operated transponders, useful ranges of up to 40 metres are achievable.

In addition there are a variety of different forms of passive and active transponders packaged in different forms for different applications. These might be credit card sized, thin wire types, tags for notebook computers, or long range battery-assisted types where the plastic of the housing forms a focussing lens.

Contents
========
1) Find-a-tag feature added to asset tracking software
2) Basic antenna theory

Find-a-tag feature added to asset tracking software
==================================================
When you have a room full of 300 computer servers, that all look the same physically, and are all networked, - how do you find the exact computer that needs to be changed or repaired?
This was the challenge brought to RFID Technologies recently by a client.

In our past newsletter we informed readers about a new development in asset tracking, called RFIDasset(tm). With all items being tagged, a portable reader with Bluetooth interfacing, and a neat software package - one can have a very effective asset tracking system to monitor large quantities of assets in a corporation, making sure none have gone missing and that their current location is correctly recorded in a database.

This can be effectively implemented with the RFID Technologies portable RFID reader technology and the long range passive Ecotag transponder technology - including the new passive tags for notebook and laptop computers. With read ranges up to 8 metres, it is not necessary to get close to each asset as its identity can usually be checked from the middle of a room, up to 8 metres away.

FIND-A-TAG is a new feature that has been added to the software where one can search for a specific tag identity in a large tag population. When the software detects a match between the incoming data and the requested number, it lets the computer make a noise and flashes the 'found' message once per second as long as that tag is in front of the reader antenna. By turning away from the transponder, the noise and flashing will stop as soon as the tag is no longer in front of the antenna and so its physical location can be quickly identified.

As the reader can process up to 800 transponders in a zone at 70 per second, this use of Find-a-tag can allow large volumes of assets to be checked very quickly.

This same software can be used to find specific books in a pile of library books, or specific personal files in a stack of documents.

Basic antenna theory
=====================
Designing antenna systems is a specialised engineering field which uses extensive software modelling to try to achieve the best results. However an understanding of the issues by those not connected to the industry can be useful.

The function of the antenna is two fold - a) to direct or focus the available energy in the desired direction

b) to change the impedance of the medium in a controlled manner to allow maximum energy transfer.

The basic unit of measure of an antenna is the half-wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal which it is transferring. At UHF frequencies typically used by RFID, the half wavelength is approximately 15cms. This distance is inversely proportional to the operating frequency, meaning that smaller antennas need higher operating frequencies.

In the same way that one can use a reflector in a torch to direct light from a small globe into a beam, so an antenna directs radio energy. The general rule is that the bigger the antenna structure, the more concentrated the beam. This is why an antenna for radio astronomy or sending data to satellites is so large, while a cell phone antenna where energy is being spread in all directions is so small.

At UHF frequencies, hard surfaces such as walls, floors and road surfaces reflect incident energy, meaning that the energy will be scattered when it hits that surface. This provides a practical limit to the requirement for focussing energy by reader antennas as there is no point in making a large reader antenna structure to make a defined beam which is then scattered by objects in close proximity.

In a later newsletter we will address the impedance matching features of antennas.

Contents
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1) Implementing asset tracking systems

Implementing asset tracking systems
===================================

"We need to stop criminals stealing hospital equipment from our wards"

"We need to stop people stealing our laptops from our buildings"

"We suspect the cleaners are stealing the laptops by taking them out with the rubbish bins"

These are typical requests received daily at RFID Technologies as business owners look for an affordable technological solutions to manage their business problems.

The solution to many of these problems is going to be a combination of sensor systems, software and the business system.

The sensor systems that are needed are the easy part. Long range passive UHF transponders such as those produced by RFID Technologies, can easily be purchased. With long range features(read ranges up to 10 meters), and with innovative tags such as the new notebook tag, the sensors can monitor exit points from a building and can detect and identify any tagged item passing through the exit point. These systems are freely available and can be ordered off a pricelist when needed.

Recent developments in software packages for RFID systems have meant that the challenge of managing the large amount of data coming from the UHF RFID systems has been dramatically simplified. It has not quite reached the stage of one solution fits all, such as has happened with the hardware RFID systems, but it is very close.

The real challenge in implimenting an asset tracking system is now evolving around the business systems and processes. The challenge is to simplify the application to get the maximum benefits with the least disruption.

For example on preventing equipment being removed from a hospital.

1. A simple solution might be to tag the equipment and make sure that equipment removed from the hospital, will only happen via one exit where there is a guard. All other exits will have readers that will sound a loud audible alarm should some of the equipment pass through their zones.
2. A more complex solution might be to have readers situated throughout the hospital, and to monitor the movement of all equipment between the different wards. This means that complex tracking software is needed as well as operators to determine when equipment is moving outside of its normal zone of operation.

The simple solution above is easy and cheap to implement provided that the business systems can be adjusted to this mode of operation.

Another key issue in looking after your assets in a large corporation, is to know what is in the building and what is now missing. This means that instead of auditing the assets once per year for accounting purposes, a more frequent scan is needed. Here the recently released RFIDasset(tm) software and RFID systems can be used to allow very quick and efficient monitoring and record updating of the current position of your assets.

Contents
========
1) RFIDasset - a merging of hardware and software to solve a significant problem
2) Bluetooth kit for portables

RFIDasset - a merging of hardware and software to solve a significant problem
=============================================================================
RFID Technologies have developed a unique asset management system for companies with thousands of assets who need to know where these are or if they are missing.

The package comprises a customised software program that runs on a laptop computer, a long range portable UHF RFID scanner, and low power passive transponders that are attached to the items to be tracked. The system is simple to operate, easy to install, and is aimed at those who are confident to buy "systems in a box"

The software provides a database of all the items to be tracked, the current location of those items, identifiers such as description, manufacturer and serial numbers, who is responsible for the item, and the date when the item was last scanned.

The reader is portable and is moved around the building that is being checked from room to room. Transponders are attrached to items to be tracked from expensive scientific equipment to tables and chairs if these are on the asset register. As the read range of the portable reader is up to ten meters, the operator can scan from the middle of the room and by rotating scan all the tags in the room in a matter of seconds.

The software in the laptop knows what should be in the room, and can immediately inform the operator what has been missed providing descriptions and the contact person details who might know where the item currently is located. It will also report what extra items have now moved to the room, and will update the database to show current location and date of scanning.

This package combines the advantages of RFID with a customised software package to manage the data. RFID has the advantage of being able to read tags at long distances without the need for them to be in line of sight. The RFID reader can read at rates up to 70 items per second which would outstrip the abilities of a human operator, but as the system is linked into a computer program which can manage the high speed data, the operator can be presented just with the salient issues relating to managing large quantites of items.

The software is compatible with spread sheet programs allowing manipulation of the asset register easily for large amounts of data. The package is low cost making an affordable productive solution.

Bluetooth kit for portables
===========================
Bluetooth technology is a system of transferring data via radio over a short distance, replacing a piece of copper wire.

A portable reader needs a display to communicate with the operator, so that it can give immediate feedback to the user in the actual situation - for example - this item of equipment has not been found here!!

In the past the RFID Technologies portable readers were usually connected via a short cable to some display device, such as a PDA that was carried by the operator. The idea of using a small device with limited display features such as a PDA with a fast reading scientific instrument like the RFID reader, was not attractive as the display on the PDA was so small and the data handling abilities of the reader so large (able to transfer 70 readings per second and 800 tags in the zone at a time) that it was difficult to convey to the operator the actual situation - a little like watching a soccer match on a cell phone!

Another issue was that the RFID reader, WANs, Wireless Bridges, cellphones and the Bluetooth devices are all using radio spectrum and operating in close proximity to each other, meaning great care was needed in the design of the RF systems so as not to cause interference between systems.

A third problem was that it was not sufficient to deliver the data to the host computer via Bluetooth, it had to be delivered in a form that could be interfaced to application programs so that they could use the data - a number of challenges to replace a simple piece of copper wire!

RFID Technologies have introduced a Bluetooth option on their portable readers which allow the portable to communicate with a laptop that is within 10 meters of the reader. The option also includes a dongle for the laptop and software for the laptop that handles the transfer of the data from the dongle to the application software.

As a result of the Bluetooth technology link, applications can now be run on a laptop placed on a desk near the mobile reader, giving the conventional large display features associated with laptops/notebooks, and allowing applications that run on the same operating system platform used in the company to be used rather than converting to a small opewrating system as used by PDAs.

The Bluetooth option must be fitted when ordering a portable system.

Contents
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1) New development - passive transponder for tagging laptop and notebook computers

New development - passive transponder for tagging laptop and notebook computers
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Laptop and notebook computers are expensive items, often containing important confidential data. They are often stolen from business premises as they are easy to disconnect from their environment and easy to hide. A strong interest in RFID comes from applications that wish to monitor the unauthorised removal of such devices from premises.

RFID Technologies (Pty) Ltd (Johannesburg),SOUTH AFRICA have developed a new passive transponder that is specially designed to be attached to laptop and notebook computers. These transponders work in all orientations of the computer and will be detected by a Trolleyponder fixed reader at distances between 13 meter and 5 meters. Since the system works on radio principles, it will be detected even if it is inside a briefcase, laptop carrying bag or under a jacket.

The RFID Technologies RFID transponder is a rubber based tag that is glued onto the outside of the computer case. The tag can be attached anywhere to the outside of the computer case. It will be detected when it passes the reader even if it is screened from direct radio path with the reader by the computer itself. The rubber tag has a high resistance to chemicals and solvents. It is a passive tag with a very long expected lifetime.

RFIDasset(tm) is the trademark of RFID Technologies CC