 | Thursday, August 14, 2008
Issue 890 | | Will Smith, Editor |  |
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Editor's Note: Today's top story is a look at the dramatic improvement in Gen2 read ranges as reported by RFID solutions provider Simply RFiD. The company today gets 40-foot reads reliably; just a couple years ago it struggled to get 12 feet.
Inlay manufacturer UPM Raflatac has announced the selection of its tags for a new inventory management system for the concrete industry. Called TrackCon, the system provides "cradle-to-grave traceability" of manufactured concrete structures, something parent company International Coding Technologies indicates the concrete industry has struggled with historically.
Lastly, note the new classified listing below for IDTechEx's Active RFID, RTLS & Sensor Networks 2008 conference taking place in Dallas, Texas, November 5th and 6th. |
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Read Range for Gen2 RFID in 2008? 40 Feet
RFID solutions provider Simply RFiD posted an entry on its blog a few weeks ago entitled RFID Read Range: Just how far can RFID track something?. In it, Simply RFiD president Carl Brown reported the read ranges on Gen2 technology that his engineers have found consistently in recent months. Those ranges were long enough to prompt skepticism from some readers -- and to prompt RFID Update to interview Brown for more explanation. The result was a decidedly bullish view of where Gen2 technology performance stands today, and where it is going in the near term.
"In the last year or two, RFID performance has definitely gotten a lot better. It used to be 10 feet [read range] was the goal, and you'd be happy to get 12," Brown told RFID Update referring specifically to Gen2. "Now we're seeing 20 feet without any issues at all. You can even have the tag in strange orientations, and you're still going to get the read."
Brown elaborated on his blog post, which grouped deployment environments into four buckets: difficult, average maximum, free space, and optimized. "Difficult" refers to challenging setups like those with proximity to metal or liquid. In such environments Brown's team reliably gets 10-foot reads. "Average max" refers to most configurations, in which there is no unusual impediment. Here Simply RFiD reports 40 feet. "We can plan to have an effective working range of 40 feet and be confident we will achieve 100 percent reads," Brown writes in his blog post. "Free space" refers to an open-air configuration with some optimization to ensure that the tags are directly facing the readers for clear line-of-site. Here they get 60 feet, but Brown acknowledges that such a setup is unlikely. Lastly, in an "optimized" environment Simply RFiD can achieve read ranges as high as 120 feet. "To create an optimized environment, we need a clear view of the tag, metal reflectors to help signal bounce and a low-noise environment. Rarely can we make an optimized situation in a deployment -- but, when we need to, we can." As rare as the optimized scenario might be, it does illustrate the potential of Gen2 technology.
"So, more to the point, how far can we track you or an item you are carrying with RFID?" Brown writes. "Typically, about 40 feet. And, absolutely within 20 feet."
One caveat to these impressive numbers is that they depend on Simply RFiD's chosen hardware combination, which is currently Avery Dennison AD-224 inlays paired with ThingMagic's M5 reader. It is this particular setup that has yielded the longest read ranges for the company. But Brown acknowledged that they have not tested all Gen2 readers and inlays on the market, so theirs should not be considered the definitive best combination.
Furthermore, the technology is developing so fast that such optimized reader-tag pairings are very much a moving target. Product iterations on both the reader side and the inlay and RFID tag chip side are common, any of which can see one product leapfrog the others in its category. Watch for new versions of Gen2 silicon chip technology from the three leading providers Impinj, Alien, and NXP. The Gen2 tag chip is probably the most important component of a system. After that watch for major new versions of readers, which can also exhibit huge performance gains. Brown points to the difference between ThingMagic's M4 and M5. While the M4 was a very strong reader, the M5 is in a whole different league, he says. After readers and tag chips, other components of an RFID system include the tag inlays and the reader antennas, also products that are seeing constant innovation and improvement. "[Avery Dennison's] AD-222 is great and is a great workhouse but AD-224 is the next generation and it's better.
"This technology is moving fast. Antenna, readers, cables, tags are all changing every six months," concludes Brown. "The most important aspect: just do it. It works."
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| Upcoming Events | Active RFID, RTLS & Sensor Networks 2008 | Nov 5-6 | Dallas
IDTechEx presents the only event in the world dedicated to the technologies of Active RFID, RTLS and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks. The conference will look at the key applications that are driving growth including manufacturing, healthcare, the military and security, postal and courier, and logistics. Find more information here www.IDTechEx.com/Active. | North Texas RFID Happy Hour at the MGM - September 9th, 2008
The September North Texas RFID Happy Hour will be held in conjunction with RFID World at the MGM Grand Hotel Conference Center. Sponsors of the RFID Happy Hour will be handing out RFID tagged swizzle stick invitations, which will give the holders a chance to win a Free Drink. www.northtexasrfid.com | RFID Health Care Industry Adoption Summit, Nov 16-18, D.C.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) are pleased to co-sponsor this comprehensive overview of RFID and track-and-trace operational and implementation strategies for the healthcare supply chain. For more information, or to register, please visit -- http://meetings.nacds.org/rfid/2008/registration.cfm | RFID World | Sept 8-10, 2008 | MGM Grand | Las Vegas, NV
Now in its 6th year, this industry leading event is recognized as the gathering place for the builders, buyers and sellers of RFID and other Auto-ID technologies. Registration now open! Special Early Bird Savings: Save $300 off registration. Offer ends July 31st. Don't miss out! | RFID Executive Forum - Impact RFID, October 15, 2008 at UCLA
UCLA WINMEC will host its 2008 RFID Executive Forum. This Forum will bring academics, industry practitioners to discuss industry-specific modality of use of RFID and the application of RFID in their industry. For more information, please visit: www.winmec.ucla.edu/rfid/2008 | | | RFID Tags & Labels | Ferroxtag HF tags: Smart on Metal!
Ferroxtag is a new family of HF RFID tags suitable for operation on metallic surfaces. Ferroxtag's special ferrite antenna was developed using Ferroxcube's years of experience in ferrite technology. The high performance antenna means longer read range with a smaller tag. Visit www.ferroxtag.com | | | Products & Services | Real-Time WIP Visibility Appliance from Omnitrol Networks
Meet the industry's most innovative award winning RFID solution that enables complete work-order traceability in manufacturing. Real-time web-based dashboards and multi-site monitoring for work-order pedigree and traceability, including proactive bottleneck management and real-time performance analytics optimizing shop-floor efficiency. All at the lowest TCO in the marketplace. www.omnitrol.com/WIP. | Employees steal over $1 billion per week from employers
the American Management Association reports. 95% of businesses are victimized by employee theft. Managers are reluctant to ask questions, because trusted employees may feel offended, leaving business owners in a difficult situation. What can you do? Nox: Intelligent Perimeter Defense from Simply RFID provides advanced security and protection for business assets. | | | RTLS & Active RFID | Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how!
Ekahau RTLS (Real-Time Location System) automatically tracks assets and people via your existing Wi-Fi network. Control costs and improve asset management with Ekahau. For more information, visit us at www.ekahau.com. | | | Employment | RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting
Whether your company is looking for the best RFID talent or you have the best RFID talent and are looking for the best RFID employer, RFID Recruiters offers the most focused approach to your objective. To learn how the RFID industry and the RFID job market are evolving, visit www.rfidrecruiters.com | | | Research & Whitepapers | RFID Marketing Strategies Report
Thirty-nine pages of original research on RFID audience perceptions, including 30+ figures of tactics, content & messaging, and recommendations to guide marketing strategy. Also, Top-10 RFID company rankings based on 550+ survey respondents. View the executive summary free, with Top-3 sample rankings. Only $495 Individual License or $795 Corporate License. Available now |
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