Combining software engineering expertise, experience in access control, and industry-leading active and passive RFID technology, we offer custom solutions which enable companies to accurately track and manage assets, monitor key indicators, and make decisions based on real-time information.

An active RFID solution offers many benefits and applications, from site-wide access control, people tracking in real-time through to total asset visibility. Active RFID is being successfully deployed today by organisations to track and manage assets, improve their usage and control, improve security, automate processes and increase productivity.

RFID is a wireless automatic identification technology where tags, ranging from 'smart labels' to small electronic devices, are used in enterprise systems to uniquely identify the object they are attached to. Tags will store a unique ID number and some types offer read/write capabilities to store additional information. RFID tags can be read remotely through the radio frequency (RF) signal they send to a reader, over a range of distances varying from <1m up to 500m.

The readers send the received tag information over the enterprise network to back-end systems where the location of assets, their condition, or any unauthorized events (such as movement between areas) can be detected and alarms raised where needed. The end user typically can configure rules for the RFID system, locate an asset or view a real-time alert via front-end software or web-based interfaces.

Applications for RFID Asset Tracking include:

• Supply-Chain Management;
• Asset Management;
• Track Mobile Assets to reduce loss and theft
• Security Access Control for People
• Access Control for Vehicles
• Traceability (Pharmaceutical, Food & Produce, Livestock and Postal Tracking);

Tags (Active and/or Passive)

There are two types of tags available for deployment: passive and active tags. A passive tag is an RFID tag that does not contain a power source (battery) but uses electro-magnetic power supplied by the reader. This means that the tag can be read only at very short distances, typically up to a few feet, which greatly limits the device for certain applications. Passive tags are better suited to low-cost items where short read ranges will be sufficient for automatic identification, tracking and management applications.

Active Tags are powered by an internal battery and will transmit their unique ID over a range of distances from 2m to 500m at a pre-set time intervals for the duration of their lives. The tag life is estimated at 5 years at a transmission time interval of 1.5 seconds. Active tags are available with an anti-tamper function, a motion sensor option and a temperature sensor option to detect or monitor the location, movement and condition of tagged assets.

RFID tags are assigned to assets, people or alternatively can be embedded into devices. The tags come in various form factors, ranging from IP67 rated industrialized versions for heavy duty use through to slim personnel tags used for access control and people tracking. Tags can be used on both metallic and non metallic surfaces and can be customized to meet specific needs and applications.

Active tags can be combined with other technologies such as Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems to enable their use to track items worldwide, such as containers, vehicles, military units, ships and vessels.

Features of Active RFID Tags:

• Can be read at long to ultra-long range;
• Can be used indoors or out;
• Can be used in hostile or dangerous environments;
• Have tamper detection capabilities;
• Can have additional sensors such as movement or temperature;
• Can be used to identify assets that move at high speeds;
• Cheap to deploy compared to the value of the asset they are protecting;
• Can be integrated into existing systems' databases and access control systems;
• Can be personalised with unique ID and end-user information or combined with personal identification cards;
• Can incorporate common passive RFID access control chips allowing use on both legacy door access system and the RFID asset management system;

Readers

An RFID Reader is a device that is used to detect and decode the transmitted RF signals from RFID tags. The tag data and reader status information is fed into the asset management system to enable complete management of all tagged assets and the automation of business decisions about the assets based on accurate and near real-time knowledge of their location and condition.

Readers can be used to create RFID networks within buildings, depots and warehouses, providing tag monitoring capabilities across the entire facility, or at specific key locations. They can be deployed externally across large complexes such as container ports, yards or warehouses. A variety of RFID readers are available which enable deployment in a variety of network infrastructure scenarios.

In addition, mobile RFID readers are available for use with mobile handheld devices. This provides the user with unrivalled mobility solutions to identify, locate or audit tagged assets outside of areas monitored by fixed RFID reader networks.

Software

AssetTrace is a comprehensive zonal Real Time Location System (RTLS) software solution which provides total asset visibility to all stakeholders across the business. Providing 24/7 visibility and control of tagged assets distributed across multiple locations, AssetTrace improves inventory accuracy, asset utililisation, shrinkage reduction, staff productivity, and industry compliance. It supports both active & passive RFID technology.

Alternatively the .Net Software Development Kit (SDK) offers a powerful set of tools that enable developers to interface active RFID hardware and data with existing applications. The SDK allows quick and easy design, development and execution of new active RFID-based asset management, security and safety applications.