RFID Technologies CC
RFID Technologies CCMonthly newsletters
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RFID Newsletter No 18 27 March 2013
Contents
1. Different operation frequencies allocated to RFID The world is divided into three regions for frequency plans which are then accepted or modified by the individual countries in the region. The regions are - Europe & Africa, North & South America, and Asia(excl Russia) with Australia. The regions draw up the masterplans for the management of the radio spectrum and these are then adapted and accepted by the individual countries in those regions. This means that for major issues there are blocks of frequencies allocated in the different regions, such as for example cell phones. Minor applications, such as RFID, are fitted in by the individual countries between the big blocks and as a result there are nearly 177 different plans for RFID globally. Because different frequencies will give different performance, there are five groups of frequencies allocated for RFID by the individual countries. These are typically
There are two modes of sending energy through space, namely magnetic and electric fields. Magnetic systems use coils to couple the energy into space and these coils can be quite small, but operating range is short. Electric field use antenna systems that are usually operating wavelength related - for example half wave dipole. The wavelength is the speed of light divided by operating frequency. The wavelength at 100MHz is 3 meters, 900Mhz is 33cms, 2.45Ghz is 12cms, and 5.8Ghz is 5cms. The electric field antenna collects energy passing and its collecting area is proportional to the wavelength squared. So a 900 Mhz system with a 16cm antenna size collects 7 times the energy that a 2.45GHz system can collect or 33 times the amount of energy a 5.8GHz system will collect. This reduction in energy collection with frequency means that a 900 Mhz is almost the ideal RFID frequency for passive systems having consideration for antenna size and operating range. Lower frequencies would give more performance but would have much larger antenna systems. For passive systems (that is where the transponder extracts its operating power from the energising field), typical ranges for the different operating frequencies are - 125KHz (2 centimetres), 13.56Mhz (1 metre), 900MHz (10 metres), 2.45GHz(1.2 metres) and 5.8Ghz (25 centimetres). The 125Khz and 13.56MHz systems are magnetic coupled which allow them to operate in situations where electric field systems cannot operate, such as underwater, inside the bodies of humans and animals, and even inside blocks of metal. The 125khz transponder can be made very small, the most common being a coil 1 millimetre in diameter and 11 millimetres long. In 1990 when the staff of RFID Technologies were involved in the development of a transponder that could be used for the labelling of items in a supermarket trolley, 900MHz as a frequency was only available in a few parts of the globe with many countries preferring that development happened at 2.45GHz, a frequency that was already allocated to microwave ovens which had very poor frequency stability. After Supertag(tm) was developed and demonstrated in South Africa(1994), the interest globally in RFID took off and countries slowly realised that they needed to allocate a frequency for RFID in the 900MHz region in order for their countries to stay competitive. By 2013 virtually every country in the world has finally allocated part of the spectrum at 900Mhz for RFID.
RFID Technologies have a technical paper explaining these choices which can be
requested
Interested? - Use this link to be sent the white paper.
2. Server attacks For the past 16 years RFID Technologies have been serving information from a stand alone webserver running a linux operating system. The server supplies about 2.5 million documents per annum in the form of HTML, PDF and JPG files. In the whole 16 years, on only about five occasions has it stopped and needed a reboot. Two of these stoppages have happened in the past three months and as a result we have been investigating the cause. Usually nobody looks at logfiles as everything is running smoothly until there is a problem. Particularly with what has recently happened with attacks in South Korea in the past weeks, internet security is becoming an issue. We found that the reason the machine had stopped was due to simultaneous attacks from about 300 machines distributed all over the globe on our server at virtually the same instant. This overloaded a stack causing the machine to stop. What was interesting about the attack was the distribution of the attacking servers and their time coordination. We have since limited the number of child processes that can be started at any time and made the machine bullet proof. On further analysis of the historical logfiles, we found that our machine was being probed by very many servers continuously. This takes the form of sending the server an email to a fictitious user on our server to see if our machine would acknowledge that the user is UNKNOWN. Once again the probing is coming from no single source but is routed through 3000 different slave servers around the world, but particularly from Russia, Belarus, Kazakistan and Vietnam. We have recorded about 80 000 of these attempts over the past 4 weeks. Because we have the logfiles and are experts at data processing and analysis, we find so far that about 3000 slave servers are being used to do this probing. They are connected as all the probing messages are the same with just part of the destination address changing. What is interesting is the use of individual slave servers is kept to once or so per week so that unless you have a long data set you will not notice the pattern. One can find the more important machines in the probing as they often use multiple IP addresses from the same server or group of servers. We then started blocking the probing from the more noticeable servers by listing them in the access.db file. This sent them an ACCESS DENIED message and they immediately knew that we knew who they were. This brought upon us a major storm, like hitting a bee hive. Whereas when we started this we were getting 1000 probes a day, we are now getting 9000 a day but have identified and blocked 90% of all probes. However new slave servers are being added all the time and whereas initially almost all the attacks were from Russia and Belarus, now many parts of the Western World are also involved in the attacks. These attacks are coordinated as at times all is very quiet and then the messages start coming fast and furious from all parts for an hour or so and then stop. In the past when we have had attacks, there were a few machines and you could see a coordination that might be with many people in a club all agreeing to do something at some time. We tracked these and blocked them and weathered the storm. This time we are convinced that the slave servers have been infected with a virus that allows some controlling body to coordinate and route targeted messages on their command and receive the feedback without the owners knowing. As the slave servers are only occasionally used for these messages, the existence of the virus is undetected. This whole exercise has become a James Bond like scenario. This server is really unimportant in the commercial sense as it has no commercial value and is just a repository for documents - i.e. it is not a bank server and it does not hold confidential information. It is only operating at 1% usage, it has a lot of spare resources,is a long way from being overloaded and is bulletproof after we closed the last loophole. Every time we get sent a probe, it is collected and added to a database that allows us to reverse understand the attacking structure and to see our impact on the probing. At present we are blocking 2984 servers that have been involved in multiple attacks on our server in the past four weeks, but we suspect this number might grow to 10000 when some of the servers that have only been used once are reused - unless someone discovers the virus in the client servers. We have published on our website a list of the top 200 (by frequency of attack) of the 2516 attack servers that have been active over the past month. We can also send a list on request of the attack servers.
Want more info such as a list of attacking servers?
3. Product range RFID Technologies manufacture fixed readers and portable readers as well as a variety of transponders for different applications. Transponders come in the form of passive transponders with operating ranges up to 20 metres and battery assisted transponders with an operating range up to 40 metres. RFID Technologies also combine some of these components into packages for end users which are supplied with the appropriate software. Typical applications are asset management, notebook tracking, equipment barriers, store control, sheep and cattle tracking, event logging and sports timing systems. 4. Getting your own complete RFID/radar system You can order RFID systems or RFID-radar systems from rf-id-systems.com RFID Technologies provide small RFID reader systems which give new users the ability to evaluate UHF RFID and their applications without needing specialised skills. RFID Technologies provide a variety of easy starter systems for first time users who have an application that needs a solution. Typical packages are :
RFID Newsletter No 17 4 February 2013
Contents
1. Linking Android tablets to RFID readers The intention is to fit each of the wheelie bins (about 300 000) with a transponder in the lip of the bin, and have a reader on top of the compacting vehicle that would read the identity of the transponder as the contents of the bin were tipped into the compactor. A load cell would also be fitted on the lifting mechanism to measure the mass of the each bin as it is picked up and dropped off. Using a standard long range EcoTag RFID reader from RFID Technologies and standard EcoTag RFID transponders, the RFID part of the project is easy to implement. This is a data gathering application and an onboard computer is needed in each vehicle to determine the exact GPS position of the lift, the identity of the bin, the mass of the bin, the date and time and route number. All this information needs to be logged for future analysis and transferred to HQ either at the end of the route or via 3G during the route. The development of the Android based tablet has delivered some hardware that can drastically simplify the solution. The Android operating system connects modules inside tablets together. Typical modules that the operating system handles are GPS receivers, accelerometers, compass, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, USB ports, cameras, displays and keyboards. Due to mass production these devices have become very cheap costing between US$100 and US$200 for a 10 inch display. There is also a lot of recent development in programming languages for these devices allowing programs to be created that easily gather data from the sensors and save the information and generate reports. The negatives of using mass produced cheap tablets for a project that would have a long operating life are: The advantages of using the cheap tablets are: Not all android tablets are the same as although they might have similar sensors, the physical packaging is often different - for example whether the antennas are internal to the tablet or an external antenna can be used.There seems to be a lot of potential for using cheap Android based tablets as data collection platforms in automated data collection projects where RFID systems are used. The version we have been using for development has an external GPS antenna which can be mounted on the roof of the compactor to accurately position the vehicle and the bin locations when being emptied.
RFID Newsletter No 16 2 October 2012
Contents
1. Getting a very low cost transponder. In the 1990s RFID Technologies was asked to take part in a survey to predict the component costs of transponders over the next five years. What was interesting from that survey based on the collective knowledge of companies producing low cost passive transponders, was that there were three major component costs for low cost transponders - namely
1) The electronic chip The developments that happened that allowed a single chip to become the workhorse for RFID were those developments in chip technology that allowed the integration of UHF diodes, analogue circuitry and digital circuitry all on a single chip with a single manufacturing process . When the staff of RFID Technologies were involved in the development of the first passive transponders in 1990, we had a separate digital chip, an analogue chip, external high speed diodes and external capacitors in each transponder. At that time the digital and analogue chips had to be made in separate foundries as the chemicals and processes used in the one process poisoned the other process. Developments in the 1990s saw these technologies being merged and the UHF diodes able to operate efficiently at 1GHz being incorporated into the chip. An understanding of the developments in chip manufacture in silicon foundries explains why the technology called "printed electronics" as a solution to costs in RFID is not going to be viable. In the "printed electronics" process the aim is to print the transistor structures on cheaper substrates than silicon, and not need the high tolerance printing processes needed for semiconductor foundries. RFID at UHF frequencies currently pushes the boundaries in a silicon foundry and there is little chance that the huge technical gap between the "printed electronics" version and the conventional silicon substrate technology will close sufficiently for it to be a viable and cost effective replacement.
2) Antenna structures. The simplest way to make a viable antenna is to use a copper clad substrate that is usually used for making printed circuit boards. However cheaper solutions are required. This has led to various initiatives to print the antenna with cheaper materials. A carbon paste is the cheapest form of conducting paste as carbon is so plentiful. However it is difficult to connect the electrical terminals of the integrated circuit to the carbon paste. Another problem is that if the antenna is flexed, hairline cracks appear in the dried paste which impede the current flow needed for the antenna to operate. Some solutions to this problem have been to electroplate copper onto the conducting paste to form a continuous surface that can bend without breaking the current flow, while another has been to use a silver based ink that is then heated and sintered. This last method is expensive and has also had issues with disposal at the end of life particularly in the EU as the antennas are then treated as hazardous waste needing special; disposal methods. As one can see, particularly due to its size and manufacturing methods, the antenna itself is a large part of the costs of a transponder.
3)Transponder assembly If RFID is going to be used in retail, then very high assembly volumes are needed. The limit on machine size seems to be a volume of 100 million transponders per annum per machine, which equates to about 7 transponders per second. This is about the limit on movement via motors as the inertia at higher speeds becomes so great that the motors have to become very large. So far it seems that only one of these machines has been built, but the current demand for transponders does not seem to be sufficient to keep it in operation. To meet the needs of RFID for retail, about 1 million of these machines would be needed.
Price reduction with volume One has to question if any of the companies involved in RFID transponder manufacture are driven by the desire to deliver very cheap transponders. RFID is such a pervasive solution that its success is not dependent on satisfying the Fast Moving Goods market for retail tagging. There are many applications that can afford a higher value transponder that can allow the manufacturers to make some profit. As the higher value markets saturate in the future, and as more companies gain experience in very high volume delivery, then possibly the retail market can be addressed.
2. Calling farmers in South Africa In the past we have been approached by many farmers in South Africa who have a problem with stock theft. Although the Cowtrack product is not ready yet, some other technologies have become available that might provide a simpler solution to this specific problem. RFID Technologies would like to talk to some of these farmers who might want to try this solution. mailto:info@rf-id-systems.com?subject=SA_Farmer_contact(rfid)
3. Long term product stability Clients of RFID Technologies in 52 countries are assured that our new generation transponders will be compatible with previous generations that have been supplied over the past fourteen years. Newer solutions are always in development, but parts and compatible components are available for all equipment provided over the past fourteen years.
RFID Newsletter No 15 27 August 2012
Contents
Timing at the Olympics and the use of RFID Having been involved in the development of RFID systems for the past 22 years and before that having been a key player and developer of timing systems for motorsport in South Africa, our interest was in the technology changes that had occured in timing systems with time. The most impressive development of these games, must be in the dissemination of information to millions of viewers globally, who could monitor on a website the reaction time of each competitor, interim time measurements and the final result as it happened in real time. With all this information, one had to have a laptop linked to the internet in front of the big screen TV to have all these dimensions unfold simultaneously. Because of all this realtime information, one was aware when the timing was fully automated - such as measuring the reaction times to the starter signal - versus when other systems were been used such as for the crossing the finishing line. The finish line is generally measured using optical systems as RFID is too undefined to provide an accurate time measurement. Understandably when 8 athletes can finish a 100 meter dash with a time spread of about 0.3 of a second, any automated sensor system is going to be tested. The basic dimension in the design of an RFID system is the wavelength, which is a unit with a dimension of typically 30 centimeters. Antennas are used to focus the energy into beams, - similar to what the reflector on a torch does with a globe - but as soon as these beams hit hard objects, they scatter - like shining a torch in a house of mirrors - meaning it is almost impossible to clearly define the energy beam. In a practical situation this limits the suitability for RFID solutions where high timing accuracy is needed. RFID can be used. for the timing of events where one second resolution is acceptable. In situations where there are a limited number of competitors, for high resolution timing, an optical system is used. This has a camera mounted above the competitors looking across the finish line. The image is recorded on a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) which time stamps each frame of the picture. Immediately after the event the frames taken when the competitors cross the line are examined and the accurate time of each competitor determined. A major advantage of this method is that very long finish lines can be handled, such as for rowing events where the finish line is the width of the rowing pan. It is in the area of digital video recorders over the past couple of years where major advances have taken place, with images stored on large random access memories and then transferred to disk - instead of tapes. These machines have come down in price to about US$100 making them suitable for small eventsl. Obviously at the same time higher accuracy versions are becoming available with higher frame rates and definition to cater for the professional market. However at present the DVR approach needs a human interpretation which shows in the response time it takes for the results to appear on the website from when the race is finished. What was interesting in the track events at the Olympics, was that despite all the technology, there is still a "human spotter" sitting at the finish line observing the finish in case the electronic results need to be revised.
Tracking the players and ball in a soccer game. The tracking of the ball seems to have been a problem that has been plaquing FIFA especially in determining whether a ball has crossed the line in the goal mouth - in situations where the ball has an amount of spin and bounces out again. One possible solution being proposed is to use the Sony Hawk-Eye system used for cricket and tennis matches. However this is a very complex system and is limited to major matches. One of the founders of RFID Technologies had occasion to help the Hawk-Eye staff with a computer problem during a Cricket World Cup in South Africa a few years ago. He says there was so much equipment needed for the system that it took up a similar space to an Outside Broadcast van used by television companies. One would have thought that a simple solution for the goal mouth problem would be to mount four cameras into the goal posts at each end and record their images on one of these low cost DVR players, thus allowing a third ref to quickly replay the situation in cases where the referee is in doubt. However it seems that FIFA have a 5 second requirement for judgement which stops a simple solution. On tracking players, optics seems to be the best approach and having some software to automatically analyse the images from cameras, cameras that can record a large section of the field at one time. The problem arises when two players come close together and the software can then get confused as to which player left in which direction. Night vision cameras used in homes use LEDs for illumination that are not visible to the human eye, but fall within the response spectrum of the cameras. Making small LED flashers using these LEDs which could be attached to the players and made to flash out quickly an identity code that would not be seen by the human eye - but would be seen by the image detectors in the cameras, could dramatically simplify the problem of identifying the specific players when analysing large images of a large part of the field.. The software would need to detect which pixels are changing very fast in comparing frame to frame, and hence locate the individual players. This could also possibly be adapted to the Olympic situation of identifying atheletes automatically in photo finish equipment.
RFID Newsletter No 14 20 July 2012
Contents
RFID for data collection or clever application RFID systems are often the data capture components that form the front end of a computer system which implements some application. Due to the complexity of radio wave propogation which forms a critical part of RFID systems, often the sensing part of the RFID systems have minor imperfections that need to be taken out by logical processing of the data. An example of such is that due to the vectorial addition of multipath radio waves between the transponder and the reader,it is possible for an RFID tag to be in an "RF-hole" and its data missed by the reader. These holes are very small as they require all the geometry of the multipath waves to be so orientated to exactly cancel the main beam signal. A solution is to have some movement in the environment of the reader or for the reader and transponder to move relatively so that the multipath geometery no longer creates a perfect cancelation environment. We recently were asked to consider an RFID solution to check for the presence of bond certificates in a filing cabinet each day. The certificates have an RFID transponder attached to each certificate and the relevant bank needs to know that no certificates are missing each morning. One solution is to pass a portable RFID reader over each drawer of the filing cabinet and record all the ID numbers present on a USB memory stick, and then take this away for processing at a remote office. Another solution would be to base the system around our RFIDasset(tm) tracking package, where all the certificates and their location are kept in a database on a laptop that forms part of the RFID system. The reader is connected to the laptop via a Bluetooth interface that passes all the ID numbers to the laptop, which instantaneously is able to check off the presence of the individual certificates as they are read, to update their location if moved, and immediately report certificates that are missing. This means the operator is immediately aware of the problem and can double check to see that the certificate has not been misread, or find out from the staff the reason for the certificate not being in the correct place. Especially in asset tracking applications where there are a large number of items in the vicinity of the reader,a laptop computer attached to the reader becomes essential - as the reader reads tags far faster than can be absorbed by a human operator. (A RFID Technologies reader reads tags at up to 70 per second).
RFID Newsletter No 13 16 April 2012
Contents
Marking yachts, boats, soft drink fridges, LDV canopies One of the recurring problems asked for a solutions is in the identification of fibreglass items to prove ownership. A typical request might relate to a fridge for softdrinks in a retail store where the fridge is owned by the soft drink company, and might be stolen at some time and then appear in another store. All identification marks have been removed from the fridge and although the softdrink company might suspect it is one of theirs, there is no way of proving the identity. A similar problem exists for mass produced items such as hobie cats, surf boards and canopies for LDVs. RFID Technologies produce a thin wire transponder that is a little thicker than a human hair, can be incorporated in the product during the moulding process, is passive with a very long operational life, and can be read with a reader up to 10 meters away providing a unique number. As the transponder is incorporated in the moulding, can be read at a long distance, and is very small - the thieves who are trying to remove all the identification tags cannot locate the transponder and it continues to provide a unique identification number for the life of the product.
Camera developments This was a new project we were testing to understand the pros and cons of such technology. The camera system is completely under the control of the owner thousands of miles away who can activate the camera, turn on heat sensing detection or night vision, receive photgraphs from the camera when an intruder is detected, or just send a snap shot on demand - all linked by the owners cell phone. After a couple of months of use from a test site 90 km from base, we can report that the technology is very reliable and cheap to operate, even in places that are very far from the normal infrastructure one has in residential areas. An associate in New Zealand has now started testing and developing a similar system based on the New Zealand infrastructure. Interested? - Use this link to be sent the brochure. mailto:info@rf-id-systems.com?subject=Want_info_on_remote_alarm_app(Apr12)
Product range
RFID Newsletter No 12 28 November 2011
Contents RFID Technologies makes a variety of UHF RFID readers and transponders. These systems are the sensor components of computer systems for a variety of applications. In this newsletter we describe some of the application trends for which our systems are being ordered.
Preventing the removal of computer equipment and valuable assets. With the very sensitive passive transponders available from RFID Technologies, and the excellent read ranges available from its readers, an effective barrier can be created to record and alert when tagged items are being removed from a zone. For a long time RFID Technologies have been providing the Notetrack(tm) hardware and software package to control the flow of notebook computers in and out of office buildings,recording the authorised passage of the devices while alerting to the unauthorised removal of such items. At the request of clients, the hardware has now also been adapted to create alarm barriers to stop removal of items from uncontrolled exits and to channel the passage to monitored exits. Two examples of installations stand out, the one in a medical facility in the USA, and the other in a Central African training establishment for computer science. The readers are mounted at the the exit doors of the zone and continuously monitor the passageway. Should a tagged item enter the zone, it will immediately be detected and the readers emit a loud alarm signal to draw attention to the removal. In the case of the medical facility, equipment and even books may only be removed from the facility through the exit controlled by a guard. Other exits of the building have stand alone readers that make a loud noise if any of the tagged goods approach these exits, forcing the guarded exit to be used for moving of the goods. In the case of the schools in Africa, the readers are setup outside the computer room doors and should any equipment be removed, loud noises are made alerting passing staff. The reason this is successful is that the RFID Technologies transponders are passive, and are so sensitive that a laptop computer hidden from sight while up to 20 meters away can be detected. The reader does numerous checks on the signal it is receiving, such as data rates, duty cycle, checksums and many others to minimise the risk of false alarms. The readers have the ability to log the identity of any item that enters its zone. The readers use very low powers and provide uninterupted continuous monitoring, able to detect items passing at speeds up to 300kph. If interested send an email mailto:info@rf-id-systems.com?subject=Interested_in_Notetrack_barriers
RFID Newsletter No 11 2 June 2011
Contents RFID Technologies makes a variety of UHF RFID readers and transponders. These systems are the sensor components of computer systems for a variety of applications. In this newsletter we describe some of the application trends for which our systems are being ordered.
Tracking of notebooks RFID Technologies provide very sensitive passive transponders that can be attached to the notebook and can be read by a fixed reader up to 20 meters away. The owner also carries a credit card sized ID transponder which is read at the same time by the fixed reader. The software in the system matches the notebook to the ID badge and records the passage. If a notebook is detected without the linked ID badge, a warning is given to the guard at the exit. RFID Technologies provide the hardware and software for a single exit in their "system in a box" solution. They have also provided a software update that allowed seven exits to be controlled from one central point. To monitor notebooks, the physical situation has to allow limited numbers of exit points from the building so that notebooks and their users have to pass within range of a fixed reader. The other fact of life is that the transponder on the notebook has to be attached to the outside of the notebook. The construction of the notebook computer is such that the case forms a "Faraday cage" which prevents the radio signals generated on the inside of the notebook escaping to interfere with outside radio signals. More info on the website under Notetrack(tm)
Timing of sports events Usually an enthusiast involved in the sport has a laptop computer and wants to write a computer program to do the timing and present the results. This starts off with manual capture on the keyboard and as the club grows and the number of competitors increase, a stage is reached where the club wants to add an RFID sensor system to automate the data capture. The RFID Technologies system is often chosen as it is easy to adapt to computer programs, it is relatively cheap, it can handle high speeds, it can operate from batteries and is reliable. Our largest installation to-date is for a club with 600 competitors. The one thing to realise with RFID is that the timing-line is the edge of the energy field radiated from the energising antenna, which is different from the straight line of the conventional finish line. This means that there can be a slight timing difference between a system based on RFID only as compared to a photo-finish. If a photo-beam is linked to the RFID system and the software adapted, then an accurate timing system can be built that will be comparable with the photo-finish timing systems.
Locating buried services. Burying one of RFID Technologies's very sensitive RFID transponders with the connection point allows the exact location of the connection point be identified using a portable reader as well as the exact ID number of the point. The RFID Technologies transponders are very sensitive, passive and can lie dormant under the surface for many years without degrading. There are some issues to consider. The depth of penetration of UHF RFID signals into the ground is a function of the water content of the soil at that time. Hence if you are in floods or if the water is pooled over the connector, UHF RFID signals are not going to penetrate the surface. Hence the location of the connectors needs to be scheduled when water is not pooling over the connection point.
RFID Newsletter No 10 31 May 2011
Contents
Expanding the abilities of RFID Users of RFID Technologies equipment and readers of this newsletter will know that RFID Technologies provide a range of leading edge RFID systems. RFID Technologies 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. RFID Technologies also make portable readers that can be used in logistics and asset tracking applications with a 10 meter range. RFID Technologies 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. RFID Technologies 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. RFID Technologies 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 RFID Technologies. 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 RFID Technologies's product range
RFID Newsletter No 9 26th May 2009
Contents In this newsletter we detail another major performance achievement for passive UHF RFID transponders.
Another leap in the performance of UHF passive transponder technology 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 8 24 April 2009
Contents
Development directions for RFID 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.
2)Range information
3)Manufacturing cost
4)Smaller antenna size
5)RF interference
6)Increasing dynamic range
7)New protocols
RFID Newsletter No 7 24 February 2009
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Interesting projects 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 6 31st October 2008
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Productivity challenges 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 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 5 9 September 2008
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Future advancements in RFID applications 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 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 4 5 August 2008
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Find-a-tag feature added to asset tracking software 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 3 17 July 2008
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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.
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.
RFID Newsletter No 2 29 May 2008
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RFIDasset - a merging of hardware and software to solve a significant problem 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 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.
RFID Newsletter No 1 5 April 2008
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New development - passive transponder for tagging laptop and notebook computers 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
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