How Does It Work

Tag:

A small label (or RFID tag) is placed on each item to be tracked.

This label has an RFID inlay (a chip, with a unique ID encoded to its memory and a small antenna) embedded into it.

Reader:

RFID readers and antennas are located at certain egress points.

The readers broadcast radio waves via the antennas and the tags are powered by this signal to respond with their unique ID. Typically the range of our tags is between 2 - 8m.

Handheld readers are also used to read tags and update locations, stocktake or search for missing items. As line of sight is not required to read RFID tags, this is a very useful tool to find missing objects.

Software

The data collected by RFID readers is collected by the system software and filtered so that a single “transaction” is sent to a database when an item is detected. This will normally reflect a change in location from Area “A” to Area ”B”.

Additional smarts can be incorporated to provide the following;

• If the object handlers are required to wear an RFID tag, the system can alert if an object is moved without the required security clearance. Alerts can be sent back to the reader by way of an alarm or LED light or via email or screen alert to security
• A PC at the read point can be used to allow the handler to confirm the transaction vai touch screen prior to the change being updated
• The system can be fully integrated to a Collection Management System to automatically update location changes without manual input.