Apr 07, 2016The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
Contrinex;
RFID Inventory Systems;
Serialio;
Lucas Systems;
Moncler;
Point Inside;
SecureRF; and
Smartrac.
Contrinex Unveils New RFID Tag for High-Temperature Applications
Contrinex, an RFID technology leader based in Carrollton, Texas, has unveiled a transponder as part of its Ultra High Temperature (UHT) series of high-frequency (HF) 13.56 MHz RFID tags designed for modern, smart-factory applications and harsh industrial environments. The new transponder, model RTP-0502-062, features FRAM memory, a type of non-volatile memory with low power consumption, high speed and long life expectancy, even under intense read-write cycling, the company reports.
The RTP-0502-062 provides robust performance in a variety of high-temperature applications during which the tag may be exposed to a range of rinsing, coating and burning operations, according to Contrinex. The tag can accompany products throughout all processes.
The tag's 2 kilobytes of FRAM memory can be used to store individual data, including customer requirements, directly on the product or carrier. All Contrinex UHT tags are silicone-free and have an IP68/IP69K protection rating. They can be used at ambient temperatures ranging from -13 degrees Fahrenheit to +482 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 degrees Celsius to +250 degrees Celsius) and can be read and written to directly upon leaving the high temperature zone, according to Contrinex, with no cooling-down time required. The UHT series also includes the RTP-0502-082 (with 112 bytes of memory) and the RTP-0502-022 (with 160 bytes). All tags in the UHT series comply with the ISO 15693 standard and have a diameter of 50 millimeters (2 inches).
RFID Inventory Systems Intros 24-foot-tall RFID-enabled Tower
RFID Inventory Systems has announced its Tower Inventory System (TIS), a passive RFID inventory scanning solution designed to enable faster cycle counts by conducting autonomous cycle counts and inventory reconciliation while being transported throughout a warehouse by a single forklift operator. The TIS also allows for flexibility of inventory reconciliation audits, the company reports, and simple software integration into current supply chain management databases.
The TIS is self-contained and comprises four six-foot-tall RFID panels stacked vertically to create a 24-foot-tall mobile array that includes a battery, a battery charger, an inverter, four RFID readers and 16 RFID antennas. The TIS uses Alien Technology's ALR-F800 reader.
According to RFID Inventory Systems, reducing the time required and labor associated with cycle counts allows warehouse owners to perform more frequent cycle counts (daily or weekly) without disrupting day-to-day activities. These more frequent cycle counts enable warehouse personnel to identify and correct errors in a timely manner, the company explains, while maintaining high database accuracy. Other benefits of frequent cycle counts include fewer lost items, better location accuracy of stored items, less time spent looking for misplaced items and improved database processes.
TIS' open architecture software is developed by T&W Operations, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVO) small business based in Huntsville, Alabama. The software is customizable for users who have unique requirements, and is designed so that users of varying computer literacy can easily operate the software to conduct cycle counts and generate reconciliation reports with little training.
Serialio Offers LF RFID Reader
Mobile solutions provider Serialio has introduced its idChamp DX1, a new Bluetooth-enabled low-frequency (LF) reader designed specifically for the livestock, veterinary and animal agriculture industries.
The idChamp DX1, which can be used to read half duplex (HDX) and full duplex (FDX) LF tags, communicates via a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 4.0 connection with iOS or Android smart devices located as far as 10 meters (30 feet) away. The reader also works with Serialio's Cloud-In-Hand service, which can be tailored for specific business needs and be used to manage all animal data collected.
The new reader is housed in a durable case, the company reports, and features a wireless charging circuit to keep users free from worry about exposed ports when dealing with animals in their environment. The case includes a wrist strap that can be used to keep the reader on hand when it's needed the most. The reader measures 112 millimeters by 77 millimeters by 36 millimeters (4.4 inches by 3.0 inches by 1.4 inches) and weighs 193 grams (6.8 ounces). It operates in temperatures ranging from 0 to 50 degrees Celsius (32 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit).
The idChamp DX1 supports 134 kHz tags complying with the FDX-B, T5557, T5567, EM4205, EM4305, TIRIS, RI-TRP-R/W/D, ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 protocols. Read distance depends on the tag type and orientation, the company indicates, but with a typical livestock ear tag measuring 1.2 inches in diameter, it delivers a read distance of about 2.25 inches (57 millimeters). With a typical injected tag that is 5/16 inch (8.4 millimeters) long and 0.06 inch (1.45 millimeters) in diameter, Serialio reports, it delivers a read distance 0.05 to 0.75 inch (12 to 19 millimeters), depending on orientation.
Available now, the idChamp DX1 priced at is $499.
Lucas Systems RFID-Enables Its Voice Picking Solution
Lucas Systems, a provider of solutions for intelligent mobile work execution for warehouses and distribution centers, has announced new certified smartphones, tablets and accessories for use with the company's Lucas Move mobile applications, which now support RFID and Near Field Communication (NFC), in addition to bar-code scanning and voice.
Lucas Move is the firm's mobile application for voice-picking and other warehouse applications. The app features Jennifer, an intelligent voice "agent" that guides users through their tasks via a combination of voice direction, speech recognition, visual user interfaces and bar-code scanning, according to the company. Lucas Move now also supports the use of RFID and NFC technologies within the Jennifer voice-directed workflow, the company adds, providing new means for asset and item identification, as well as data capture and location confirmation.
The application supports NFC capabilities on the smartphones with which Lucas Systems works (Samsung, Motorola, LG and so forth), as well as on NFC and RFID external wearable readers. The company has declined to identify the specific makes and/or models of NFC or RFID readers that are certified to work with Lucas Move.
Lucas has also announced that it has certified additional ruggedized smartphones, tablets and other "smart" accessories for use with Lucas Move, including external RFID and NFC readers and bar-code scanners. All of the new devices are available with a range of hardened cases meeting military standards (MIL-STD-810 or greater) for drop, tumble and vibration protection that meet or exceed the protection ratings of other warehouse devices currently used with Lucas Move. The new certified devices are Samsung's Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Tab A (8.0 and 9.7), Motorola's Droid Turbo 2 and LG's Nexus 5X.
Lucas Systems is currently working with a customer to implement RFID capabilities in its operations. However, the company is not at liberty to name the customer at this time.
Moncler Adds NFC to Labels to Its Spring and Summer Collection
Italian-French luxury outerwear-maker Moncler is now using Near Field Communication (NFC) to prevent product counterfeiting. Since 2009, the firm has undertaken an extensive campaign to safeguard the authenticity of its products with a company-managed website as a platform for the verification of anti-counterfeiting labels. Customers can sign into the site to check the characteristics of the garment they purchased, and thereby receive immediate feedback regarding its authenticity.
Most recently, starting with Moncler's spring and summer 2016 collection, all the company's products will bear labels with embedded NFC RFID inlays. Each label will have a unique alphanumeric code and a QR code, as well as an embedded NFC inlay that looks like its emblematic logo. The NFC chip can be used to confirm the product's authenticity, the company explains, and makes it possible to offer a more interactive and effective verification procedure, by having users visit the code.moncler.com website, or read the QR code or NFC ID number using specific apps that can be easily don to customers' smartphones.
Point Inside Launches Indoor Location Solution for Retailers
Point Inside, a provider of in-store product-location solutions for retailers, has announced its StoreLocation solution. The solution includes the Beacon Planner and Beacon Activator services, which are designed to help retailers take advantage of beacon-based location technologies to engage with shoppers in-store via mobile technology. With StoreLocation, Point Inside explains, retailers can easily plan, place, manage and monitor beacons at scale across hundreds or thousands of individual store locations.
StoreLocation, which supports hardware from leading beacon providers, is built on Point Inside's StoreMode platform, which creates a digital representation of each retail store by capturing current product locations, departments and services. According to the company, the Beacon Planner service enables retailers to devise beacon placement locations remotely via digital store maps, ensure sufficient in-store coverage and make beacon execution easy for store employees. Beacon Activator is a mobile management tool that retailers can use to activate, plan, place and move beacons within a store, via any iOS device.
Point Inside says it has drawn on more than six years' experience in the indoor location market, and has conducted in-store and in-lab trials of nearly every indoor location solution currently available. The StoreLocation is a result of that experience, the company adds.
SecureRF Intros New, Updated Sensor Tags With Built-In PKI Technology
SecureRF, a provider of security solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), has introduced a new sensor LIME Tag (MY01) that features cellular, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), classic Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity. The company has also announced an updated credential and smart card LIME Tag (NX01) supporting Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), symmetric encryption features and multiple file support.
According to SecureRF, all of SecureRF's LIME Tags (LIME is short for LIghtweight Multistream Encryption) use PKI technology, which enables real-time identification and authentication with or without a supporting database or Internet connectivity, while performing an authentication. Used in conjunction with SecureRF's Veridify smartphone app/reader and a secure cloud-based dashboard, SecureRF says, the LIME tags can deliver real-time visibility and provide a range of in-field control features, including the ability to revoke or un-revoke a tag's certificate of authenticity—in essence, turning its authentication on or off following deployment. LIME tags can also collect critical sensor data, such as temperature, humidity and shock, and are suitable for securing supply chains, monitoring high-value assets and managing cold chain, wherever pedigree and chain-of-custody is important.
The MY01 tag provides a sensor and connectivity platform integrated with SecureRF's PKI and file-protection solutions. It comes with cellular, BLE, classic Bluetooth and NFC radios, the company reports, as well as an optional temperature sensor, a three-axis accelerometer, an ambient light sensor and more than 7 megabytes of storage. In addition to supporting SMS text messaging, the MY01 support GPS functions for location-oriented services. The tag also has an optional color touchscreen display measuring 240 pixels by 240 pixels (1.5 inches by 1.5 inches). A security software development kit (SDK), smartphone app and supporting infrastructure are also available, and data and messaging to and from the tag can be managed via Veridify, SecureRF's secure cloud-based IoT service platform.
The updated features to the NX01 tag include onboard file protection, identification and authentication via PKI, and a symmetric encryption engine to securely move data onto and off the smart card. Smartphone and reader apps can support up to 40 kilobytes of user data in multiple files with user-defined access.
SecureRF's LIME Tags are designed to fit a range of commercial, consumer and defense applications, for which individuals, devices and products need to be securely monitored and authenticated, the company says. The LIME suite of sensors and tags are available in a variety of physical forms, including inlays, smart cards or chips, for easy integration into existing products, labels or tags. Other LIME tags that SecureRF launched in previous years include the LIME Tag UY01 (see SecureRF Announces Temperature-Logging EPC Tag with Data Protection), released in 2007, and the Lime Tag NY01, released in November 2015.
Smartrac Achieves EAL6 Certification at eID Production Site
Smartrac has announced that it has obtained Common Criteria EAL6 certification for its Thailand production site. This certification allows for the qualified handling of EAL6-certified products supplied by chip and chip operating system providers, the company reports, and should increase delivery times and allow for higher manufacturing flexibility.
Smartrac says it was among the first inlay manufacturers to achieve the level of security certification that silicon chip manufacturers and chip operating system providers have set as a standard for their recent products. As of now, the company notes, it is the only business to have received EAL6 certification for operating systems (OS) loading onto flash memory chips, which must follow a qualified, secure handling procedure. By being certified to do this, Smartrac can better meet customer expectations for faster delivery times, since it reduces the time-consuming logistical step of getting chips packaged into modules by chip suppliers. Hence, the company now has the flexibility required to supply small, medium and high volumes at short notice.
Not all RFID chips (including EPC Gen 2 chips) contain flash memory, or have their operating systems loaded in flash memory. In fact, the vast majority of chips have a native OS, meaning that the OS is loaded at the wafer level. Some other chips have their OS loaded at the ROM level, Smartrac notes.
Compared with EAL5, EAL6 certification requires an enhanced secure IT infrastructure, including firewall, virtual private network (VPN) and intrusion detection system/intrusion protection system (IDS/IPS), as well as high perimeter security. The certification covers all types of Flash memory chips, the company reports, including those used for electronic identification (eID) document applications, EMVCo, DDA Payment, and transport applications.
"As the global leader in high-quality and high-security RFID inlays for identity documents, we are delighted to obtain EAL6 certification," said Ralf Henn, the senior VP of Smartrac's Secure ID & Transactions Business Division, in a prepared statement. "With this new certification we are enabled to include OS loading onto flash memory chips, and uniquely positioned to serve our customers better than anyone else."
The "Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation" (abbreviated as Common Criteria, or CC) is an international standard (ISO 15408) for computer security certification. The Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL1 through EAL7) of an IT product or system is a numerical grade assigned following the completion of a Common Criteria security evaluation, according to Smartrac. EAL certifications for inlay production processes are granted by several certification bodies—by the French "Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information" (ANSSI) or the German "Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik" (BSI), for instance.
