Dec 09, 2010The following are news announcements made during the past week.
Ekahau Intros Wi-Fi Monitoring, Troubleshooting Tool for Mobile Phones, Tablets
Ekahau, a provider of Wi-Fi based real-time location systems (RTLS), has announced its Ekahau Mobile Survey, a Wi-Fi toolkit for enterprises designed specifically to operate on mobile phones and tablets. According to Ekahau, the application—intended for monitoring, analyzing and troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks—is now available for most versions of Android-based smart phones, many of which already have built-in Wi-Fi capability. The Ekahau Mobile Survey also works on tablet computers, such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab. The application, Ekahau reports, is a tool for analyzing Wi-Fi networks in real time via a smart phone or a tablet computer, thus minimizing the need for IT managers to carry separate devices. Ekahau Mobile Survey performs active and passive tests to determine if a Wi-Fi network is functional and meets the requirements for coverage and performance for different services, such as voice-over-IP (VoIP), video, data and real-time location tracking. It measures coverage, data rate, and packet delay and loss, in order to ensure that the network can meet the performance needs for the various services running across it. Additionally, Ekahau Mobile Survey can detect rogue access points. When a user is not actively utilizing Ekahau Mobile Survey, the application continues monitoring the network in the background, without impacting the mobile device's ability to perform other tasks. If the user visits a location where the network does not meet the service requirements, an alarm will sound to alert that individual to the problem. All errors are then logged for detailed analysis at a later time. Ekahau Mobile Survey also integrates with Ekahau Site Survey (ESS), the company's laptop-based flagship Wi-Fi planning, verification and troubleshooting tool. When Ekahau Mobile Survey is used in conjunction with ESS, the infrastructure layout and configurations on the map can be viewed directly on the smart phone or tablet. This map-view also shows the status of nearby access points in real time. Purchasing ESS is recommended for professional users, but not required for using Ekahau Mobile Survey in a standalone mode. Ekahau Mobile Survey is available now for $299, and can be used with newer-model Android phones: Samsung's Galaxy S, Motorola's Droids 1/2/X and Milestone models, HTC's Desire line (standard/HD/Z), Google's Nexus One (and the forthcoming Nexus S), Sprint's Evo 4G, and T-Mobile's G2 and myTouch 3G. The application requires both a larger screen to host the user interface (older phones have smaller screens), and version 2.1 of Google's Android operating system (OS). The application currently works only with smart phones that run the Android operating system, because each mobile phone OS—such as those developed by Microsoft, Apple or Research in Motion (e.g., BlackBerry)—requires specific coding for the application to work on it. What's more, the company notes, although Apple's iPhones have a Wi-Fi programming interface, it is closed, and the Apple App Store has banned any applications that attempt to utilize the iPhone Wi-Fi interface for displaying information regarding the Wi-Fi networks. However, Ekahau says, it is considering developing the application for other mobile-phone platforms besides Android.
RF Code, Server Technology Announce Wire-Free Power Monitoring for Data Centers
RFID firm and IT asset-management solutions provider RF Code has teamed with Server Technology, a power-distribution and -management provider, to offer an integrated, rack-level, wire-free power-monitoring solution designed for data-center energy optimization. The jointly developed solution integrates Server Technology's Smart and Switched cabinet power distribution units (CDUs) with RF Code's active RFID hardware and management software, to offer data-center managers insight into overall power utilization, individual device power utilization or both. The combination allows RF Code's 433 MHz active RFID tags to capture and then transmit power-monitoring in-feed and device-level information captured from the Server Technology CDUs, to RF Code's wire-free RFID readers. Those readers, the companies report, then relay the information to RF Code's Sensor Manager software, which manages the power-monitoring information and makes additional computations regarding power utilization. Specifically, the new RF Code R170 PDU Tag for Server Technology plugs into the serial port on Server Technology's Smart or Switched CDUs. Power-monitoring data provided by the solution includes amperage, voltage, apparent power, active power kW, outlet status changes (on, off and reboot), capacity and breaker status. Customers can utilize Sensor Manager to manage the data using live table views, map views, interactive graphing and reporting, scheduled graphing and reporting, alerting and thresholding. RF Code's partnership with Server Technology is similar to one that the firm announced in September 2010 with Raritan (see RF Code, Raritan Launch System for Monitoring Server Power Consumption).
Google Unveils Nexus S Phone, Incorporating NXP's NFC Technology
Google has announced that it has integrated NXP Semiconductors' PN544 NFC controller into its new Nexus S mobile phone, co-developed by Google and Samsung, which, the companies report, offers users access to NFC-based services and applications. According to Google, Nexus S is the lead device for its Gingerbread/Android 2.3 release, and is the first Android device to ship with the new version of the Android platform. It features a 4-inch contour display, a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, front- and rear-facing cameras, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and NFC hardware that will enable users to leverage the device to read information from NFC tags. It also features a new keyboard and a text-selection tool, Internet (voice-over-IP/session initiation protocol [VoIP/SIP]) calling, improved copy/paste functionality and gyroscope sensor support, Google adds. "Android's openness has provided a great platform for accelerated innovations," said Eric Chu, Google's Mobile Platforms program manager, in a prepared statement. "We are always looking for creative ways to enhance and extend the utilities of mobile devices with new technologies. With NXP's contribution, the introduction of NFC in Android provides developers, service providers, and device manufacturers a game-changing opportunity to deliver new services while enabling users to interact with each other and the physical world in ways previously not possible." After Dec.16, 2010, says Andy Rubin, Google's VP of Engineering, the Nexus S will be available for purchase (unlocked or with a T-Mobile service plan) online, as well as at all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores in the United States; after Dec. 20, it will be available at Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy retailers in the United Kingdom.
The NFC Forum, an association promoting the adoption of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, has formally unveiled its certification program. This program, the organization explains, offers increased assurance that NFC Forum-certified products are interoperable with other products certified by the group, and supports consistency in the behavior of NFC devices by confirming that products conform to the NFC Forum's specifications. Under the program, companies submit their devices to an authorized NFC Forum test laboratory for conformance testing, using NFC Forum-validated test tools. The results are submitted to the independent, neutral, third-party certification administrator for validation and approval. The program includes a problem- and issue-resolution process, and the anonymity of all submissions is assured. The program will evolve as the NFC Forum's specifications evolve. The first round includes testing for the lower-level digital protocols—specifically, the Tag Operation specifications for the different tag types, the NFC Digital Protocol Specification and the NFC Activity Specification. The second round, scheduled to launch in 2012, will add testing for the physical layer and selected upper-level digital protocols, including RF analog and peer-to-peer. Only products that pass certification testing will be able to display the NFC Forum-trademarked N-Mark logo. Not only does the N-Mark signify that a device has passed the forum's certification testing, but it also lets consumers know where to touch, for example, a poster, sign, badge or label to trigger NFC services (see RFID Roundup: NFC Forum Unveils N-Mark for Tags). In addition to the Certification Program, the NFC Forum supports "PlugFest" events held throughout the year, at which NFC solutions providers can test the interoperability of their products with other NFC offerings. Certification is open only to NFC Forum members. Businesses also have the option to list their certified products on the NFC Forum's Web site, so that other ecosystem players can easily locate them. The Open Group, a vendor-neutral and technology-neutral consortium, will serve as the certification partner for the NFC Forum Certification Program. The NFC Forum has also announced the publication of four technical specifications that further define the modular architecture and interoperability parameters for NFC devices and protocols, bringing the total number of specifications developed and adopted by the group up to 15. The NFC Digital Protocol Technical Specification addresses the digital protocol for NFC-enabled device communication, providing an implementation specification on top of the ISO/IEC 18092, ISO/IEC 14443 and JIS X 6319-4 standards. According to the group, the specification harmonizes the integrated technologies, specifies implementation options and limits the interpretation of the standards—in essence, showing developers how to employ ISO/IEC 18092, ISO/IEC 14443 and JIS X6319-4 standards together to ensure global interoperability between different NFC devices, and between NFC devices and existing contactless infrastructure. The NFC Activity Technical Specification describes the building blocks, known as Activities, for setting up the communication protocol between NFC devices, or between an NFC device and an NFC tag. These Activities can be used as defined in this specification, and can be modified to define other ways of setting up the communication protocol for different use cases. The NFC Forum Type 4 Tag Operation Specification, Version 2.0—an update from Version 1.0—provides the technical information necessary to implement the reader/writer and associated control functionality of an NFC device to interact with the Type 4 Tag, which is fully compatible with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard (Type A or Type B). Version 2.0 of the specification updates the parameter values and usage of Select Commands, and also adds coexistence of Type 4 Tag Version 1.0 and Version 2.0, consistently aligning defined terms. Tags are preconfigured at the point of manufacture to be either readable and rewritable, or read-only. The memory availability is variable, up to 32 kilobytes per service. The NFC Forum Type 4 Tag Version 2.0 has been updated to be compliant with the latest edition of the ISO standards (in particular, ISO/IEC 7816-4 2nd Edition). The Signature Record Type Definition (RTD) Technical Specification defines the format used when signing single or multiple NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) records. It provides a list of suitable signature algorithms and certificate types that can be utilized to create the signature. Signature RTD can be used to protect the integrity of NDEF messages (for example, as stored in tags) by signing it with cryptographic keys. Specifications still under development include the RF analog specification, as well as higher-level protocols and applications, such as the Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol (SNEP) specification and the NFC Controller Interface (NCI) specification. All of the specifications are available to the public for download at no charge.
Austriamicrosystems Teams With NXP on Solution for Product Authentication, Extends Agreement With Future Electronics
Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturer Austriamicrosystems and RFID chip maker NXP Semiconductors have jointly developed a solution that includes a printed circuit board containing an ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID reader, software and firmware, design guidelines, and sample tags designed for use as a turnkey product-authentication solution that can be embedded in consumer products, such as vacuum cleaner bags, water filters and beverage concentrates. Specifically, the solution leverages Austriamicrosystems' AS399x UHF RFID Reader IC and NXP's Ucode G2iL series, both of which support the ISO 18000-6b and EPC Gen 2 standards. The Ucode G2iL series features such enhancements as a tag-tamper alarm, data transfer, digital switch, and advanced privacy-protection modes, making the solution suitable for the authentication of consumables to ensure, for example, product quality and consumer safety. With such RFID functionality, the two companies report, equipment manufacturers would be able to warn users about health risks, as well as threats of product malfunction in cases when a non-authentic consumable is used. In cases when an end-user ignores such warnings and willingly feeds the equipment with a consumable of unknown or non-approved quality, the equipment manufacturer would have the option to void the equipment's warranty. "With NXP's expertise at RFID Applications and System Center, and in conjunction with Austriamicrosystems' UHF reader competences, brand owners will now have a one-stop-shop partner for embedding RFID systems into consumer products even in cases of very demanding requirements on cost, performance and physical space," said Chris Feige, NXP's general manager for tagging and authentication, in a prepared statement. "Such RFID-enabled authentication of consumable products leads to revenue, brand and end-user protection." Austriamicrosystems has also announced an expanded-distribution agreement with Future Electronics that will enable the worldwide distributor of electronics components to distribute Austriamicrosystems' products to customers worldwide. The new deal expands on the previous agreement covering Europe and the Americas, the two companies indicate. Products from Austriamicrosystems are now available for purchase on Future Electronics' global Web sites, and will be featured in future print and online catalogs.
ISO Publishes Updated ISO 18000-6 Standard With Support for BAP
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently published an updated version of the ISO 18000-6 UHF RFID standard that the organization says is intended to allow for compatibility, and to encourage inter-operability of products for the evolving, international RFID market. The updated standard, entitled ISO/IEC 18000-6:2010, includes support for the following system capabilities: identification and communication with multiple tags in the field; selection of a subgroup of tags for identification, or with which to communicate; reading from and writing to or rewriting data numerous times to individual tags; user-controlled, permanently lockable memory; data-integrity protection; interrogator-to-tag communications link with error detection; tag-to-interrogator communications link with error detection; and support for passive backscatter tags, with or without batteries. Of note is the addition of support for tags with or without batteries, thus officially including battery-assisted passive (BAP) tags as part of the ISO 18000-6 standard. BAP tags communicate using the same backscatter technique as fully passive tags (those with no battery), but utilize a battery to run the circuitry on the microchip, and sometimes an onboard sensor. They have a longer read range than a regular passive tag, because all of the energy gathered from the reader can be reflected back to that device. The BAP tags are referenced in the updated ISO 18000-6 Standard as Type C. The standard includes Types A, B and C, all of which are interrogator-talks-first (ITF)-based RFID systems. Type A employs Pulse-Interval Encoding (PIE) in the forward link and an adaptive ALOHA collision-arbitration algorithm. Type B uses Manchester in the forward link and an adaptive binary-tree collision-arbitration algorithm. Type C utilizes PIE in the forward link and a random slotted collision-arbitration algorithm. And Type D is a tag-talks-only-after-listening (TOTAL) system based on Pulse Position Encoding or a Miller M=2 encoded subcarrier. One proponent and manufacturer of BAP tags, Intelleflex—which also worked closely on the development of the updated standard that includes support for BAP—unveiled its XC3 BAP technology platform this past summer (see RFID Roundup: Intelleflex, Lockheed Martin Develop Perimeter-Monitoring Security System). The XC3 platform is a dual-protocol product set supporting the new ISO 18000-6C Class 3 standard and EPCglobal's existing Class 1 Gen 2 standard. Intelleflex's new XC3 technology platform consists of chips, tags, reader modules, fixed interrogators and mobile readers. The company began demonstrating the use of BAP RFID tags as far back as 2007 (see Intelleflex Demos Long-Distance Cattle Tags). In endorsing its support for the updated ISO standard, Peter Mehring, Intelleflex's CEO, said in a prepared statement, "We're excited to have led the development of this new standard in RFID technology. Our ISO/IEC 18000-6:2010 standards-based XC3 Technology solutions provide compelling benefits for real-world applications in many markets, including cold chain, reusable transport items, mobile workforce, and equipment yard management, as well as government and defense solutions." According to Intelleflex, the updated standard's Chapter 11—which refers to Type C (BAP) solutions—enables five key benefits, including an extended read/write range of up to 100 meters (328 feet) or more, and the ability to reliably read or write inside packages or other RFID-unfriendly environments; high reliability from close up to the edge of the range; improved battery life via an "activation signal" that keeps tags awake but consuming very little battery power when a reader is not communicating with a tag; instant access, because the "activation signal" capability provides instant-on communication on demand by the reader; and reduced inter-reader interference via activation codes, reader-locking and other features that limit interference from nearby tags and interrogators. The ISO/IEC 18000-6:2010 standard is available for purchase here.
