Brazilian Engineering Company Launches New RFID Reader

Marchi Engenharia has developed a reading module and antennas, which it plans to market under the brand Via Onda.
Published: August 21, 2018

Marchi Engenharia has announced the launch of a new brand of radio frequency identification equipment under the brand name Via Onda. The M-ID40 module and antennas are the first devices developed by the company to reach the market.

The M-ID40 is a UHF RFID reader that operates in the frequency bands established by Anatel, from 902 to 907 MHz and from 915.1 to 928 MHz. It features Wi-Fi, USB and 10/100Mbps Ethernet communication—which, according to the manufacturer, allows greater flexibility for applications. The Via Onda reader is designed to control vehicle and people access, inventory management, hotel and hospital layout, the collision safety of cargo vehicles and pedestrian trampling, and inventory of goods.

Marchi Engenharia’s Via Onda reader

With four independent antennas, the M-ID40 is able to identify the antenna responsible for reading a particular RFID tag, and to forward that data in GS1‘s standard EPC Gen2 format. It can work autonomously by activating one or more of its four digital outputs, and can be configured via smartphone.

Reading can be started from a trigger, such as a presence or bypass sensor, properly connected to the interface connector on the back of the equipment. It can also operate as a mediator of commands handled and sent by Via Onda’s management software.

The MID-40 module has integrated communication capability consisting of Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, USB or 10/100Mbps Ethernet. The power supply (DC 16 ~ 24v), with maximum consumption of 3A and power of 72w, can be made with external AC/DC or vehicle batteries. The MID-40 also has an input and three digital outputs, plus a specific output for audible alarms.

Marchi Engenharia has been operating for 16 years as a provider of technology solutions, designing and manufacturing electronic boards and products, as well as software for industrial, residential and special-purpose automation. This includes vision systems for the analysis of products and materials.

“We act in the planning, design, production and implementation of systems dedicated to your business need, aiming at the automation of processes combining the power of electronics with the flexibility of the software,” says Ricardo Fernandes, who is responsible for the company’s systems and special projects. “Complex problems require creative solutions. Creativity is our trademark; we always look for the best solution for our customers.”

To measure the efficiency of the new equipment, tags of various brands, formats and applications were tested on the most diverse surfaces, including metal. The analyses included intelligent labels from Confidex, as well as Smartrac’s R6 DogBone, Impinj’s Monza R6, Omini-ID’s Exo 750, Xerafy’s Tool Tracking system, Alien Technology’s Squig ALN-9710 tag, Smartrac’s Frog3D tag and others.

Some companies are experimenting with the Via Onda solution, and Marchi Engenharia’s partners offer equipment for testing their projects. “For now, we prefer not to divulge names,” Fernandes says, noting that the solution can be integrated easily with a customer’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. “We have a development team that can tailor the integration for each project, using XML, WebServices, text files or legacy interfaces.”

The RFID module is available in two versions: one with a Wi-Fi connection and another with an Ethernet connection. “In both, no middleware is required,” Fernandes states, “since we use a direct communication protocol that can be developed using an agent for connecting and transferring EPC data between the reader and a database. We have developed an agent with simplified operations in C# using C library, but it can be done in JAVA, C++ and C, including Linux, as well.”