The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations: NXP Semiconductors; U.S. Naval Research Laboratory;
DC4G, Radius Networks; Tyco Retail Solutions, Technology Solutions UK Ltd.; Trimble, and Digi-Key.
NXP Announces Commercial Release of NTAG I²C Chip
NXP Semiconductors has announced the commercial availability of its NTAG I²C chip, designed for a wide variety of applications, such as home appliances, consumer electronics, wearable technology and home automation. The chip combines a passive Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID IC, compliant with the ISO 14443A and NFC Forum Compliant Type 2 Tag standards, with an I²C interface, energy harvesting and non-volatile, on-board EEPROM memory. The combination of I²C and RFID technologies, according to NXP, enables new types of NFC tag interactions, such as the personalization of electronic devices, as well as device maintenance. The solution, which won the RFID Journal Award for Best in Show at this year’s RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exhibition (see Smarter Things), features a specific pass-through mode that allows the device to serve as an easy-to-integrate communication pipe for unlimited bi-directional data exchange between a feature-rich NFC device—which may have a connection to the cloud and an advanced user-interface/display—and electronic devices.
The NTAG I²C chip’s memory can be accessed not only wirelessly via an RFID reader, but also by means of a wired I²C connection between the chip and any electronic device in which it is embedded, according to NXP. For example, manufacturers of appliances and wearable devices could incorporate the chip into their products so that consumers could use their existing NFC-enabled mobile phones as a remote user interface, rather than having to rely on expensive touchscreens or on Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless data exchange on home electronics.
The NTAG I²C solution, NXP reports, can harvest energy from a mobile device to power external circuitry, such as a low power microcontroller. Optimized for very low-power operation, it also includes a field-detect function for automatic power-up, so that the mobile device’s battery is not drained during standby while awaiting the presence of an NFC phone. Data can be saved even if the power supply is lost. The solution is fully supported by NXP’s recently released Mifare software development kit (SKD), designed to provide access to all hardware features on Java level, and to streamline the development of Android apps. The SDK, NXP explains, allows Android app developers to concentrate their efforts on designing creative apps for a wide range of new applications that support the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable technology.
U.S. Naval Research Lab Designs RFID Solution for NYC Fire Dept.
RFID technology is being employed on nearly a dozen vehicles operated by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to help monitor firefighters. A computer onboard the NYC fire truck automatically tracks firefighters and relays that information to the city’s operations center, in order to make sure everyone is accounted for.
The technology used was invented by a team consisting of David DeRieux, who works for the Space Systems Development Department of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and Michael Manning of Manning RF, and in close partnership with FDNY. Early versions of the system date back to 2007, but at present, a prototype has been deployed comprising 514 personnel tags, 37 station tags and 12 fixed readers. According to the NRL, FDNY is progressing with preparations for a citywide implementation. The RFID technology used is patent-pending, pursuant to U.S. Patent Application 11/836,173 (System and Method for Identifying First Responders In A Hazardous Environment).
The solution leverages commercial, battery-operated tags and readers provided by Identec Solutions, DeRieux says, including the i-B2 Broadcast Tag (which serves as the station tag), the i-B2 M Microtag (which serves as the personnel tag) and the i-Port MB Reader. Both the i-B2 Broadcast Tag and the i-B2 Microtag are part of the beacon generation (i-B2) of Identec’s Intelligent Long Range (ILR) active RFID tags. Static data can be written to the tags, which utilize Identec’s ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) technology, and is continuously sent at a programmable interval (ping rate) without being requested to do so by a reader. The Broadcast Tags can transmit data at distances of up to 100 meters (300 feet), while the Microtag can do so at distances of up to 70 meters (230 feet), according to Identec.
Each firefighter wears an i-B2 M Microtag, sewn within a Kevlar pocket on the left upper area of a uniform jacket. The tag transmits location pings every five seconds, and the fire-truck’s onboard RFID system picks up the signals to determine which firefighters are nearby, then displays that information on that system’s screen, according to the NRL. The data is forwarded to the FDNY Operations Center, located in Brooklyn, using a commercial modem. DeRieux says that this data tells the FDNY Operations Center which truck has showed up at a scene, as well as who was on that vehicle. This information is displayed in real time, and is also archived for later review.
Sports Stadium Uses Radius Networks’ Beacons to Give Away Meat Pies
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCG) will kick off a Bluetooth-enabled campaign on Saturday, Sept. 6. The campaign is designed to test the technology’s use, and to determine how it can improve sports fans’ experiences at the stadium. MCG is hosting several games as part of the 2014 Australian Football League Finals Series, taking place this month.
The system, developed by Australian firm DC4G, leverages Radius Networks‘ RadBeacon USB Bluetooth beacons, which employ the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol to transmit a unique ID number to notify cell phones and other mobile devices when they come within 100 feet. The solution implemented at the cricket club, which will include 10 RadBeacons, can be used with both Apple and Android devices. It works with an app developed by DC4G, which can be downloaded at no cost here.
Fans who download the app and attend games at MCG will receive free meat pies during the first three weeks of the AFL Finals. Pie sellers who move about the stadium on foot will carry the RadBeacons, which will send messages via Bluetooth technology to fans’ smartphones equipped with the app. Those fans will receive a message informing them that a food vendor is nearby, and will then be handed a free pie upon showing that mobile notification message to the seller. In addition, anyone who downloads the app will be eligible to win a year’s supply of the pies, regardless of whether they are in the stadium.
Tyco Retail Solutions Updates TrueVUE Software
Tyco Retail Solutions has announced a new version of its RFID-based inventory-visibility and -management platform. TrueVUE 5.1 features new performance improvements that, according to the company, are designed to help retailers centrally manage RFID-enabled inventory—a capability that complements the trend for organizations to consolidate information technology (IT) and servers in centralized locations. These improvements, Tyco reports, focus on cycle counting, multi-user counting sessions and overall accuracy, thereby increasing item-level visibility and employee efficiency in the centralized environment. The new version also allows for many more simultaneous users and inventory count sessions across all stores on a single centralized server. In addition, information can be delivered, via centralized system deployment, from the enterprise to individual stores, enabling personnel to access that data anytime, anywhere, from any device, such as handheld RFID readers or iOS devices. For example, the TrueVUE improvements allow a retailer to conduct advanced cycle counts triggered from a central location via a portal, as if those cycle counts were triggered locally, using local servers.
In conjunction with the announcement of the new TrueVUE version, Technology Solutions UK Ltd. (TSL) has announced that its 1128 Bluetooth UHF RFID reader supports TrueVUE 5.1 and is designed to communicate with a variety of devices via Bluetooth wireless technology. The 1128 Bluetooth UHF RFID reader, launched in 2013 (see RFID News Roundup: Technology Solution (UK) Ltd. Announces Bluetooth Handheld UHF RFID Reader), is designed to work in conjunction with an enterprise handheld device, tablet, laptop, Apple iPhone or other smartphone. Tyco says it plans to support additional mobile or sled readers in the future.
Trimble, Digi-Key Partner on Distribution Agreement
Trimble has announced a global distribution agreement with Digi-Key to offer Trimble’s ThingMagic Mercury 6e Series and Mercury 5e Series of embedded ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 RFID embedded reader modules and development kits.
In a blog post on the website of Trimble’s ThingMagic division, the company reported that the distribution agreement will help RFID achieve wider-spread adoption—something the company says has been lagging—because Digi-Key is “one of the world’s largest and fastest growing electronic components distributors.” The agreement puts the firm “in a position to reach more engineers with the building blocks for tomorrow’s innovations.” The Trimble blog cites the Internet of Things (IoT) as an area in which RFID can play a significant role, noting that “Digi-Key’s distribution will enable more companies to develop and produce the connected items that are behind the next wave of IoT solutions.”