RFID Test and Demonstration Center opens in Burlington

August 3, 2004

Scanning Devices new RFID center in Burlington, MA has engineering and material resources to demonstrate, test and evaluate RFID systems.
A visit will provide first hand experience with RFID tags, readers, antennas. Work with our engineering staff and your products and packaging to learn about this emerging supply chain technology. You can read and listen to experts, but until you try it yourself you won't appreciate the opportunities and problems RFID presents.

Scanning Devices's early RFID activities in supply chain applications have revealed a general need to understand and address many issues beyond the technical aspects of reader and tag specifications. The RFID center personnel and resources can construct and evaluate specific application situations. The center provides hands-on experiences with readers, tags, antennas, PCs and your products and packaging. Spend time at the RFID center and you will learn what works, what doesn't and why.

Here are some of the issues you can explore at the RFID center:

1. RFID tag placement on products and packaging. RFID promises non-line-of-sight reading, so you can place your tags anywhere, right. Not so fast. Let us show you why.

2. Interference effects from products and packaging materials. Radio frequency signals penetrate some materials but are absorbed by others. Some simple experiments with your packaging may reveal much about radio frequency signals and your products.

3. Reading challenges introduced by the local environment, material handling equipment, wireless communications systems, people and even other tags. Our center's simple roller conveyor can turn a reliable RFID application into a marginal one.

4. Reader antenna features: quantity, placement and directional sensitivity related to products, motion and environment. There are several antenna types. Let us show you how they perform.

5. Tag Reading techniques, timing and verification. The reader just read a tag; which one did it read? The answer may not be what you think.

6. Reader options, setup parameters and setup tools. Scanning Devices first action in RFID is to build tools to setup readers so they work as you might expect. A typical reader might have 50 setup parameters. Think of all the combinations.

7. Tag reading metrics and methods. An application reads tags, but does it read them reliably, fast enough or in the right location.

8. Tag programming. Tags, like electronic memories, are reprogrammable. Does your application need this feature? Or need to disable it?

The Scanning Devices RFID Center is currently equipped to demonstrate using EPC class 1 tags at 915 MHz.

Take a look at our Preview of some of the things you might see when you visit the RFID center.

Contact Scanning Devices to arrange a visit.

111 Terrace Hall Avenue Burlington, Massachusetts (USA) 01803 1-781-272-5135 FAX: 1-781-272-4856 Email us: mail@scanningdevices.com

Scanning Devices Inc.