Premier national research institute adopts RFID-enabled Radio Astronomy ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM

Transcription

1 Premier national research institute adopts RFID-enabled Radio Astronomy ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM Easy asset search and effective status monitoring Accurate location-wise asset organization and tracking Efficient on-site management of assets through live updation of data Automated missing alerts to management TECHNOLOGY Solution: EPC Gen2 compliant asset tracking solution Tag Type: Metallica UHF Passive µmetallica UHF Passive Reader/Antenna: Xtenna Proximity HandyScanna Method: Single Tracking via hand-held Reader/Antenna Integration Platform: RFID Middleware: Xtenna WebToolkit Xtenna Studio Application: Essen RFID s Asset Tracking System Database: Oracle Tag Manufacturer/Supplier: Essen RFID, with US based chip inlay Reader/Antenna Manufacturer: Essen RFID, with US based module Systems Integrator: Essen RFID INSIDE: Key Requirements Solution Implementation Working Benefits Links For further details contact: Essen RFID 24-B, Jolly Maker II Nariman Point Mumbai India

2 KEY REQUIREMENTS: The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is one of the foremost research institutes in India. Its research labs across various campuses contain a vast variety of equipment that is utilized by different researchers across disciplines. It has a unique facility, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), set up in Narayangaon, to the north of Pune. GMRT consists of 30 fully steerable gigantic parabolic dishes of 45m. diameter each, spread over distances of upto 25 km. It is regularly used by astronomers from all over the world. At GMRT, Narayangaon, various equipment related to radio astronomy are in use and these assets required efficient organization and management in order to make optimum utilization of time and resources. The assets needed to be tracked, identified and immediately located from amongst various similar types of equipment. Main challenges in implementation: Proper organization of assets within the premises. Ensuring quick search of required asset amongst different types of similar assets at a particular location. Keeping track of the location of each asset. Prevention of assets being misplaced or taken out of their assigned locations through missing asset alerts to the management. SOLUTION: Essen RFID provided a Asset Tracking System based on RFID as the solution to efficiently track these assets. This system deploys a web application developed in Java, and a mobile-based application built into a hand-held RFID device to scan and search each asset. Oracle is used as the back-end database. IMPLEMENTATION: METALLICA RFID tags are affixed at each location within the premises. A µmetallica RFID tag is attached to each asset that is to be tracked. The assets are registered into the system database using a Xtenna Proximity antenna-reader. A hand-held HandyScanna device containing a mobilebased application is used to scan the details of each asset, allocate its placement and effect its retrieval for its utilization. The HandyScanna device functions and communicates with the central Server over a Wi-Fi network. Essen RFID s asset tracking implementation for TIFR at GMRT Narayangaon is unique as the radio telescopes function in a full radio silence zone, which has a cellphone ban as well as no cell towers are permitted by the government and there is sensitivity to even plying of petrol vehicles. RFID asset tracking therefore takes place and has to be completed only during one week every 3 months, when radio silence is broken for periodic telescope maintenance. 2

3 Operation Flow: Affix METALLICA tags to all locations and register them Affix µ METALLICA tags to all assets and register them Placement of assets at proper location Scanning of each asset using HandyScanna WORKING: The ASTRAX Asset Tracking System contains the following: 1. Web Application 2. Synchronization Application 3. HandyScanna Application Web Application: After login by an authorised person, the home screen displays the current status and number of registered assets in the system through a pie chart diagram. 3

4 The Web Application contains modules for registration and transactions as follows: 1. Masters Asset Registration Asset Location Asset Type Department Master Employee Master 2. Inventory Inventory Duration Inventory Session 3. Reports Masters: Asset Registration: This module is used to register each asset into the database. Details of each asset such as asset code, description, etc. are entered here. The user then assigns the tag to the asset and can also write relevant data pertaining to the asset into the tag. 4

5 Asset Location: This module is used to register the locations of the assets. The user enters details such as location code, name, description, etc. The user then assigns the tag to the location. Asset Type: This module is used to register the various categories of assets available within the organization. 5

6 Department Master: This module registers all the departments within the organization, with details such as department code, name, description, etc. Employee Master: This module registers the employees in the organization, along with details such as employee code, name, address, department, etc. 6

7 Inventory: Inventory Duration: This module is used to create new inventory as well as to stop any running inventory. Inventory Session: This module displays the details of different inventory sessions, such as locations scanned details and assets scanned details. 7

8 Reports: Various master and transaction reports provided by the system can be viewed in this module. Synchronization Application: This application enables synchronization of all HandyScanna data into the Server. This functionality allows the HandyScanna device to scan tags and store data within the device without a Wi-Fi connection and then synchronize this data with the Server once it arrives within Wi-Fi range. 8

9 HandyScanna Application: HandyScanna contains a mobile-based built-in ASTRAX application. Each time before using the application, the user checks and sets the data and time. After login, the device settings can be adjusted. Reader Setting: The Read and Write Power is set at 3000 and the Antenna Mode is set to Bistatic. This is used to increase or decrease the reading power of the device. Database Sync: This option synchronizes the device data with the Server. 9

10 The main application modules are as follows: Location Tagging Asset Tagging Search Asset Inventory Management Location Tagging: In this module, the user enters the location code to find a particular location and selects it from the displayed list. The Location Registration screen then appears. Then using the Green button on the HandyScanna d e v i c e, t h e user reads the location tag and writes the data into the tag. After the data has been written, it can then also be verified that the data has been written correctly. 10

11 Asset Tagging: In this module, the user enters the asset code to find a particular asset and selects it from the displayed list. The Asset Registration screen then appears. Then by using the Green button on the device, the user reads the asset tag and writes the data into the tag. After the data h a s b e e n written, it can then also be verified that the data has been written correctly. Inventory Management: This module is used for checking of asset inventory. Using the HandyScanna device, the operator scans all locations for available assets. After completion, the assets missing from their locations are known. 1. The user creates a new Inventory session. 2. The Inventory Session ID, user name and current date are displayed on the device screen. The operator needs to keep in mind the Inventory Session ID for further use. Clicking on the Start button will commence the inventory process for the session. 11

12 3. The location tag is scanned with the hand-held HandyScanna device and the location code gets displayed on the device screen. 4. Using the device, the operator then scans the assets at that location. When an asset is found, its asset code is displayed on the screen. When another asset is found, it gets added to the list. When all assets at that location are scanned, the operator clicks the Location Complete button on the screen. He then scans the next location tag and its asset tags. 5. When all asset scanning at all locations is completed, the inventory process is completed. The Finish Inventory screen displays the total scanned and unscanned assets. 12

13 Incomplete Inventory: The application allows the user to resume an incomplete inventory session. The Incomplete Inventory option is selected from the Inventory menu screen and a list of incomplete inventory sessions is displayed. The user then selects an Inventory Session ID to continue the incomplete session and continues the location and asset scanning as before. Synchronization: Once the inventory process is completed, the inventory data from the HandyScanna device is synchronized to the Server. After synchronization, the user can view the updated inventory details in the Web Application. BENEFITS: Efficient organization of assets at their proper location. Efficient location-based tracking of assets. On-the-spot data updation at asset location site. Easy search for any particular asset within assigned locations. Prompt availability of assets whenever required. Enables effective status monitoring of assets and inventory synchronization. Optimum utilization of assets and streamlined functioning. 13

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