The fastest pairing time of any wireless protocol

Transcription

1 The fastest pairing time of any wireless protocol

2 The CROSS-RFID enabling technology ISO C, or EPC Gen2 is an extremely efficient UHF air interface (radio protocol) based on passive backscattering. Its adoption as a traceability standard, in conjunction with physical identification (alphanumeric, barcode, data matrix...) by retail and industrial supplychain world has encouraged widespread deployment of UHF RFID infrastructures during the last decade. The efficiency of the ISO C protocol has been demonstrated, with fast and smartly selective inventory, robust communication in extremely perturbated environment and extremely low power requirements. On the other hand, ISO C tags, offer limited performances in terms of reading distances (few meters at most) and reduced functionalities, dictated by the plain identification role they have been designed for. The infrastructure, either fixed portals or handheld readers, required to read an UHF RFID tag is available today in almost any industrial environment. The radio protocol itself is robust, but the Tags are limited in performance and functional content. The industrial Internet of Things is not a concept: there is already a widely deployed base of connected devices, and growing requirement for wireless interconnection and internet access to field devices and systems. This demand includes: Wireless identification and Localization at short and long-distance for moving vehicles tolling and access control, work in progress tracking in industrial process, item-level tracking for supply-chain visibility... ISO C is the industrial standard for shortdistance identification. Long-distance identification is covered by active RFID and a plurality of protocols (zigbee, dash 7, BLE, Wi-Fi...), each requiring specific hardware and middleware integration. Wireless Data exchange between smart systems (PLC, servers, calculators, trucks, trains, cars...) for instant field access to speed, direction, state, configuration, firmware version and alarms, in addition to existing physical interfaces. Simple and fast access to this information, wirelessly and with the ability to select entire systems or sub-systems at will is a must for fast system diagnosis, augmented reality and vehicle to vehicle or vehicle to infrastructure applications. Monitoring of the operating conditions is key to proper performance and maintenance of critical equipment. Most industries place great emphasis on monitoring power transmission, at the heart of their process. Engines, motors, shafts, wheels, tires, rotors, bearings... even though highly mobile and operated in the harshest environment, are to be monitored with the highest accuracy, in order to anticipate failures and downtimes, opening the path for robust and highly integrated wireless monitoring solutions. More than distances, the ability to communicate reliably in metallic, composite and highly polluted RF environments is key. Wireless communications can simplify operations by providing instant and overall process visibility. There is a clear need, though, for a common air interface, providing a unique communication channel for identification, data exchange and wireless monitoring needs. Could ISO C radio protocol be this Interoperable protocol, capable, flexible enough and widely adopted?

3 During the last 6 years, ORIDAO has built a comprehensive range of RFID products for Industrial wireless identification, data exchange and monitoring, all based on ISO C protocol. ISO C main drawback lies in its limited range. A patented technological development by ORIDAO - CROSS RFID - might be the first step towards the extension of ISO C as a true industrial communication standard. Passive RFID suffers from what makes it so energy efficient: the double attenuation of backscattering. An active RFID device, when receiving an incoming signal through its antenna, will first amplify this signal to overcome its intensity attenuation due to the distance, analyze it and answer by generating a radio signal. This radio signal is amplified before reaching the emitting antenna in order to take into account signal attenuation with distance and make it detectable by a receiver. A passive RFID device relies on backscattering for radio-communication. The incoming RF signal is modulated by a reader to provide the Tag with information (and energy). This incoming signal is "bounced-back" and modulated at the same time by the Tag antenna to provide information back to the reader, without any amplification. This physical reflection of the incoming signal consumes a minimal amount of energy but lacks efficiency in terms of communication range. Beyond few meters, the signal is hardly detectable by the Tag, and by the reader after reflection and its way back. CROSS-RFID is a simple concept: Instead of "bouncing" the incoming signal, our tags amplifies signals to overcome attenuation in both directions (reader-to-tag and Tag-toreader) and make the out coming signal similar to what the reader would expect from a classical passive backscattering Tag. This way, we achieve the best of both world: we propose "active tags" (different in many ways, though) with communication ranges up to over 100 meters, fully compatible with the ISO C protocol and its set of commands (selective inventory, memory access, Gen2 V2 security features...).

4 The same standard ISO C reader will therefore simultaneously inventory and communicate with passive tags in its vicinity and active tags at a longer distance - seamlessly. Same standard hardware, same middleware and a single interface with information systems, no matter the range of the identification and localization needs for manufacturing, supply-chain or retail traceability. Simpler integration, simpler operation and instant compatibility with existing ISO C infrastructures, for Identification, Localization, Data Exchange and Monitoring, at short and long distance. " CROSS RFID - The fastest pairing time of any wireless protocol " Back in 2014, ORIDAO introduced the CROSS RFID concept, bridging the gap between industrial wireless protocols and passive UHF RFID. CROSS RFID combines the best of both worlds : The blazing-fast inventory and pairing time to a multitude of connected devices, ultralow power consumption along with complete interoperability with the EPC UHF Gen2 standard. The long-distance communication range, rich functional content and robust data exchange of the best available industrial wireless protocols. CROSS RFID technology is available through ORIDAO product lines, as a stand-alone PCB or under license for QFN RF IC integration within customer's Tags or connected devices. The CROSS RFID platform features : Full EPC UHF Gen2 compatibility and interoperability with readers and middleware 32 bits microcontroller-based architecture supporting customer's specific programs 8KB of EPC User Memory 64 KB of microcontroller Flash Memory for code and data storage 16 KB of microcontroller RAM SPI, I 2 C, UART digital interfaces to field bus and sensors Dedicated sensor interface Distance estimation : wireless access to Tag's RSSI Battery management : wireless access to battery status Embedded security : Authentication, data encryption and integrity ATEX and radio-sensitive environments compatibility

5 CROSS RFID solutions are available directly as finished ORIDAO products, or under license for connected devices, RFID tags or wireless sensors manufacturers, as complete PCBs or embedded RF components. CROSS RFID QFN CROSS RFID PCB CROSS RFID Tag Communication module for integration in connected devices PCBs for RFID Tags and Wireless Sensors ORIDAO fully packaged solutions IDENTIFICATION & MONITORING - EPC UHF Gen2-8 KB + 64 KB User Memory - RSSI - Battery status - User-programmable content - Digital interfaces - Sensor interface + reference design - Security * - High-speed data exchange * IDENTIFICATION - EPC UHF Gen2-8 KB + 64 KB User Memory - RSSI - Battery status - User-programmable content - Security * - High-speed data exchange * * With specific reader firmware supporting EPC UHF Gen2 custom commands A license-free software environment is provided for customers' specific development on the CROSS RFID platform and PC based user Interface.

6 The CROSS RFID platform allows : Identification Continuity of short and long distance identification, smart content and interoperability : Long & short distance inventory and identification of tagged assets with common EPC UHF Gen2 infrastructure Tag monitors local parameters, generates contextual information (expiry date, remaining pressure or level...) allowing added-value Inventory based on a combination of contextual parameters : distance from reader, sensor value, computed results... Smart display on Tag : bi-stable display controlled by microcontroller generates contextual display update Smart alarm generation on Tag depending on contextual content : blinking light, sound, actuation of an external system... Data Exchange CROSS RFID supports multiple field bus protocols, allowing local physical connection and secure data exchanges between RF infrastructure and smart system : Instant long-distance pairing - smart tolling of high speed vehicles with authentication and secure data exchanges, high-speed data exchanges between vehicles and infrastructures... Smart record generation and management by tag itself, merging data from various sources - RF link, field bus link, sensors - and pre-formating records for easier information system integration Secure exchanges : mutual authentication, data encryption and integrity of exchanged and shared data Configuration management and maintenance of racked systems (PLC, VSD, calculators)... Wireless actuation... Augmented Reality and instant interaction with connected devices or sensors (relative speed, direction, state...) Monitoring EPC UHF Gen 2 compatibility, high-speed pairing combined with long distance and enhanced functional for smart monitoring use-cases : Power transmission monitoring (vibration, strain...) Structural health monitoring (strain, vibration, corrosion, temperature...) Industrial process control (pressure, Ph, level...) Instant access to multiple sensor measurements by passing-by vehicles or flying-by drones Temperature logging and instant retrieval of temperature profiles of complete loads in complex environments (truck, container, pallet...)