RFID Design Consulting for Backhaul Wi-Fi Infrastructure

RFID BACKHAUL DESIGN
Radio Frequency Identification

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RFID BACKHAUL DESIGN

Backhaul Wi-Fi Network Design for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tag Readers

Virtual Site Survey Design For Proper Communication
Between RFID Readers and the In-Building Wi-Fi Network

If your company deploys RFID systems that require in-building or outdoor
Wi-Fi for data backhaul, Connect802 can be a design and/or equipment resource to meet the Wi-Fi challenges in your implementations.

The Connect EZ Solution Suites provide complete Wi-Fi infrastructure for
in-building systems, selected based on square footage
and type of construction.

The Suite Spot Predictive Site Survey utilizes RF CAD modeling to provide you with a design report and complete Installer's Working Plans
for Wi-Fi access point installation.

We can also augment your existing vendor relationships by providing a full range of 802.11 Wi-Fi products and wireless network services.

A Passive RFID "Tag"

RFID Tagging

Replacing UPC Bar Coding for Inventory Control and Point-of-Sale
Personal Identification and the Identification of Personal Property
In/Out Time Logging for time cards and general access control
Location Awareness when GPS satellites are blocked in building interiors

Wi-Fi Network Backhaul

Handheld RFID readers need to communicate to the in-building Ethernet network
Permanently installed readers can use Wi-Fi instead of running Ethernet cables
The in-building Wi-Fi network must support much more than just some Web surfing!

Connect802 provides design consulting services for the planning of the Wi-Fi network that will serve as the RFID backhaul communications link between the RFID readers and the in-building Ethernet network

		RFID "Tags" Passive Tags are interrogated by a reading pulse of RF energy as they're brought near to the reader. Some readers can interrogate up to 50-feet away requiring an Active Tag (battery-powered) to be able to talk back to the reader. Automatic toll collection systems on the highway use Active RFID Tags. Dogs and cats can be identified with ultra-tiny passive tags.
		Code Verifier Proximity Reader When you wave your key chain fob or employee identification card near this wall mounted reader it interrogates your card and verifies your right to enter an area. The electronic lock can use Wi-Fi to authenticate the user ID code read from the RFID chip. Wi-Fi saves on wiring costs, but only when to readers can consistently communicate to the in-building Wi-Fi network.
		Privacy and Protection Systems A building security guard waves their handheld interrogator in front of wall-mounted, epoxy-encapsulated RFID chip mountings. The handheld interrogator uses the in-building Wi-Fi network to confirm the guard's location to the central security system. Will the interrogator be able to get to the Wi-Fi network when the guard reads a tag buried behind an open metal door?
		Warehouse Stock Intake and Picking When the forklift operator raises a pallet full of goods the on-board flat screen display shows exactly what's on the pallet, and tells the operator where the goods should be stocked. When a shipping order is received, the warehouse workers can locate the goods and check them out for shipping with their handheld RFID readers. A "dead spot" for the Wi-Fi connection between the forklift or the handheld readers would be unacceptable.
		Pass-Through Point Inventory Control As merchandise or pallets of cartons are moved in through the loading dock door the RFID reader scans the entire shipment and the inventory database is immediately updated. No time is lost in hand counting and the RFID scan doesn't suffer from human error. Of course, if the Wi-Fi link between the dock door interrogator and the in-building network is blocked by some random stack of product the system fails. Hopefully these contingencies were considered during the design.
		Bulk Stock Counting A container with hundreds of small parts becomes a nightmare to count in a commercial distribution center or supply house. When merchandise is RFID tagged the entire bin can be scanned and a count obtained. Of course, the handheld scanner must be able to communicate properly to the database server through the in-building Wi-Fi network.
		Real-Time, Smart Shelf Inventory Control The RFID readers are built into the shelves in the stock room or on the retail floor. When customers or stock room workers remove products from the shelves the inventory database is immediately updated. Perhaps if more than four of the same retail product are removed at the same time it could mean someone was shoplifting! The smart shelves talk back to the in-building Wi-Fi network. That network must be designed to support a production environment.
		Consumer Self-Checkout in the Retail Sector You push your cart full of merchandise through the interrogator panels in an egress corridor and, if your bank account is successfully charged then the doors swing open to let you out. Otherwise you go around and get help from a clerk. Science fiction? RFID identification of merchandise and personal RFID identification tags for people are on the market today.
		The Cultural Shift Towards an Automated Supply Chain The idea of "self checkout" is emerging. Today it's almost exclusively through the use of UPC bar codes and the user experience is less than optimal. Nonetheless, the shift away from the checkout line is happening, and RFID technology is moving in to replace UPC bar codes as the method of choice for supply chain management, point-of-sale, and identification applications.

An RFID Primer and General Perspective

You already encounter basic RFID technology when you pay a highway toll automatically with a transponder on the windshield of your car, or when you walk through the theft-prevention scanners as you leave a retail store. RFID is quickly growing well beyond simple security and identification applications. The widespread use of RFID tagging in supply chain management, retail sales, personal identification, animal identification, and other unique areas is within a few years of becoming commonplace.

RFID readers (called RFID interrogators) and the RFID transponders (called "tags") are an industry unto themselves. Where Connect802 plays an important role in RFID system design is in the RFID "backhaul". RFID scanners need to convey the data they read from a passing tag back to the central database or point-of-sale system. This is referred to as the RF Data Communication (RFDC) component in an RFID implementation. The most common RFDC in an RFID environment is the creation of a Wi-Fi wireless network to bring the data acquired by the RFID hand-held scanner back to the central system. This is where the term "RFID backhaul" comes from, the data is being "hauled back" to the central system.

Another term you'll encounter in the RFID environment is savant. A savant is an intelligent preprocessor that evaluates the information read from the RFID tags on inventory or production items and manages the movement or manufacturer of the items without having to go back to the central database system. Whether it's communication between interrogator and savant, or interrogator and database, a backhaul network is needed to move the data read by the RFID reader device.

When RFID readers are strategically deployed in a warehouse environment, inventory can be tracked by tags associated with pallets, boxes, or other containers. Even liquid inventory (chemicals or ingredients in food or beverage processing) can be tagged with RFID tags embedded in kegs, drums, or bottles, and readers integrated into the head mechanism of the connecting tubes. It's not often easy to run wiring for these RFID readers. In many cases the RFID interrogator is mounted in, or near, robotic equipment. That's why a Wi-Fi link for RF data communication between the RFID interrogator and the savant or back-end database is commonplace.

Connect802 can help with the design of RFID backhaul networks. RFID consulting services provide you with our RF expertise coupled with your RFID system vendor's supply chain management or identification control system. We're the ones that can assure that your Wi-Fi computer data, VoIP telephony, and RFID backhaul data communication work together, and work properly.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is going to make a major change in the way the supply chain is managed. RFID consulting services from Connect802 focus on the Wi-Fi wireless networking part of the overall RFID system. Are you unsure of how RFID technology will change or benefit the way you manage your supply chain and the way you do business? RFID promises a scan-free environment and, in some industry segments, there may be RFID related legal compliance issues related to RFID data acquisition, personal privacy, or even the complete reverse - there may be situations in which mandatory RFID tagging and reading is a legal requirement forcing companies to adopt RFID technology. There are administrative, organizational, and tactical questions that must be posed related to the strategic benefits for RFID. "Do we really need RFID?" or "When will RFID be right for us?" The answers depend on your company's long-term goals and anticipated degree of use of RFID tagging, RFID readers (interrogators), smart shelves, and other RFID implementations. RFID transponders operate at different radio frequencies. Metal objects in the environment will have an impact on the actual reading of the tag by the transponder. There may be other RFID transponders in use in the warehouse, retail store, or public place where RFID is in use. You'll also find various RFID transponder styles. In every case, when you need a virtual site survey for RFID backhaul, We've Got You Covered.