The video below is a quick step-by-step tutorial that will show you how to upgrade the Octane firmware for the Speedway Revolution RFID reader and the Speedway xPortal integrated RFID portal.
Important Preparation Steps:
1. Make sure the reader has a secure power connection.
2. Make sure the reader is connected to your PC or network.
3. Make sure you know the reader's DNS host name so you can access it.
4. Make sure you have the latest Octane firmware file.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Locking Memory on EPC Gen 2 RFID Tags
Locking the memory on EPC GEN 2 compliant RFID Tags is an often misunderstood process. Many think that it is simply a matter of changing the access password to a non-zero value (the default for Gen 2 tags) and then the tag is 'locked' but this is not the case. This posting will review how tag locking works for EPC RFID tags and show you how to lock the Impinj Monza tags using .NET version 1.0.0.6 of the Octane Software Development Kit (SDK).
GEN 2 TAG PASSWORDS
An EPC GEN 2 tag has two separate passwords -- an access password and a kill password; each are 32 bits, and are stored in the reserved bank (bank 00) of the tag memory.
STATES
When a tag is singulated, it enters one of two states:
1. Secured (if access password is all zeros, which is the factory default)
2. Open (if non-zero access password has been programmed to the tag)
A tag in the open state can be moved to secured by providing non-zero access password.
The key thing to remember is that assigning a non-zero access password does not, in itself, prevent anyone with a GEN 2 RFID reader from reading or changing data on the tag. It only requires that any future users must provide the access password in order to change the lock state and is simply one step in effectively locking tag memory.
Each memory bank can be in one of four lock states:
1. Unlocked
2. Perma-unlocked (can never be locked)
3. Locked
4. Perma-locked (can never be unlocked)
This is illustrated below when programming the lock state of the tag.
LOCK PROCEDURE
The steps for locking a Gen 2 RFID Tag are (for a factory default tag):
1. Lock (or perma-lock) the selected memory bank using default password of all zeros.
2. Assign a 32 bit (8 hex character) access password. (This will prevent the tag lock state from being changed.)
3. Lock the access password. (This will prevent the password from being read or over-written.) Not doing this step would allow any user to simply read the access password, then use it to unlock and over-write memory on the tag (unless it has been perma-locked).
Only the reserved memory bank (access and kill passwords) can be both WRITE and READ locked - all others (EPC, TID, and User) can be write-locked only. Typically the Tag Identification (TID) memory bank is perma-locked at the factory.
Each tag memory bank can be individually write locked as shown below.
SAMPLE CODE
Here is an example of locking user memory in C# using the Octane SDK.
OTHER USEFUL NOTES
In addition to the increased memory size, the Impinj Monza 4QT tag chips offer the ability to independently lock four fixed, 128-bit sections of user memory (block permalock). This feature is particularly useful for situations such as in a supply chain, where various participants along the chain may want to record data, but not necessarily have it be openly available to all parties.
Lock status cannot be read, it can only be inferred. So there is no direct way to query a tag and have it reply if it is locked or not. However, in some cases when attempting to access a tag memory bank, it will return a pretty specific error "tag memory locked".
GEN 2 TAG PASSWORDS
An EPC GEN 2 tag has two separate passwords -- an access password and a kill password; each are 32 bits, and are stored in the reserved bank (bank 00) of the tag memory.
STATES
When a tag is singulated, it enters one of two states:
1. Secured (if access password is all zeros, which is the factory default)
2. Open (if non-zero access password has been programmed to the tag)
A tag in the open state can be moved to secured by providing non-zero access password.
The key thing to remember is that assigning a non-zero access password does not, in itself, prevent anyone with a GEN 2 RFID reader from reading or changing data on the tag. It only requires that any future users must provide the access password in order to change the lock state and is simply one step in effectively locking tag memory.
Each memory bank can be in one of four lock states:
1. Unlocked
2. Perma-unlocked (can never be locked)
3. Locked
4. Perma-locked (can never be unlocked)
This is illustrated below when programming the lock state of the tag.
LOCK PROCEDURE
The steps for locking a Gen 2 RFID Tag are (for a factory default tag):
1. Lock (or perma-lock) the selected memory bank using default password of all zeros.
2. Assign a 32 bit (8 hex character) access password. (This will prevent the tag lock state from being changed.)
3. Lock the access password. (This will prevent the password from being read or over-written.) Not doing this step would allow any user to simply read the access password, then use it to unlock and over-write memory on the tag (unless it has been perma-locked).
Only the reserved memory bank (access and kill passwords) can be both WRITE and READ locked - all others (EPC, TID, and User) can be write-locked only. Typically the Tag Identification (TID) memory bank is perma-locked at the factory.
Each tag memory bank can be individually write locked as shown below.
SAMPLE CODE
Here is an example of locking user memory in C# using the Octane SDK.
OTHER USEFUL NOTES
In addition to the increased memory size, the Impinj Monza 4QT tag chips offer the ability to independently lock four fixed, 128-bit sections of user memory (block permalock). This feature is particularly useful for situations such as in a supply chain, where various participants along the chain may want to record data, but not necessarily have it be openly available to all parties.
Lock status cannot be read, it can only be inferred. So there is no direct way to query a tag and have it reply if it is locked or not. However, in some cases when attempting to access a tag memory bank, it will return a pretty specific error "tag memory locked".
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Hospital Inventory Control with UHF RFID
What if Your Goods Could Talk?
RFID technology offers great potential to significantly reduce costs while improving materials management and inventory operations throughout hospitals and other healthcare facilities. RFID-based solutions help hospitals answer the most fundamental questions of knowing who and where its patients and resources are. With this data, hospitals can enhance a number of processes related to asset management, patient tracking and throughput, inventory control, and patient-centric services.
Passive RFID-based inventory control solutions provide real-time data on inventory availability and use as items move from storage to individual departments and ultimately to the clinicians and patients who use them. This accurate management of the hospital supply chain – from scheduling through discharge – is essential to improving workflow and charge capture.
Helping to drive these efficiencies into the healthcare market, Goods That Talk (GTT), located in southern Brazil has developed innovative UHF RFID-based solutions, serving the entire hospital service chain including hospitals, clinical offices, distributors and manufacturers.
Included under the umbrella of GTT’s GTmed solutions, GT Cabinets integrate ThingMagic UHF RFID readers to improve the management of implantable medical devices and drugs needed during surgical procedures.
The time between consumption and invoicing and the rigorous need for safety and coordination of the stock of these items makes product monitoring difficult. By tagging each of these items with RFID-EPC Gen 2 tags and reading the inventory in real-time with UHF RFID readers integrated into the cabinets, hospitals can automate the management of intermediary stocks, minimize safety stock holdings, and create a proactive system of replenishment that streamlines the entire supply chain.
In an era where healthcare costs are increasing at the same time that hospital profitability is decreasing, hospital administrators are challenged with finding new ways to run their organizations more efficiently. These solutions are just a few examples of how low cost, easy to deploy passive UHF RFID provide hospitals with an economical way to measure a large number of parameters in hospital settings, streamline workflows, and introduce efficiencies and cost savings across the entire healthcare supply chain.
RFID technology offers great potential to significantly reduce costs while improving materials management and inventory operations throughout hospitals and other healthcare facilities. RFID-based solutions help hospitals answer the most fundamental questions of knowing who and where its patients and resources are. With this data, hospitals can enhance a number of processes related to asset management, patient tracking and throughput, inventory control, and patient-centric services.
Passive RFID-based inventory control solutions provide real-time data on inventory availability and use as items move from storage to individual departments and ultimately to the clinicians and patients who use them. This accurate management of the hospital supply chain – from scheduling through discharge – is essential to improving workflow and charge capture.
Helping to drive these efficiencies into the healthcare market, Goods That Talk (GTT), located in southern Brazil has developed innovative UHF RFID-based solutions, serving the entire hospital service chain including hospitals, clinical offices, distributors and manufacturers.
Included under the umbrella of GTT’s GTmed solutions, GT Cabinets integrate ThingMagic UHF RFID readers to improve the management of implantable medical devices and drugs needed during surgical procedures.
The time between consumption and invoicing and the rigorous need for safety and coordination of the stock of these items makes product monitoring difficult. By tagging each of these items with RFID-EPC Gen 2 tags and reading the inventory in real-time with UHF RFID readers integrated into the cabinets, hospitals can automate the management of intermediary stocks, minimize safety stock holdings, and create a proactive system of replenishment that streamlines the entire supply chain.
In an era where healthcare costs are increasing at the same time that hospital profitability is decreasing, hospital administrators are challenged with finding new ways to run their organizations more efficiently. These solutions are just a few examples of how low cost, easy to deploy passive UHF RFID provide hospitals with an economical way to measure a large number of parameters in hospital settings, streamline workflows, and introduce efficiencies and cost savings across the entire healthcare supply chain.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Race Timing with RFID
How Rosie Ruiz Changed an Industry
In 2011, approximately 25,000 participants ran the 115th Boston Marathon – the oldest annual city marathon in the world. In addition to its well known course meandering through eight Massachusetts cities and towns, the Boston Marathon is famous for several legendary participants. Recognized as a Boston Marathon icon, Johnny Kelley competed in the Boston Marathon a record 61 times, winning in 1935 and 1945, placing second seven times and finishing in the top five 15 times. Kelly ran his last full marathon at Boston in 1992 at the age of 84. Bill "Boston Billy" Rodgers won the Boston Marathon four times between 1975 and 1980, breaking the American record in 1975 and 1979.
While these runners have been an inspiration to many, no one may have changed the sport like Rosie Ruiz. In the 84th running of the Boston Marathon on April 21st, 1980, Ruiz crossed the finish line before all other women runners – clocking the fastest time ever recorded for a woman in the history of the Boston Marathon and the third fastest time ever recorded for a woman in any marathon. Following her impressive finish, investigations determined that Ruiz had skipped most of the race and rejoined runners about one mile from the finish line. Ruiz was disqualified and, as a result, the Boston Marathon and several other races instituted a number of safeguards against cheating - including RFID race timing systems that monitor when runners arrive at various checkpoints on the course.
RFID Race Timing Systems
Today, both Active and Passive RFID-based solutions are being used to time all kinds of races including marathons, triathlons, and cycling, sailing, skating and motorcycle races. In each of these and many other races, Timing is everything. To ensure that an accurate time is captured when every biker, runner or swimmer crosses the finish line, events like these require extremely precise timing equipment that is both durable and able to account for each participant, especially in dense, quick-paced situations. Without RFID, races can be timed by hand with operators using a stop-watch, or by using a combination of electronic timing and video camera systems. As with many other time-sensitive activities however, RFID has proven to be a more efficient alternative to manual tracking due to a reduction in human error and the technology’s ability to process a greater amount of data in a shorter period of time.
RFID-enabled race timing solutions are offered by companies around the globe, including several ThingMagic partners who have implemented varying combinations of UHF and other RFID technologies to meet the demands of their customers.
RFID Timing offers timing solutions for timing running, triathlon, cycling, swimming and canoeing. Their Ultra product includes battery assisted tags that last for two and a half years, extremely thin EVA mats, and highly sensitive Gen2 RFID readers. HDD is a lower cost package for smaller organizations or multi-sport competitions that can be set up in less than a minute, complete with easy rollout mats. RFID Timing is using ThingMagic USB readers for short range applications including encoding and checking UHF RFID tags prior to placement onto race numbers for an event. The ThingMagic USB reader is also used to scan athletes’ tags at race pack pickup (usually the day before a race) to verify the athletes details in the timing system database are correct.
Zoomius produces TAG Heuer Track Intelligence, a complete online motorsports management system. Hundreds of racing organizations, track days and schools are using TAG Heuer Track Intelligence to simplify their operations and provide more love to their customers. Zoomius has also created the TITAN RFID system, powered by ThingMagic Mercury readers to provide cost-effective and accurate next-generation timing and scoring systems. Perfect accuracy provided by sophisticated but easy-to-use technology, TITAN RFID, powered by ThingMagic, brings complete timing and scoring to organizations who previously couldn't afford it. 1/1000th of a second. 40 feet. 180mph.
In 2011, approximately 25,000 participants ran the 115th Boston Marathon – the oldest annual city marathon in the world. In addition to its well known course meandering through eight Massachusetts cities and towns, the Boston Marathon is famous for several legendary participants. Recognized as a Boston Marathon icon, Johnny Kelley competed in the Boston Marathon a record 61 times, winning in 1935 and 1945, placing second seven times and finishing in the top five 15 times. Kelly ran his last full marathon at Boston in 1992 at the age of 84. Bill "Boston Billy" Rodgers won the Boston Marathon four times between 1975 and 1980, breaking the American record in 1975 and 1979. While these runners have been an inspiration to many, no one may have changed the sport like Rosie Ruiz. In the 84th running of the Boston Marathon on April 21st, 1980, Ruiz crossed the finish line before all other women runners – clocking the fastest time ever recorded for a woman in the history of the Boston Marathon and the third fastest time ever recorded for a woman in any marathon. Following her impressive finish, investigations determined that Ruiz had skipped most of the race and rejoined runners about one mile from the finish line. Ruiz was disqualified and, as a result, the Boston Marathon and several other races instituted a number of safeguards against cheating - including RFID race timing systems that monitor when runners arrive at various checkpoints on the course.
RFID Race Timing Systems
Today, both Active and Passive RFID-based solutions are being used to time all kinds of races including marathons, triathlons, and cycling, sailing, skating and motorcycle races. In each of these and many other races, Timing is everything. To ensure that an accurate time is captured when every biker, runner or swimmer crosses the finish line, events like these require extremely precise timing equipment that is both durable and able to account for each participant, especially in dense, quick-paced situations. Without RFID, races can be timed by hand with operators using a stop-watch, or by using a combination of electronic timing and video camera systems. As with many other time-sensitive activities however, RFID has proven to be a more efficient alternative to manual tracking due to a reduction in human error and the technology’s ability to process a greater amount of data in a shorter period of time.
RFID-enabled race timing solutions are offered by companies around the globe, including several ThingMagic partners who have implemented varying combinations of UHF and other RFID technologies to meet the demands of their customers.
RFID Timing offers timing solutions for timing running, triathlon, cycling, swimming and canoeing. Their Ultra product includes battery assisted tags that last for two and a half years, extremely thin EVA mats, and highly sensitive Gen2 RFID readers. HDD is a lower cost package for smaller organizations or multi-sport competitions that can be set up in less than a minute, complete with easy rollout mats. RFID Timing is using ThingMagic USB readers for short range applications including encoding and checking UHF RFID tags prior to placement onto race numbers for an event. The ThingMagic USB reader is also used to scan athletes’ tags at race pack pickup (usually the day before a race) to verify the athletes details in the timing system database are correct.
Zoomius produces TAG Heuer Track Intelligence, a complete online motorsports management system. Hundreds of racing organizations, track days and schools are using TAG Heuer Track Intelligence to simplify their operations and provide more love to their customers. Zoomius has also created the TITAN RFID system, powered by ThingMagic Mercury readers to provide cost-effective and accurate next-generation timing and scoring systems. Perfect accuracy provided by sophisticated but easy-to-use technology, TITAN RFID, powered by ThingMagic, brings complete timing and scoring to organizations who previously couldn't afford it. 1/1000th of a second. 40 feet. 180mph.
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