Fast-Track RFID Deployment Training

This advanced, one-day fast-track skill camp, featuring the latest equipment and relevant scenarios, will provide a solid foundation to design, install, configure, monitor and troubleshoot RFID deployments at small and medium-sized businesses and enterprise installations.

The course, a combination of lecture and hands-on lab exercises, will provide a functional understanding regarding the use of RFID readers, tags, printers and general-purpose input/output (GPIO) devices. Participants will develop a working understanding of troubleshooting methodologies, based on best practices, industry-proven processes and the instructor's practical experiences.

Following a brief technical overview of RFID concepts related to the design and deployment of RFID solutions, attendees will learn how to identify key architectural components necessary to deploy a scalable RFID solution—as well as how to use various tools and techniques to design and manage the entire deployment process. Also included will be deployment design concepts to ensure that a deployment is flexible enough to accommodate changes, and scalable enough to address future growth.

Students will learn how to configure RFID hardware in order to maximize functionality, including setting specific RFID reader parameters, deploying antennas, optimizing read zones and calculating dwell times. What's more, RFID tag characteristics and factors affecting read performance will be covered.

Additionally, participants will be provided with "hands-on" experience utilizing the latest RFID hardware, using RFID4U's application software built on Microsoft's BizTalk RFID platform.

Agenda

RF Physics Recap

• RF propagation and communication techniques
• Antenna field performance and characteristics related to reflective and absorptive materials
• Radiated power output from antennas, based on antenna gain, cable type and length, and interrogator transmit power

Site Inspection and Workflow Planning

• Antenna location, type and spacing
• The number of antennas
• The number of readers—handheld, fixed, mobile and embedded
• Printers—fixed and mobile
• Tags (inlays, metal-mount, hangtags and labels)
• GPIO (Light stacks, alarms, electric eyes and more)
• How to communicate from a reader to a control computer
  

RFID System Optimization

• Architecture choices
• Tag-data format
• Tag-memory capacity
• Embedded vs. host programming
• Correctly configuring RFID hardware for various scenarios (readers, antennas, printers and GPIOs)
• Data-transfer speed
• Operating range
• Multiple-tags-in-field capability
• RFID system connectivity

Testing and Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting RF interrogation zones
• Analyzing less-than-required read rate
• Identifying improperly tagged items
• Diagnosing hardware
• Recognizing a need for firmware upgrades
• Equipment replacement procedures (e.g., antennas, cables and interrogators)
• Identifing reasons for tag failure
• Failed tag management
• Electrostatic discharge (ESD) issues
• Contrasting actual and expected tag data within a given scenario

This is an advanced course. Participants should already possess certain prerequisite skills that can be gained from completing the foundational RFID courses available through RFID4U, or via actual work experience. Each attendee should have a working knowledge of the following:

• RFID fundamentals
• Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards
• Tags
• RFID reader (interrogator) interfaces
• The state of the current RFID market

These prerequisites are important! Participants arriving without them will likely achieve less than optimal progress during the training.

RFID4U (established in March 1999) is an SBA 8(a)-certified, vendor-agnostic RFID implementation and software development company that provides RFID solutions, consulting, training and services, working globally with commercial and government organizations. Clients include DHS, DLA, NSA, NIST, NIH, the Bureau of Census, Northrop Grumman, Unisys, Harris Corp., Lockheed Martin, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dole Foods and many others. RFID4U's products and services improve business processes when identification, authentication and automation are of key concern. The firm adds value to organizations, by way of improved labor efficiency, better inventory management across the supply chain, optimized product integrity and reduced shrinkage.

See Complete Agenda »

RFID Journal LIVE! 2012 is produced by RFID Journal, the World's RFID Authority.

All conference sessions are subject to change, and RFID Journal reserves the right to alter dates, programs and speakers at any time, as circumstances dictate. Sessions without assigned speakers indicate a target topic; every effort will be made to ensure that a program of equivalent standard and value is available.