Trolley Scan announced in Johannesburg that it has crossed another major technical hurdle in the development of small, efficent, low cost UHF transponders - key elements in radio frequency identification technology. This technology allows computer systems to identify at speed the labelled goods in the presence of a reader; to be used for example, in the supermarket for scanning the contents of a supermarket trolley without the need for unloading.
Says Mike Marsh, MD of Trolley Scan: "The holy grail of RFID is to produce simple, small, efficient transponders that are easy to mass produce and offer good operating range. The technology for low power operation of transponders is one of the most important developments in passive UHF RFID. In the same way that recent developments allow smaller cellphones with longer operating life: the efficient use of RF power by transponders allow low power passive transponders to operate over long range despite low energising fields."
"Trolley Scan have produced for commercial consumption their latest transponder which is smaller than the common credit card in size, needs just 250 microwatts of radio energy to operate, and where its antennas can be produced using simple manufacturing processes such as printing directly onto the packaging with a printing machine using conductive ink."
The company's Ecotag development achieves some major breakthroughs. A typical efficient UHF antenna will be 160 mm long. However, the market needs shorter antennas that are closer to the sizing of goods being labelled. Shortening a 160 mm antenna to 80 mm results in only 3% of the efficiency being left. Marsh says that the impact of shortening antennas is of great concern to the UHF RFID producers as the challenge is to increase efficiency in order to get greater coverage and range. Trolley Scan has developed an 80 by 33 mm flat antenna that recovers this lost efficiency as well as increasing the performance of the chip, allowing a transponder that now needs only 250 µW of RF energy to operate, making it one of the most energy efficient transponders available.
Despite its excellent performance, Marsh says the credit card-sized version is produced in a single plane and is ideal for production using conductive inks applied with a printing press. The new Ecotag credit card sized version now can operate at ranges as far as 9 m.
Trolley Scan has commenced commercial production of this device and it is available immediately to users worldwide
For more information contact Mike Marsh, Trolley Scan, 011 648 2087, info@trolleyscan.com
Dallmeier offers 12 MP resolution Dallmeier Electronic Southern Africa
Surveillance Products & Solutions
Dallmeier is expanding its Domera camera portfolio with the new 6900 series with up to 12 MP resolution and improved light sensitivity. The higher resolution also helps meet the increased requirements of IEC 62676-4:2025.
Read more...SanDisk MAX ENDURANCE microSD card Technews Publishing SMART Security Solutions
Smart Home Automation Products & Solutions
SMART Security Solutions received a 128 GB SanDisk microSD card for the video surveillance market to put to the test. The storage card is designed for edge-recording cameras, dashcams, and more.
Read more...Lightweight body-worn camera Axis Communications SA
Surveillance Products & Solutions
Axis releases new lightweight body-worn camera designed to perform throughout the day. Built on open standards, it integrates seamlessly with AXIS Camera Station and third-party on-premises or cloud-based VMS solutions.
Read more...From the editor's desk: Inspiring the next generation Technews Publishing
News
Welcome to the August issue of Dataweek. Peter Howells is still on leave, so I am back for this issue. I hope you enjoy the content and find value in it.
August is Women’s Month in South Africa, ...
Read more...Procurement is becoming a competitive advantage RS South Africa
News
As mining, manufacturing and industrial businesses continue to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruption and increasing pressure to improve operational performance, procurement and inventory management have become strategic business priorities rather than simply administrative functions.
Read more...Omniflex delivers ICCP systems across London Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
Omniflex has supplied impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems for a range of prominent buildings across London, helping to protect reinforced concrete structures from corrosion and extending their service life.
Read more...MTN celebrates 80 Western Cape digital graduates
News
Eighty unemployed young people from across the Western Cape have successfully completed MTN South Africa’s Digital Skills for Digital Jobs (DS4DJ) programme, earning accredited qualifications in Data Analytics, Systems Development and Cybersecurity.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version