Blog Archives - Page 2 of 2

Secret Sauce Part 1

Posted on February 21, 2015 at 10:55 pm.

One question that I get quite often is “How is it that you can make a tag that can withstand crazy amounts of radiation while no one else can even come close? How is that possible?”

It’s that last part that gives away what people are really thinking. “How is that possible?” It’s a reasonable question given that there has been serious demand for radiation-resistant RFID tags for as many years as there’s been RFID, but no one has managed to pull it off. Most people I meet think it’s impossible. So when someone asks how is it possible, what they’re really saying is, they don’t believe it.

But once you understand what’s going on inside the tag, it’s really quite simple. And perfectly believable. So I’m going to explain here just how the Tego tags pull off this technological feat that was once thought impossible.

Old Meets New – ATA Group Assembles in DC

Posted on October 17, 2014 at 8:52 pm.

I was in DC a few weeks ago for a standards meeting. The RFID on Parts technical team has been putting the finishing touches on the latest version of Spec 2000 Ch9-5, so I was there for three days trying to get the standard ready for release.

At this stage in the process there’s always a mind-numbing amount of minutia to work on, but it has to get done. Just to provide some flavor, there was quite a bit of haggling over the length of the PNO field (spoiler alert: it will be increased from 15 to 32 bits). We decided that the unit of measure code need not be restricted to just pounds and kilograms (fathoms anyone?). And in the Birth Record on Multi-Record tags, PNR is now… wait for it… forbidden. I know, I know, this stuff can be pretty tedious.

Hello? It’s Me, Your Refrigerator…

Posted on August 25, 2014 at 7:53 pm.

For some time now, there has been a lot of hype around the Internet of Things (IoT) concept. And for good reason. The interconnectedness of smart assets – products, machines, appliances and even buildings – opens up a world of possibilities.

To date, much of the hype has revolved around consumer applications. We already are starting to see vehicles with networked sensors that can take evasive action to avoid accidents. And one of the most enduring examples of IoT technology remains the vision of a refrigerator that calls to remind you to pick up milk.

But let’s not forget the considerable value that the Internet of Things brings to industrial and commercial applications. As a recent article in Forbes asks, ‘Where does IoT have the greatest potential to create economic value?’ Continue reading…

Energy and Excitement in the Land Down Under

Posted on August 22, 2014 at 2:02 am.

The Tego team had a great visit with attendees at the first annual RFID in Energy, Mining and Construction Conference organized by the RFID Journal on August 12-13 in Perth, Australia.

Thanks to Martijn Truijens of Woodside Energy, we were invited to attend the conference and demonstrate how leading mining and construction companies are using RFID technologies to track tools and equipment, manage inventory and streamline business processes.

It was great to see many of the vendors Tego has worked with over the years — many of which are providing both active and passive solutions to oil and gas end users. Overall, it was a great show, and we look forward to next year. Continue reading…

RFID Solutions Take Off In Aerospace

Posted on June 23, 2014 at 11:29 am.

I just finished presenting at RFID Journal’s virtual event: “RFID in Aerospace and Aviation.”

The approach I took was to provide a history of tagging flyable parts on aircraft. I think it’s a very interesting story and there are a lot of insights to be gained by looking back over the past ten years. There have been some key market drivers along the way, and clear indications that the sector has embraced the value of high-memory tagging. The programs have not just gone according to plan, they have been accelerated well beyond the original rollout plans.

I won’t go over the whole presentation here, although I might do that at some point. If you missed it, here are the slides so you can at least see the timeline. But even better, the questions I got from the audience were interesting and many may appreciate the answers. So here they are with my paraphrased responses: Continue reading…