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Smart Asset Solution in Complex Manufacturing Setting

Life science companies and medical device manufacturers can maximize operational efficiencies when critical product data and information is readily available throughout their value chain — from manufacture to distribution to end use. Tego’s AIP solution benefits pharma, medical device manufacturers and healthcare service providers by providing unprecedented manufacturing visibility and availability of product and regulatory compliance data.

Tego Platform captures product data rugged enough to survive sterilization and other manufacturing processes, while enabling aseptic manufacturing. This breakthrough technology is bringing the benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to new industries such as life sciences and healthcare. As demonstrated in the solution brochure, the benefits come in many forms, including dramatic increases in process efficiencies and reduced production costs.

Frost & Sullivan Asset Intelligence for Healthcare: New Product Innovation Award

Tego recognized as one of the pioneers in smart asset management solutions, with its proven asset intelligence platform (AIP) solution targeted towards the healthcare industry. Makes every asset smart by bringing intelligence to things that have been unreachable with conventional IoT solutions.

 

 

Supply Chain Matters Conversation with Tego- A Different Architectural Approach to Internet of Things Deployment

When this industry analyst attends technology and industry conferences, I attempt as time permits, to seek out what I believe our technology vendors that are providing unique or different technology approaches to business process needs. In our next two Supply Chain Matters postings, I will touch upon two such providers.

Read the complete article on http://www.theferrarigroup.com

Why IoT Devices Need to be Digital Assets Plus Connecting by LoRa and NFC

The difference between ‘has’ and ‘uses’ reflects how efficiently those Assets can be made to work, which in turn reflects on the extent to which those Assets can be managed. IoT simply connects Assets to provide the data and dynamic management to enable business optimization of operations. But what are these ‘Assets’ that can create new competitive capabilities?

Read the article on constellationr.com

The Smart Asset Revolution in Life Sciences

Learn how Tego’s Smart asset solutions are helping manufacturers, serialization service companies, distribution centers and hospitals bring quality, time and process improvements to their operations

The Internet of Things UDI and Medical Device Compliance

For medical device companies, information will become the foundation for their manufacturing, and it will be augmented by more data about the product’s distribution, condition, and directions for use, re-use, and upkeep. In other words, devices will ship with a pedigree and become embedded with a digital record of their entire life history. That local information will be the benefit made available for all stakeholders.

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Improving MRO Processes Using Distributed Part History Data- Smart Assets

Effectively managing parts histories is a key element of improved MRO economics. New smart asset technology can automate and optimize this process

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A Different Architectural Approach to Internet of Things Deployment

A Different Architectural Approach to Internet of Things Deployment: Supply Chain Matters Conversation with Tego.

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B/E Aerospace Proceeds With Global Plan

B/E Aerospace selects Tego as its worldwide tagging partner to beging tagging interior airplane parts such as airplane seats, flight entertainment consoles and beverage equipment. Tego’s solution enables digital information to be stored on the asset during manufacturing and throughout the product’s lifecycle so that data can be accessed by Airbus and Boeing and airline maintenance organziations, saving time and creating unbefore seen operational efficiencies.

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Technology Advances Fuel SPD Progress, Quality Assurance Goals

The nation’s largest tissue bank, the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, is currently using Tego RFID tags to track their allograft tissues (bone, skin and soft tissues). This customer offers high quality tissue by having some of the most stringent standards in the industry. The added benefit of Tego RFID solutions helps them to maintain their high standards by providing accurate, real-time information about the status and location of tagged assets, tracking them from the point of collection throughout their facility.

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From Flying Parts to Smart Pipelines, the Things of the Industrial IoT

Real-time visibility of these assets, combined with improved collection, management and analysis of critical data, will allow businesses to operate in entirely new ways to achieve increased productivity, improved safety and reliability, faster time to market, and greater overall efficiency and profitability.

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Super-Rugged RF Solution Survives All Forms of Sterilization

The ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency TegoChip can easily stand up to gamma, eBeam, autoclave, and ethylene oxide sterilization without performance degradation.

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Connecting the Unconnected in the IoT

As IoT continues its rapid growth, durable, high-memory tags will be critical for extending connectivity to large market segments not well served by more expensive, active “broadcast” connectivity methods. The tags’ small form factor, low power consumption, and low cost will make it possible to tag a much larger number of “things.” These “edge” things will likely to be the majority of “things” in the IoT.

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Tagging the Aerospace Market

Remote connectivity is a challenge for aerospace industry. RF technology has evolved to providing more than IDs on airplane parts to carrying maintenance records, files and safety check information so that entire value chains benefit. Airplane parts are going digital and getting smarter by having their own history and safety information stored directed on the part itself.

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Hi-flying efficiency with Tego’s RFID tags for Aerospace

RFID tracking has been proven to be very useful countless times over with its implementation in almost every aspect of our lives. Tracking, for example is one of the many that RFID has “tagged”, decreasing human error in all aspects of inventory, maintenance and data collection for the aviation sector. This is where Tego “tags” in with their high-storage RFID tags to aid their supply chain partners. We spoke to Bob Hamlin, CTO of Tego to find out what it takes to design RFID technology for the high-flyers.

PAN: RFID technology continues to find new applications in a growing number of industries, the aviation sector being one of them. What were the contentions that led the aerospace sector to consider RFID? Bob: Maintenance is a high-cost activity for airlines and they are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) efficiency to reduce costs. Today, many organizations along the supply chain generate information about parts and important data ends up in many different places, leading to inefficient maintenance processes.

Airlines have documented workflows that show mechanics spend more time finding the paperwork associated with a part than they do on their repair activities. Additionally, many maintenance responsibilities are needlessly labor-intensive.

For example, we have seen cycle time studies around the inspection of emergency equipment such as life vests and oxygen canisters, and the overhaul of passenger seats, that show 98-99% time reductions when RFID is introduced to these tasks. RFID technology creates visibility into the supply chain and maintenance activities by allowing large amounts of data to be stored on tags attached to components. It minimizes unplanned maintenance and premature parts replacement and detects malfunctions early.

PAN: From being low-requirement solutions, RFID tags have moved up to a whole new level by addressing the difficulties encountered in tracking and maintaining aircraft parts, and more. How has this innovation improved MRO in aviation?

Bob: RFID tags can store everything from the simple information often found on an identification placard such as part number, serial number, and expiration dates, to detailed historical MRO information typically stored in a centralized dasu_tabase. With the tag physically attached to a particular component, the information is easily associated with that component.

Many tags in production today have specifically targeted flyable parts. Industry standards address environmental factors such as humidity, pressure, and flammability. Tags that meet these standards can be used in external aircraft locations as well as pressurized cabin spaces. Using standard reader equipment, aircraft maintenance staff can read a part’s vital statistics from the attached tag – from the date of manufacture and hours in service to repairs and modifications. In addition, they can easily obtain information that was previously accessible only by opening difficult to reach or secured areas, by simply directing a handheld reader towards the area where the part or component is located.

Ultimately, all of this same information can be shared across the supply chain between the operator and the maintenance organization, from one MRO to another, and between inventory management staff and parts suppliers. Technicians can immediately determine component status in the field in an efficient and economical manner. It all adds up to a more streamlined operation and allows maintenance personnel to focus on maintenance activities.

PAN: For maintenance activities, it is crucial to have the information at hand – wherever and whenever it is needed. What happens in the typical lifecycle of an airplane part, for example?

Bob: Not having updated information follow a part throughout its lifecycle is one of the biggest challenges for an MRO organization. In fact, information about each phase of a part’s life is stored in distinctly separate areas. Here is what typically happens at each stage of the parts that go into an aircraft:

  • The parts manufacturer records pedigree information, such as the part number, serial number, date of manufacture, and when it’s shipped. Some data goes on the nameplate; other data is printed out on hardcopy records and/or in an electronic dasu_tabase. Some information is shipped along with the part; most stays behind with the manufacturer.
  • Then the airframe manufacturer installs the part on an aircraft. This generates additional data such as its location on the aircraft, the date of installation, and the part’s Air Worthiness Certificate (Form 8130-3). Some of this information stays behind with the manufacturer after the aircraft is delivered to a customer.
  • The aircraft owner/operator performs in-service maintenance activities, storing identification information and records related to maintenance and replacement tasks. This data is the property of the airline.
  • When the part is due for overhaul or replacement, a separate Maintenance Repair and Overhaul organization will collect and store overhaul records including modification level, condition code and general maintenance history. Data from the owner/operator would help the MRO process but it’s difficult to access.

PAN: Where does Tego fit into this value chain? Share with us the kind of solutions that Tego offers in this space.

Bob: By building on current RFID technology, Tego is creating “smart assets” with capabilities that go way beyond what has been typically thought of as RFID. For example, we have made advances in semiconductor technology to create RFID tags with up to 8KB of usable space, over 640 times the memory capacity of the original 96-bit tags used in the earliest retail applications. With this much memory available on the tag, it is now possible for supply chain partners to write pertinent information whenever a significant event happens in the lifetime of a part, and to keep that information stored directly on the part whether it stays in one place or moves around. That information can take the form of historical maintenance records or scratchpad messages from one technician to another. These smart assets can assist maintenance staff with making on-the-spot decisions.

We have also created chip technology that is especially useful to the aerospace industry. Our high-memory chips are designed to be fully passive, avoiding the added weight and potential RE interference associated with battery-operated tags. We have the only UHF chip technology that can maintain stored data for up to 30 years at high temperature. The stored data is also impervious to radiation, magnetic fields or high-powered radar signals. To keep all this information coming from multiple sources well organized, we have been leading the effort to standardize storage formats for RFID under the leadership of the Air Transport Association (ATA). Our software products, such as TegoView, provide a ready-to-use solution for industry participants to store and access ATA-formatted data on RFID tags. To add their own data in any file format they need, aerospace organizations can use TegoDrive which includes the additional simplification of treating RFID readers and tags as an extension of the Windows desktop.

PAN: Moving from a legacy system to being a “smart” tracking facility certainly doesn’t mean the end of the road. What concerns need to be addressed to further the advancement of RFID in aviation?

Bob: Airframe builders, airlines and MR0 organizations can get started in their own closed-loop systems, but in many cases the bigger benefits will be realized through the co-operation of all supply chain partners. [-Business standards are in place with ATA Spec 2000 and the EPC Tag Data Standard which allow for needed co-operation, but this still requires adoption by everyone involved in the process.

Another interesting challenge is around information security. Now that there is enough space on high-memory RFID tags to store so much data, the natural progression is for some people to want to store confidential or sensitive data, or to authenticate the identity of the source of the information. Preventing unauthorized read/write access may also be a concern. A lot of work is underway, by Tego and industry partners, to provide all of these security services.

Tego, Inc.

Tego’s high‑memory RFID solutions, including best‑in‑class semiconductor chips, tags, and application software are creating distributed interconnected smart assets that communicate wirelessly and without batteries. With the ability to read and write information directly on assets, organizations can automate processes, make intelligent decisions at the point of use, and know immediately the history, condition and status of any asset. Today, through Tego innovation, smart asset capabilities are providing solutions previously not possible or imaginable. Tego, founded in 2005, is based in Waltham, MA. For more information, visit www.tegoinc.com

Tego, TegoTag, TegoView, TegoDrive and TegoChip are trademarks of Tego, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

375 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA 02451 USA • T: +1 781.547.5680

After the Storm. Reflections on Network Connectivity.

Last week there was a tornado in Sudbury Mass.  Tornados are a rare occurrence in New England on account of there being so few trailer parks, making this a pretty big event.  High winds, lots of rain, and and even some dime-sized hail.  After work that night I was headed to a gym in the storm area. It ended up taking me close to two hours to make a trip that normally takes about 30 minutes.  Making it to the gym was becoming pointless, so I needed a another option.  With the storm well past it was a good opportunity to do some sprints and pull-ups in the park, but instead I took an entirely different approach: I headed for the bar.

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Driving in our Data Driven World

Last time I addressed some basics of the Internet of Things based on what appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding by lots of people. I also ventured into the area of wireless, batteryless devices to consider how they will be deployed in much larger numbers than their heavyweight counterparts that have on-board microprocessors running network stacks. Those concepts will also be applicable this time around as we delve into Big Data. Just like last time, it’s based on some questions I hear a lot. “What’s all this about big data? I get we’re generating tons of data, but what does that do for me? How is big data improving my life?”
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What’s This All About the Internet of Things?

Something interesting has happened to me recently.  On three separate occasions over the past couple weeks, three different people have said to me, “What’s all this about the Internet of Things?”.  These are all people that I consider to be pretty well clued in on current technology, all of them have invested in high-tech startups, and all make their livings in technology businesses of some sort.  And yet each one of them didn’t understand why people are talking about an internet of things.  Sometime late last year the IoT rose to the level of having its own recognizable three letter acronym (TLA) and it seems like media chatter on the topic is everywhere these days, so it came as quite a surprise to keep hearing this drumbeat of confusion.  Now I know regular readers of this blog are all very savvy about the topic.  Right?  Right?  Exactly.  That’s part of the problem.  IoT chatter has ramped up so quickly that people don’t want to admit that they don’t get it.  Well, allow me to be the one to go back to the beginning and cover some basics. Continue reading…

Tego as the IoT Connectivity Platform for the “Last 10 Meters”

IOT the last 10 metersWhat exactly is the 10/90 rule as it applies to the Internet of Things (IoT)? According to Dr. Mazlan Abbas at the IoT Global Innovation Forum, the “last 10 meters” represents greater than 90 percent of “things” that are not yet connected to the Internet. This might include devices that utilize sensors for temperature, pressure, moisture and more. While many connectivity options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi could provide a solution, RF technology is currently poised to be the best method for connecting the devices that are part of the “last 10 meters.”
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Secret Sauce – Part 4

Alright, this is it – the last of a four-part series on the ins and outs of non-volatile memory and radiation resistance. By now you should feel like an expert on flash memory and the fuse-based Tego memory.  For a tune up check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.  The remaining question to be answered: “where does FRAM fit into all this”?

I often see that careful observers are astute enough to realize that FRAM must be a whole different beast because while it is a huge improvement over flash memory when it comes to radiation resistance, it doesn’t even come close to what the Tego memory can achieve.  In fact FRAM is not at all usable for sterilization applications due to the memory errors that occur.

Let’s first put these performance metrics into perspective.  A good way to approach that is to consider what sort of dose is needed to sterilize an item.  For all of the medical devices we’ve seen, when using either gamma radiation or e-beam radiation, a sterilization dose is right around 25 kilogray.  That level of radiation is enough to be assured that all organics and biologics are killed off.  What does that dose mean to non-volatile memory?  Well, the contents of flash memory are completely wiped out.  The data is completely scrambled.  In fact, flash memory starts to see bit errors in memory at doses as small as 0.1 kilogray, so at 25 kilograys it doesn’t stand a chance.  The Tego memory on the other hand has been tested up to 1000 kilograys and no memory errors have ever been observed.  That means the Tego chip can be subjected to over 40 sterilization doses without concern for memory errors.  Repeated sterilizations may seem like overkill for many applications but the important thing about such a high dose is that it translates to very high reliability for single-dose applications.  You can rest assured that a memory capable of handling over 1000 kilograys will have basically zero failures at 25 kilograys, even when billions of parts are involved.

Then there is FRAM.  FRAM can almost handle one sterilization dose, but not quite.  If we’re talking about indentification-only tags that have just 96 bits of memory, most FRAM tags will survive that first 25 kilogray does, but roughly 20% of the parts will have some bit errors.  If we’re talking about 8 or 64 kilobit memories like in the TegoTags, pretty much every tag  will have at least one bit error at that dose, and many will have lots of errors.  This behavior was documented in an interesting paper by GE Global Research back in 2007, and it exactly bears out the experiences of our customers who’ve tried FRAM tags (you can find the paper here).  Those customers have needed to tag items valued at anywhere from $20 to $20,000, and in every case the prospect of throwing out or reworking 20% of their products due to bad RFID tags has been a non-starter.

Just like the performance of FRAM sits between that of the Tego mechanical and the flash electronic memories, the way FRAM works also sits in between mechanical and electronic.  Because FRAM stands for Ferroelectric Random Access Memory, it is often described as a type of magnetic memory.  This isn’t correct since FRAM structures are not magnets, and what’s really happening is people are confusing ferroelectric with ferromagnetic.  Nevertheless, FRAM does contain polarized structures, and the polarization of the those structures is what is used to represent digital zeros and ones.

Maybe the best way to describe how FRAM works is to look at directly at FRAM itself.  I could craft another analogy like the red Solo cups of water or the fuses, but in this case it doesn’t buy us much.  The FRAM structure itself tells a pretty clear story.


FRAM is built out of lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) crystals.  Sounds pretty complicated but on a simplified molecular lever it’s really very straightforward.  Have a look at the diagram included here.  PZT crystals come in the form of cubes, with lead (Pb) atoms in the corners and oxygen (O) atoms on the faces.  Within the cube, a zirconium+titanium (Zi/Ti) atom can be moved to the top or the bottom.  Top and bottom are defined by an electric field placed across the cube.  When the electric field is applied with one polarity, the Zi/Ti atom is forced to the top of the cube.  When the electric field is removed, the Zi/Ti atom stays right where it is. If the field is again applied but this time with the opposite polarity, the Zi/Ti atom moves to the bottom of the cube.  So now we have “one” and “zero” represented by “top” and “bottom”.

The only way to move the Zr/Ti molecule is by applying the electric field.  This is pretty significant as it’s what makes FRAM non-volatile – when the power is removed the Zr/Ti molecule doesn’t move, so our zeros and ones are not disturbed.  The makers of FRAM like to refer to it as being bistable, which means it can exist in two states and both of them are “stable”.  This is exactly what we need to form a non-volatile memory, except that it’s not exactly bi-stable.  As you might imagine, the electric field is not “the only way to move the Zr/Ti molecule”.  Other forces can also cause the atoms to move around, and our old friends time and temperature are classic culprits.  One FRAM vendor has told its aerospace customers that FRAM components should be “refreshed” every 5 to 7 years; refreshed meaning that all the memory contents should be read out and then re-written.  A clear indication that over time the stability of the atoms will decay and data values will be corrupted.

As you can imagine, those Zr/Ti atoms are also prime targets for particle radiation like gamma and beta.  It doesn’t happen as readily as with flash memory, but after enough radiation particles beat up on the Zr/Ti atoms, they eventually knock them like billiard balls over to the other side.  As mentioned in the GE paper, this often happens after just one sterilization dose of radiation; around 25 kilogray.

One other thing that can disrupt the contents of FRAM is reading the memory.  That’s right, reading the contents of FRAM is a destructive process.  That’s because the way the location of the Zr/Ti atoms is sensed is to attempt to force them to one side, say the top.  If the atom indeed moved from bottom to top, then a small current pulse will be sensed and the contents is considered to be a zero.  If the atom was already at the top then no movement occurs so no current pulse is sensed and a one is assumed.  Of course, now all the bits are ones so the overall contents of a word is completely lost.  At this point, the contents just read are written back to the same location so that the loss is not permanent.  This adds time and power to the read operation, and more importantly it can have long term reliability impacts on the memory, especially for parts with long lifetimes.

So that’s it, a four-part episode on the inner workings of non-volatile memory.  Hopefully by now you understand how flash and FRAM work and how they are different from the fuse-based Tego memory.  And hopefully the failure mechanisms of each of the memory types makes sense and you understand exactly why the Tego memory is radiation resistant while the others are not. If something doesn’t make sense let me know and I’ll try to help you out.  Or you can always go back and re-read Part 1 through 4.  I recommend filling your red Solo cup to the top before you start.

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