CHICAGO -- AeroScout, Inc., formerly Bluesoft, today announced the addition of the AeroScout Exciter to its Wi-Fi™-based Enterprise Visibility Solutions platform. This new device enables AeroScout Tags – the industry’s leading Wi-Fi active RFID tags – to be used both for accurate location in real-time as well as to indicate passage through a defined choke-point. For example, a manufacturer can track work-in-process inventory as it passes through sections of the shop floor, and with the same infrastructure accurately locate the finished product when it is ready to be shipped.
“Customers with complex RFID needs have traditionally looked to separate vendors for choke-point and RTLS solutions, raising the cost and difficulty of implementation,” said Mike Liard, RFID Program Director at Venture Development Corporation. “The addition of the Exciter to AeroScout’s Wi-Fi platform enables critical applications such as process control without the need for a separate passive RFID infrastructure.”
AeroScout Exciters are placed at doorways, gates, or other constrained “choke-points” where tagged assets pass by. AeroScout Tags already transmit at periodic intervals to enable real-time location; this new hardware component triggers an additional transmission when the tag passes through. In addition to triggering transmissions, Exciters can be programmed to alter tags’ behavior in multiple ways as they pass, such as changing their transmission rate, causing them to transmit or store telemetry messages, or even turning them on/off to conserve battery power.
Exciters have a long range for wide passageways (up to 6 meters, configurable), a rugged housing for harsh outdoor and indoor conditions, and 802.3af standard Power over Ethernet capability. Furthermore, Exciters are Ethernet networked devices, managed by the same AeroScout Engine application that manages other AeroScout infrastructure. This ensures that they are easily configured, monitored and firmware-upgraded, giving users a single, unified infrastructure for both real-time location and choke-point solutions.
“Enterprises have complex visibility needs that often cannot be solved by a single RFID solution. Addition of the AeroScout Exciter enables our customers to leverage our unique visibility platform to support a broader set of applications,” stated Andris Berzins, VP of Marketing and Business Development for AeroScout, Inc. “These include theft prevention – triggering an alarm when a valuable tagged asset leaves; process control – tracking WIP inventory and tools as they pass through manufacturing; inventory management – tracking inventory as it passes through physical spaces such as dock doors; and many others.”
AeroScout