Siemens to offer RFID in UHF range

April 19, 2005

S

iemens Energy & Automation is reportedly ahead of scheduled development to expand its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems offering into the UHF range by mid 2005. The company announced that a new RFID system family, for 860 to 956 megahertz frequencies (the UHF range), would be available by mid- 2005. The RFID UHF family will consist of stationary and handheld reader designs with corresponding tags for various environmental conditions.

Alex Stuebler, business manager of factory automation sensors, said “Siemens is nearing the end of pilot testing a stationary reader device that complies with EPC Global and ISO/IEC 18000-6 standards. The stationary reader is suitable for the 865 to 868 Megahertz UHF bands in Europe as well as for the 902 to 928 Megahertz UHF range in North America.”
Other readers, including a portable device and an extremely compact version with integrated antenna, also will be available.

"We expect to begin shipping the stationary readers as planned by mid-2005,” Stuebler said.

Equipped with a IP65 housing for use in a wide range of temperatures, the stationary reader device can be used in rough industrial environments, including warehouses and loading ramps.

As many as four antennas in IP65 are available for UHF bands in Europe and North America. With a high reading rate, multiple tags can be identified simultaneously (bulk recording). The stationary reader is connected to PCs or Simatic controllers via TCP/IP or RS422 interfaces and are integrated in existing automation and IT landscapes. The stationary reader, with PC support, is put into operation, diagnosed, and efficiently integrated in higher-order IT systems via a serial RS232 interface.

For more information log on to: www.sea.siemens.com.