RF Code Active RFID Tags: Features, Specifications, and Deployment Guidelines Publication P/N 00660 REV05
Trademarks RF Code™ and the RF Code logo are trademarks of RF Code, Inc. All other product names are copyright and registered trademarks or trade names of their respective owners. Information in this document is provided solely to enable system and software implementers to use RF Code products. There are no express or implied copyright licenses granted hereunder to design or fabricate any integrated circuits or integrated circuits based on the information in this document.
Table of Contents TRADEMARKS .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT .................................................................................................................................................. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................................................
Regulatory and Compliance Information FCC Compliance The system is design to operate with RF Code Active RFID Tags, operating at a frequency of 433.92 MHz, which have been certified or are in the certification process. These devices comply with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) These devices may not cause harmful interference, and (2) These devices must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. a.
Introduction and Overview RF Code Active RFID tags are battery-powered RF transmitters that attach to items that need to be tracked, located and identified. Every tag broadcasts its unique ID and a status message at a periodic rate (that is programmed at the factory). With a modular design and low price, tags provide an economical solution to a wide variety of problems. RF Code's patented communication protocols allow for very high tag densities.
RF Code tags provisioned with IR or IR and motion and/or tamper sensors are identifiable in model names with a lowercase (i) appended to the model number, e.g., M102-i. Additional information about RF Code active tags is available online at: http://www.rfcode.
R-Series Tag Features, Specifications, and Options Table The following table provides an overview of RF Code R-series (sensor) tags. Tag Use IT Asset Tag Tag Name/Model R100 IR IT Asset Tag R104-i Flex-Mount Tag R110 IR Flex-Mount Tag R114-i Door Tag R120 Dry Contact Tag R130 Dry Contact Tag with IR R131 Fluid Detector Tag R135 Badge Tag R140 IR Badge Tag R142 Temperature Tag R150 Dimensions Case width: 2.22 in. Case height: 0.35 in. Case depth: 4.96 in. Case weight: 0.46 oz.
Tag Use Tethered Temperature Tag Tag Name/Model R151 Humidity— Temperature Tag R155 Air Pressure Tag R160 PDU Tag – Raritan R170 CDU Tag – Server Technology R170 PDU Tag – Geist R170 PDU Tag – Emerson R170 PDU Tag – Schneider Electric R170 4-20mA Tag R180 Dimensions Case width: 2.88 in. Case depth: 1.7 in. Case height: 0.5 in. Case weight: 0.66 oz. Cable length: 9.84 ft. Case width: 2.22 in. Case depth: 1.74 in. Case height: 0.35 in. Case weight: 1.2 oz. Case width: 4.25 in.
R-Series Tag – General Use and Deployment Instructions R100 IT Asset Tag The R100 IT Asset Tag is designed for use with U-mounted racked assets. R104-i IT Asset Tag The R104-i Tag is designed for use with rack-mounted assets and should be deployed in concert with RF Code's A740 Rack Locators and A750 Room Locators.
• Trim the tongue of the tag if necessary to more properly fit mount the tag with your rack configuration. However, do not trim the adhesive completely from the tag or it will no longer stick to the asset. • Remove the adhesive backing liner from the tongue and apply adhesive side down to the surface of the asset. The tag adhesive bonds when force is applied, rather than by air activation.
• Tags should be installed on an asset where the tag is located at least three inches away from the IR strip or side of the rack for use with the A740 Rack Locator. This will allow the tag to receive a maximum coverage from multiple IR LEDs. It will also help to prevent the asset tags themselves from blocking a significant amount of any IR LED’s transmission coverage. R110 Flex-Mount Tag The R110 Flex-Mount Tag is designed for flexible mounting on assets such as blade servers and tower equipment.
Mounting R110 and R114-i Flex-Mount Tags To mount R110 and R114-I Flex Mount Tags, use one of the following two methods: A. Remove the adhesive backing liner and apply the adhesive side down to the surface of the asset. B. Alternatively, for a flexible mounting option, slide a zip-tie through the slot on the top of the tag and then through an opening on the asset to be tracked. Then, close the zip tie and trim the tail of it, if necessary.
R120 Door Tag The R120 Door Tag is designed for security applications monitoring room and rack doors. The tag is installed on the door or door frame. Once installed on the door frame the R120 will monitor and report the door status, enabling you to track attempts to access equipment within the racks. Mounting R120 Door Tags To mount R120 Door Tags, follow these instructions and guidelines: 1. Position the magnet on the frame of the door in proximity of where the R120 Door Tag will be positioned. 2.
3. Remove the adhesive backing liner of the Door Tag and apply it to the corresponding corner of the door or equipment rack door. The tag adhesive bonds when force is applied, rather than by air activation. NOTE: The tag should be forcibly pressed down on the surface of the asset with 15 pounds of force for more than two seconds. The ideal adhesive application temperature range is 60°F (21°C) to 100°F (38°C).
R130 Dry Contact Tag and R131 IR-Enabled Dry Contact Tag The R130 and R131 Dry Contact Tags are designed to be paired with a wide variety of dry contact sensors to allow real time monitoring of the sensors' state. Typical applications of the R130/R131 include but are not limited to use with fluid detectors, IR motion detectors, alarm relay contacts, moisture sensors, and door switches.
R135 Fluid Detector Tag The R135 Fluid Sensor Films attaches to an RF Code active RFID sensor tag via a three meter cord. This provides maximum flexibility in sensor tag placement. Information captured by the sensor tag is instantly broadcast, providing real-time monitoring and alerting about environmental conditions at a site.
• • Remove the release liner from the back of the adhesive on the sensor film and wrap the fluid sensor film around the surface of the pipe with the top side (side with the holes) pointing away from the surface of the pipe. Ensure that you do not overlap the sensor film. • Secure the sensor film to the pipe by zip-tying around the sensor film and pipe at periodic intervals across the length of the sensor film.
• Run the connector wire up or along the wall or surface. Apply the adhesive pad that was supplied to the back side of the tag. Remove the release liner and press firmly to mount the tag to the wall or use screws to mount the tag using the screw mount bezel. • If mounting the tag in an area where it could potentially be bumped or snagged, you may want to use a strain relief method to position the sensor connector wire in such as way that if snagged, the wire will not be ripped from the tag.
R140 Badge Tag The R140 Badge Tag is specifically designed for security applications, tracking and monitoring personnel. The badge tag form factor can be easily clipped to a belt loop, lanyard, or shirt pocket. R142-i Badge Tag The R142-i3BN Badge Tag is intended to be deployed in concert with RF Code's A750 Room Locators. It is specifically designed for personnel tracking.
NOTE: Although the badge tag has been tested and shown to work properly while carried in a wallet or pocket, the best read-range is achieved through using the lanyard mount, keychain clip or clothing clip method. The R142-I Badge Tag is ideal for deployment in hospitals when used with A760 Proximity Locators. The deployment configuration enables hospital administrators to know when health staff enter and exit rooms in order ensure that patients are seen in the most efficient and effective manner.
Figure: R142-I Badge Tag deployment with an A760 Proximity Locator for sanitation and hygeine management. R150 Temperature Tag The R150 Temperature Tag monitors and reports the ambient temperature in its immediate environment. The R150 is designed to report temperature within + /- 1°C, (1.8°F), in environments ranging from -20°C to +70°C. It can be used to monitor the temperature within individual racks or to monitor the temperature in different areas of a data center.
R155 Humidity-Temperature Tag The R155 Humidity-Temperature Tag monitors and reports the relative humidity and ambient temperature in its immediate environment. It is designed for use in environmentally-sensitive areas, such as IT data centers. This affordable sensor tag is mounted in an impact resistant polycarbonate enclosure with strong adhesive on the back of the case. The tag has reliable performance with an operating range from -20°C to +70°C and 0% to 95% RH.
Mounting R150 and R155 Sensor Tags on Assets or Walls When mounting R150 and R155 Sensor Tags, follow these guidelines and instructions: • If mounting on an asset or wall, ensure that the surface of the intended asset or wall is clean and dry. The tag should be forcibly pressed down on the surface of the asset with 15 pounds of force for more than two seconds. The ideal adhesive application temperature range is 60°F (21°C) to 100°F (38°C).
• To mount this tag in a using a zip-tie, you will need to have a lanyard bezel (optional). Slide the zip-tie through the lanyard bezel and find and appropriate place on the outside of the rack to secure the end of the zip-tie. NOTE: For more information on deploying R150 and R155 in a data center for environmental monitoring, refer to the following RF Code Support Knowledge Base article and document here: http://support.rfcode.
Figure: Minimal Server Room Tag Deployment for Environmental Monitoring B D C A A Install one R155 Temperature-Humidity Tag on the front side and one on the rear side of the equipment rack, or one sensor each on the front of rack containing critical equipment. If the racks have mesh doors, install the tag on the outside of the rack door. If the racks do not have doors (e.g., open racks or two-post racks), affix the tag anywhere near the IT equipment about five (5) feet above the floor.
Figure: Three sensors (depicted as red rectangles) mounted on the inside of every third rack.
Figure: An R155 temperature-humidity sensor mounted on the inside of a rack (left side of photo) near an R104-I IT Asset Tag (right side of photo) An RF Code best practice is to place temperature sensors at the top and bottom and a temperature-humidity sensor in the middle of the rack door.
Temperature Sensor Accuracy and Precision The following table shows the temperature sensor accuracy for typical use and over the entire supported temperature range for R150, R151, and R155 sensor tags. Temperature Sensor Precision Table Sensor Accuracy Temperature Sensor R150-5B10 Typical Range of Use Tethered Temperature Sensor R151-0010 Typical Range of Use ± 1.0° F Entire Supported Range ± 1.5° F Range (Fahrenheit) Range (Celsius) +40° to +140° +5° to +60° -4° to +158° -20° to +70° ± 2.
The precision of the reported temperature data is also important. Temperature sensor data is handled by multiple RF Code components as part of the overall solution that includes RF Code Readers and RF Code software (Zone Manager and Asset Manager). The following table shows the data precision for each product. Precision at the Reader Default Precision in the Software* Temperature Sensor R150-5B10 0.06° C 0.1° C Tethered Temp Sensor R151-0010 0.50° C 0.5° C Humidity & Temp Sensor R155-5B10 0.
R160 Differential Air Pressure Sensor Tag The R160 Differential Air Pressure Sensor monitors and reports the differential air pressure reading between two points. It is typically installed under raised floors in data centers or in critical areas in hospitals where positive/negative air pressure is needed. R160 Air Pressure Tag Details The R160 Differential Air Pressure Sensor is used to measure air pressure difference above vs. below a raised floor, in a room vs.
Overview of RF Code PDU and CDU Sensor Tags RF Code offers PDU and CDU sensor tags for specific families of PDUs and CDUs offered by our partners. The following sections offer some specific Instructions and guidelines for these similar configurations. All power data collected from the rd PDU by the sensor tag flows to the RF Code readers, then to Zone Manager, and finally to Asset Manager and other 3 party applications.
The following illustration depicts the architectural framework for RF Code software and PDU Sensor Tag hardware. As of January 2014, RF Code sells five (5) different R170 sensor tags for various power distribution units (PDUs) and cabinet power distribution units (CDUs) manufactured by the following partner companies: Emerson - Liebert MPX PDUs shipped with an RPC-1000 module and Liebert MPH PDUs shipped with an embedded RPC-1000. Geist - The satellite current monitoring family of PDUs.
R170 PDU Tag for Emerson The R170 PDU Tag for Emerson receives data published by Emerson Liebert MPX PDUs that ship with an RPC-1000 module and Liebert MPH PDUs that ship with an embedded RPC-1000. R170 PDU Tag for Geist The R170 PDU Tag for Geist receives data published by Geist PDUs in the satellite current monitoring family. R170 PDU Tag for Raritan The R170 PDU Tag for Raritan receives data published by Raritan PDUs in the PX family via the PDU’s Sensor port.
R170 CDU Tag for Server Technology The R170 CDU Tag is compatible with Server Technology's Smart and Switched CDUs with PIPS (Per Inlet Power Sensing) and with or without POPS (Per Outlet Power Sensing). R170 PDU Tag for Schneider Electric The R170 PDU Tag for Schneider Electric receives data published by the 8xxx series APC PDU’s running firmware version 6.0.9 or higher.
Installing R170 PDU and CDU Tags To integrate the R170 PDU Sensor Tag with RF Code hardware and software (Zone Manager and Asset Manager), perform the following steps: 1. If you have not already done so, install the PDU in your enterprise hardware rack and then power it on. 2. If you have not already installed an RF Code Reader, please do so.
NOTE: Depending on the model of your PDU, the location and/or label of the port may be different; if so, please refer to the PDU user guide for the specific model in order to locate the proper port. 5. Mount the R170 PDU Sensor Tag according to the instructions presented below in the Mounting Guidelines section. R170 PDU Sensor Tag Mounting Guidelines The following guidelines will help to ensure that you mount the R170 Sensor Tag for optimal functioning.
R170 PDU Sensor Tag Operational Notes The following notes about the general operating characteristics of PDUs and PDU tags should be taken into consideration: Allow at least two hours for power information to become available in the RF Code software due to the time delay inherent in collection and transmission of data, which helps to ensure its accuracy and usability.
R180 4-20mA Sensor Tag The R180 4-20mA Sensor Tag is designed for deployment with industrial process control equipment, devices, and sensors that use 4-20mA current loops. This enables wireless transmission of industry-standard 4-20mA sensor readings for specialty and industrial applications. R180 4-20mA Sensor Tag Details The 4-20 mA current loop is a common method of relaying sensor information in monitoring applications with a need for analog sensors.
These tags report their own unique ID and a portion of the 4-20 mA loop current value once every 10 seconds using RF Code’s patented communication protocol; this results in three (3) sensor readings per minute. 4-20 mA supported specifications: 1.25 uA resolution ±0.5% accuracy 100 ohm resistance Loop supply not included; the sensor must provide the power (or a separate power supply is required) The R180 ships with an 8-foot 24 AWG stranded cable that can be cut to fit or spliced.
M-Series Tag Features, Specifications, and Options Table Tag Name/Model Tag Use General Purpose Asset Tag M100 IR Asset Tag M102-i Thin Asset Tag IR Wristband Tag IR Durable Tag Tamper-Enabled IR Asset Tag Rugged Tag Case length: 1.84 in. Case width: 1.35 in. Case height: 0.46 in. Case weight: 1.20 oz. Case length: 1.84 in. Case width: 1.35 in. Case height: 0.46 in. Case weight: 1.20 oz.
M-Series Tags – General Use and Deployment Instructions M100 General Asset Tag The M100 Active Tag is a general purpose tag designed for versatility in asset tracking. M100 tags have a standard lowprofile rectangular form factor and can be used with virtually any object. M102-i Infrared Asset Tag The IR-enabled M102-i Tag is essentially an M100 Asset Tag with a built-in infrared sensor. When used with the A750 Room Locator or A740 Rack Locator, it will provide room-level or rack-level location accuracy.
Mounting Instructions for Standard Form Factor Asset Tags The following mounting instructions apply to M100, M102-I, M131, M171, and M172-i asset tags: 1. Ensure that the surface of the asset is clean and dry. 2. Remove the liner backing of the adhesive and apply firmly to the surface of the asset. The tag adhesive bonds when force is applied, rather than by air activation. 3. Press the tag down on the surface of the asset with 15 pounds of force for three (3) seconds or longer.
M163 Wristband Tag The M163 Wristband Tag is designed for security applications, to be worn by children or adults for student, patient or personnel tracking applications. These tags provide a re-useable, economical solution for educational settings, health care or enterprise use. This sealed tag is suitable for applications where frequent cleaning is a requirement.
Attaching M163 and M163-i Wristband Tags To attach an M163 or M163-i wristband tag, perform the following steps: 1. Slide a standard single-use ¾” wristband through the slots at the base of the tag. 2. Ensure that the wristband is on the backside of the tag (opposite side of the tag label) and slide the end of the wristband through the slot at the top of the tag. 3. Wrap the wristband around the wrist of the person who will be wearing it and then close the clasp to secure the tag.
Cleaning Procedure Items Needed Disinfectant Gloves Towels Cotton Swabs Inert Plastic Tray or Basin Cleaning Process 1. Examine the tags and remove any visible dirt or debris. 2. Clean the wings (where the band is inserted) using a cotton swab. 3. Place the tags into a tray or basin in a single layer. 4. Add cleaner until the tags begin to float, which should be at an approximate depth of a half (½) inch. 5. Let the tags soak for five (5) minutes. 6.
M172 Durable Tag The M171 Durable Tag is designed with a sealed, water-resistant, crush-proof, temperature-stable enclosure for generalpurpose asset tracking. The durable enclosure provides protection in harsh environments where liquids and/or extreme temperatures are potential hazards. M172-i Durable Tag The M172-i Infrared Durable Tag is identical to the M172 with the addition of on-board infrared (IR) and motion sensors.
M172 and M172-i Durable Tag Deployment The M172 and M172-i Durable Tags are particularly well-suited for hospital asset tracking. The tags can be deployed on expensive medical equipment so that these valuable assets can be located quickly for use in life-saving and other situations. M172-i Durable Tag deployed on a “patient vitals” machine. M172-I Durable Tags deployed on a wheelchair and underneath a patient bed.
M174-i IT Asset Tag (shown with red tab installation tool) The M174-i Infrared IT Asset Tag is designed for use with rack-mounted assets and should be deployed in concert with RF Code's A740 Rack Locators and A750 Room Locators to provide room-level and rack-level location accuracy. M174-I tags, which are 40% smaller than R104/R114 tags, are deployed using one of a variety of “tabs” that is appropriate for the application.
OTAB-i030 - Thumbscrew tab The Thumbscrew tab, as the name implies, is designed to be mounted on the thumbscrew of difficult-to-tag items such as switch gear. M174-i IT Asset Tag Details M174-i enclosures are made of black IR-friendly plastic. The tag contains four IR sensors to receive IR from any direction. The low profile tag accommodates several tab form factors (sold separately) so that the tag can be installed on a wide variety of assets.
plication temperature range is 60°F (21°C) to 100°F (38°C). Application is not recommended if the surface temperature is below 50°F (10°C) because the adhesive becomes too firm to adhere readily. • If possible, tags should be installed on an asset where the tag is located at least three inches away from the IR strip or side of the rack for use with the A740 Rack Locator. This will allow the tag to receive a maximum coverage from multiple IR LEDs.
To mount M174-i IT Asset Tags using the Thin Loop tab (OTAB-i020), follow these guidelines: • • Thread the Loop tab around the desired mounting point (e.g. handle of the asset). Then remove the release liner on the end of the Loop tab and firmly press the adhesive strip onto the tab.
Release liner M174-I with Thumbscrew tab Active RFID Tags: Features, Specifications, and Deployment Guidelines 52
M175 Rugged Tag The M175 Rugged Tag is designed with a sealed, water-resistant enclosure for general-purpose asset tracking in harsh outdoor or environmentally exposed locations. A 10-second/50-second beacon rate maximizes scalability of the asset tracking solution in crowded environments. Deploying M-Series Asset Tags for Distributed Asset Tracking Laptop computers, desktop computers, printers, and copiers are all considered distributed assets.
Attaching Asset Tags to Printers or Copiers Use the R100 Tag or the M100 Active Tag in order to track printers and copiers. Mount these tags on the upper portion of the asset for the best read-range and signal transmission. Mount the tag on a flat surface in order to ensure good adhesion.
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