12.17.2012

Forthcoming Product: Empress™ Active RFID Reader EM02


Hong Kong RFID is going to introduce a new product to the Empress™ Reader family: EM02. Empress™ EM02 (P/N: To be confirmed) is the second generation Empress™ Reader. EM02 will have several improvements.

First, the metal case of the Empress™ reader will be changed to lighter and more durable plastic casing. Second, the panel at the side of the reader is now located on the topside for more convenient operation. The new reader will be more stylish with more user-friendly design. Third, on top of the traditional “gain setting” function provided by all Empress™ Readers, a “signal strength” function is now in place on the new Empress™ EM02. 

Key upgrades:

  • More sensitive and reliable core RF circuit
  • LED and a button on top side
  • GPIO pins are now available
  • Support coming web service features

The new EM02 reader works well with Hussar™, Garrison™ and Tempcorder™ tags in providing more functionality and information for different applications.

Different application services will be launched for this new reader EM02 in the coming year and more functional upgrades may come as we further develop our product series. Let’s look forward to the details of the EM02 new reader and its new functions to come upon its launching date. 



For inquiries, please contact our sales representatives.

You can also visit our website to explore more:

www.hk-rfid.com
www.active-rfid.net

Video Demonstration of HK-RFID 2.4GHz Active RFID Tags

Garrison Series Tags Demonstration Video

Garrison 2.4GHz Active RFID Tag Series has two tags, Rugged Tag (P/N: HKRAT-RT02) and Responsive Tag (P/N: HKRAT-ZT02). Rugged Tag has achieved the IP65 standard for waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. Responsive Tag has a LED light and tamper-proof sensor which can perform security and indication functions apart from basic asset tracking functions.

This video demonstrates the features of the above two tags:





Attendance Taking Application by Hussar Slim Tag

In this video, we applied our Empress Reader and Hussar™ Slim Tags for Attendance Taking Applications for companies. After installing the reader inside the company onto the ceiling or wall of the office, each staff will carry a Hussar Slim Tag with unique ID representing themselves. When the staff enter or leave the office, the unique IDs of the tags carrying will be sent to the Empress Reader and saved in the computer with the exact time for proper record. One Empress Reader can cover an area with adjustable radius from 5 to 50 meters. No manual attendance taking procedures are required and the workload of the human resources department can be greatly reduced.

This video demonstrates how the whole process goes on:




Access Control Application by Hussar Slim Tag

In this video, we apply our Empress Reader and Hussar Slim Tags for Access Control Application. When the staff carrying the tags arrives at the door area, reader installed at the entrance will receive signals released from the tags. After receiving the signals, the reader will send signals to the controller to unlock the door. Only authorized persons can access the premises. Slim Tags allow convenient and secured access control. This video demonstrates how the whole process goes on:




For inquiries, please contact our sales representatives.

You can also visit our website to explore more:

www.hk-rfid.com
www.active-rfid.net

12.13.2012

Play a Christmas Song using NFC Christmas Card

We all like receiving Christmas card, what if this year we receive a Christmas Card with an NFC chip that can play a song using your NFC-enable phone? Would it be more warm in this winter?

Let's see this video for a step by step guide. Sorry that the video is in Cantonese.

The App we used is NFC Quick Actions.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

VIDEO link

12.10.2012

RFID Technology for Automatic Data Capture in Corrosion Monitoring

Corrosion is a major problem in many industries. Different kinds of corrosion prevention techniques are developed and widely adopted over decades. However, the high cost and the lack of technology to monitor and maintain such system (e.g. cathodic protection system), results in limited scope of deployment or maintenance, and therefore affects the overall protection result.

Why bother monitoring? 
An effective corrosion prevention systems should be designed with following concerns;
  1. Accidental or physical damage by any unexpected means.
  2. Theft or vandalism
  3. Anode life do varies
  4. Deterioration can happen in a short period of time, such as flooding. 
  5. Instand data such as stray current, only happens in short period of time unexpectedly

  
Limitations of conventional CP monitoring and stray current monitoring systems;
  1. Time consuming. Manual measurement is costy and clumsy due to remote area or inaccessible spot. Each survey exercise, no matter the schedule frequency, is a hustle to management.
  2. Huge error, corrosion measurement often requires special expertise knowledge, still, they are highly varies, unrepeatable and not presentable.
  3. Hard to capture some instant data; Stray current in underground structure only appears in a very short period of time, without a 24-7 real time monitor system, it is no way to capture and manually measure such intense and unpredictable phenomenon.
  4. Hard to analysis; due to above reasons, the lack of testing points means lack of statistical significant data for structural health evaluation, which results in wrong scope planning for maintenance or repair work.


Conventional Method
Auto CP System
External junction box to link with up to multi-channels of sacrificial Anode / reference electrode and manually measure every 30 days using voltmeter
Active RFID Tag (embedded or external type are available), can connect up to 2 sacrificial anode / reference electrode and report measurement in regular periods
Possibility of deviating from standard practice
Free of deviation due to manual practice
Lack of environmental data
Temperature, pH, pressure and humidity data can be record together with corrosion data
Hard to retrieve historical data
All trends are instantly available online on one click
Alerts email / SMS can be configured for any event trigger.
















 
Photo shows a manual measurement using multimeter in Stray Current Monitoring Project for underground metro transit, data can only be measured when the metro is not operating.

Automated system monitoring is essential for "maintenance free" corrosion protection systems. Only automated monitoring system can address the above limitations of conventional cathodic protection.  
  • Programmed health check for reinforcement steel. It completely avoids the variance due to different human measurement practice
  • Automated warning and alert. Corrosion protection system now can actively ask for help in case of accident or treat.
  • Visualized graph and analytics. It provides more intrinsic view for non-corrosion expert to monitor periodically. Decisions are easier to make with handy data. Preventive maintenance can also be easily scheduled with visual records.

  
Professional Services we provide include  
  1. Field survey and telemetry consultancy service for Corrosion Engineers.
  2. Consultancy for data acquisition systems for critical parameters in Galvanic CP system, impressed current system, transformer rectifiers, stray current monitoring systems, etc
  3. Provision of hardware of monitoring system,  
  4. Online web-analytic hosting and alert service
  5. System integration to intelligent building service control


Voltmeter and data logging system are suitable for
  1. Gathering concrete/steel health check date from Reference Electrode
  2. Galvanic CP and anode life real time monitoring and warning
  3. Impressed current system monitoring
  4. Stray current monitoring




Data Loggers use GSM/GPRS & RF technologies for long range communication, especially for human inaccessible spots, such as
-          Any flyovers or Bridges
-          Pillars of habour
-          Tunnel, pipes,
-          Ceiling of church or old buildings
-          Underground metro, subway, etc.


 
Photo shows the conventional junction box in monitoring the Sacrificial Anodes in old building


SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Features of Data Acquisition Unit
  • Monitoring the system online/offline status
  • Allowing customized preset of data logging period, high flexibility by offer intensive recording period, or event trigger data logging mode.  
  • Automatically collecting protection current or potential, or potentials of various types of sacrificial anodes, CPs, inert anodes or permanent reference electrodes
  • Sample or surrounding environmental data: temperature, humidity, pH, shock vibration.


Features of RF unit:
Integrated RF consultancy would be provided for Corrosion Engineer. It may consist of 2 parts; an Sensor-data collection and network data transmission. For the sensor-data collection, depends on the type of systems, such as concrete embedded type or exposed junction box, regional RF regulations and the types of network, we can offer 915MHz and 2.4GHz ISM band in either Zig-Bee or proprietary protocol (empowered  by Empress Active RFID series). They can be powered by replaceable battery, AC power network, or solar powered network.

Remark: Empress Active RFID system is a 2.4GHz low power consumption digital data transmission method for identification and  environmental data capturing. A series of handheld reader and stationary reader are available.

The network data would be sent back to server either using TCP/IP network or GSM/GPRS/3G network, depends on the availability of the network in the region.

Features of ALAYA Online monitoring system
-          Secured web-base, allows access of data anytime, anywhere,
-          Intrinsic visualization and presentation of data point, trend and report
-          Emergency alerts can notify authorized personnel through SMS or E-mail

The installation & commissioning, provisioning and regular maintenance of the solution shall be provided by partners in the field.

For any enquiry, please contact HK-RFID sales representative.
Or visit our website for more product information.