I am a Senior Product Manager, passionate about leveraging technology to drive innovation and solve complex challenges in the RFID industry. With a customer-centric approach, I lead cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge solutions that exceed market expectations
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It’s been a full year since we last shared the latest in our continuous journey of innovation with Tagsurance 3. Over the past year, we’ve been hard at work, rolling out several significant updates and enhancements. Now, let’s dive into the most noteworthy advancements that have propelled Tagsurance 3 forward!
Since our last update, Tagsurance 3 has evolved from version 3.5.0 to 3.12.0. That’s more than 10 releases packed with a combination of major feature introductions, minor enhancements, and diligent defect fixes. Our commitment to excellence ensures that every update enhances the accuracy and reliability of quality control for RAIN RFID product lines, from chip attachment and label converting to offline reel-to-reel items.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the most impactful and requested upgrades we’ve made to Tagsurance 3 over the past year:
Tagsurance has now improved tag response detection
Tagsurance SL UHF can consider a tag bad if the tag response is significantly weaker than the responses used to be for good tags tested by the same Tagsurance SL UHF tester. This response level detection, also called backscatter strength detection, improves the test result quality, especially in multilane processes. In the multilane process, the tester’s sensitive receiver may hear a tag response from the simultaneously tested neighbor tags, but this feature prevents a weak response from being interpreted as a good tag response.
Lot management-related improvements
Lot statistics (yield and tag counts) are shown for the current lot. The lot yield is also displayed per lane:
The completed lots are listed with counts and yields and the lot-specific results can be exported:
Support for external lot control via machine IO input: Tagsurance 3 supports an external signal for a lot change. It is possible for the production machine, e.g. turret rewinder, to give an IO signal when the liner is cut and the lot is changed. The lot change position is parametric in Tagsurance 3 and the position can be set according to the location where, for example, the liner is cut. The lot number is added to the tag results as before. When an external lot control is enabled, only a limited set of action triggers are available.
Tagsurance has cut mark feature
Cut mark is a feature that separates lots visually from each other by the markers. Tags marked as cut marks are not counted in any lot.
API trigger in Tagsurance
API trigger enables customers who integrate Tagsurance 3 via APIs to trigger any active device anytime. This feature is enabled only when a new type of job is running. When the API trigger is enabled, all other trigger sources are disabled and only a limited feature set is enabled.
Note: We also plan to bring this feature to operator UI shortly.
IO Only station enhancements
Support for TAL15k jobs: Now three device types: Tagsurance SL UHF, Tagsurance HF, and IO-only devices can be used in systems using TAL15k or DDA serial interface, although one device type at a time.
The delay compensation for IO-only devices added:
Tagsurance 3 can also support configuring if an IO-only station should return only a pass or fail signal. We have introduced a new configuration option for IO-only stations under lane configuration where an IO-only station can be configured to pulse on passing tags or pulse on failing tags. Users have the flexibility to set the deadline for waiting for a pulse. This can be either until the next trigger or a user-defined timeout value.
Puncher improvement
Tagsurance 3 can now configure a puncher-type station to adjust the puncher trigger pulse duration based on the distance in addition to time. Previously, the puncher station applied pressure against the tags based only on a fixed time duration.
Job archiving
The last 50 jobs (as long as 200 M results in total are not exceeded) can be stored and listed in the Operator UI and their CSV exports can be downloaded; note that the system automatically cleans up jobs from the oldest when the total number of jobs exceeds 50 or total number of stored results exceeds 200 million.
UX improvements
The speed value in the operator UI is shown in red when the machine runs backward and the speed is negative.
The Units Per Hour value is displayed in the operator UI. The UPH is calculated based on the past time window which can be configured in Tagsurance 3 settings.
In operator UI, users can increase the step size of fine-tuning offset by 0.5 mm (instead of the earlier 0.1 mm)
Stay tuned as we continue to innovate and enhance Tagsurance 3. Our dedication to providing unparalleled quality control tools for the RAIN RFID industry remains unwavering. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
Notes: The latest Tagsurance 3 version 3.12.0 can be seen here.
I have 10 years of experience in RFID testing and 12 years in product management both at Voyantic and a few software companies (clinical trials and endpoint security). My main goal currently is to drive Tagsurance 3 product and the team behind it towards scalability and growth to be able to serve the RFID industry when it grows towards high volumes and production speeds.
Content
It has been almost a year since the Tagsurance 3 launch. So we thought it was about time to report what we’ve been up to with Tagsurance 3 product development and tell a bit more about the product vision and next steps.
I summarized the new features since the launch below. These are made based on customer feedback, our learnings from the market and to enable robust industrial-scale quality control on most production lines.
We are committed to providing the best quality control solution for RAIN RFID production lines from chip attachment and label converting to offline reel-to-reel, and even for tagged items. Our focus is on creating a fast, reliable, scalable, future-proof, and modern quality testing solution that is also easy to integrate.
We will continue full-steam ahead on this track.
We are also working on RAIN encoding. It will be a feature in Tagsurance 3 so the same well-known platform, same team, and same ambition will soon cover RAIN encoding as well. The encoding feature can be upgraded to your current or future Tagsurance 3 installations. More information on the release schedule and specifications will follow.
IO signals to the production machine based on yield
This feature brings the possibility to give a digital IO signal to the machine or LED signal tower based on low yield or consecutive failed tags. Here are a few examples:
the yield of current lot/job per lane or across lanes, e.g. lot yield < 99.21 %
the yield of a “window”, e.g.
last 400 tags < 99.1 %
can be used to stop at n consecutive failed tags;
set window size to match wanted “max consecutive fails”
set yield percentage (X) as follows: 0 < X < 1 / [windows size] * 100
Telemetry visible in operator UI
This feature shows lane speed and distance traveled since the job start. You can also trigger sensor-related data in real time:
pattern correlation if the pattern in use
pitch measured based on trigger
IO only station
The IO-only station feature is useful for integrating, for example, a machine vision system for visual quality check or a similar test device that is either triggered by itself or by Tagsurance 3.
The IO-only station works like any other station with the exception that no data connection, no initialization by Tagsurance 3, and no results as data (only pass/fail) in Tagsurance 3.
Job configuration in one place
All configuration items (recipe, lot, trigger settings, and action triggers) needed for a job are now in a single modal and easy to manage.
Lane Configurator is now part of the operator UI
The machine IO and Locations settings have been moved to Lane Configurator as well, putting them all logically in the same place.
TAL15k support “RS-232 tester interface”
Tagsurance 3 can be now used with the Mühlbauer TAL15k machines with either one or two testers. The latest version provides full support for the TAL15k including operator UI and a real-time view of how the testing progresses in the testing area.
If your TAL15k has the “RS-232 tester interface” enabled (we will help you to find this out) then Tagsurance 3 can be integrated to TAL15k machines very easily, just by connecting the RS-232 from the machine and changing the coupling elements to Voyantic Snoop Pro.
Strobe light (LED) available as an accessory for easy trigger adjustment
The strobe comes with a short adapter cable and it is connected between the “Station IO cable” and the “Station”.
Snoop Pro shielding plate collection has grown significantly
Snoop Pro 1.0 and Snoop Pro Mini 2.0 have now a large collection of shielding plates available to purchase to avoid compromising lane speed and/or testing accuracy. New plates also have the type and opening size engraved on them for ease of use.
Notes on the terminology:
The length of the shielding plate opening is always the opening dimension in material movement
The width of the shielding plate opening is always the opening dimension perpendicular to material movement
Snoop Pro 1.0 selection:
70 mm width – lengths from 24 to 60 mm in 2 mm steps
90 mm width – lengths from 20 to 60 mm in 2 mm steps
115 mm width – lengths from 24 to 60 mm in 2 mm steps
Snoop Pro Mini 2.0 selection:
60 mm width – lengths from 16 to 60 mm in 2 mm steps
80 mm width – lengths from 16 to 60 mm in 2 mm steps
I am Sales Director at Voyantic. I have over 15 years of experience from the RFID industry in Europe and the USA. I have two master's degrees: in industrial engineering and in marketing, and two patents in auto-ID technology. I am actively participating in RAIN RFID alliance activities.
Content
RAIN RFID, aka UHF RFID aka EPC RFID, is the technology used in connecting billions of everyday items to the Internet. In 2020 RAIN RFID tag volumes exceeded 21 billion, and in 2021 volumes reached over 28 billion. We are seeing this strong growth continue. As a result, huge amounts of new production capacity will be needed, which means that
more machines are needed,
single-lane machines need to be converted into multilane machines, and
machine lane speeds must be increased.
At the same time, RAIN RFID users have started to pay more attention to their RFID label quality.
In this article, I will share Voyantic’s experiences and views on RAIN RFID quality testing:
What is essential in planning quality testing in RAIN RFID label manufacturing?
What are the current best practices in RFID quality testing?
What does good manufacturing quality mean for RAIN RFID tags?
At the very basic level, the good manufacturing quality of RAIN RFID tags could be defined as: “Manufactured RAIN RFID tags are not defective.” This definition is easily understandable, but it does not offer much practical help. In fact, it is misleading. Sometimes “not defective” is interpreted as “can be read”, and that leads to problems. When RAIN tags start to break, their read range gradually decreases and, only at the very end, the tags become entirely unreadable.
A better definition of good RAIN RFID manufacturing quality is: “Manufactured RAIN RFID tags’ sensitivities are within set variation limits”. This definition is a bit more technical, but let’s break it down:
Tag sensitivity describes how much power is needed for waking up a tag. Tag sensitivity is at the background of all practical performance features. For example, if a tag’s read range has changed, also its sensitivity has changed. If a tag’s orientation pattern (read range in different angles) has changed, also the sensitivity has changed. If a tag’s response strength (backscatter) has changed, the sensitivity has also changed. Shortly – any change in a tag’s performance can be seen as a change in the tag’s sensitivity. Or the other way around – if the sensitivities of two individual tags of a model are the same, they will perform similarly in every way.
Variation refers to consistency. Tag designs are different. Some tags are designed to have lower sensitivity (shorter read range) than others. The consistency of the performance within a tag model is important for the users.
Within set limits implies that there are limits, but offers some freedom for setting the criteria. Some applications require exact read ranges – an item moving past a reader on a conveyer belt may require read ranges within some centimeters. Shorter range causes missed reads, and a longer range would risk stray readings – reading unwanted items that are not on the belt but nearby. Some applications have a higher tolerance, and a read range variation of a couple of meters may not be a problem.
RAIN RFID manufacturing quality is good when “Manufactured RAIN RFID tags’ sensitivities are within set variation limits”. This definition also works from a practical point of view.
What does the RF performance of RAIN RFID tags mean?
From a practical point of view, the RF performance of a RAIN RFID tag defines
how far the tag is readable
at different angles
when the tag is attached to an item.
In tag datasheets, these are commonly described with graphs.
An orientation pattern shows how well a tag can be read when it points to a reader from different angles.
A threshold curve shows the tag sensitivity – how much power is needed to wake up the tag at different frequencies. A version of the threshold curve may show read range instead of power.
Picture: Threshold sweep and orientation graphs from Tageos EOS-500 datasheet
Good quality manufacturing produces tags that have consistently similar orientation patterns and threshold curves. The good news for manufacturers is that full measurement is not needed to check that the tags are similar to each other. In fact, this can be checked with minimal test procedures.
How should RAIN RFID tag quality be tested in manufacturing?
It should be kept in mind that one method does not fit everyone. However, RAIN RFID industry seems to be converging towards the following methodology.
These are the current best practices:
Far-field performance of the tag is tested
Test recipe that separates good and bad tags efficiently
Cross reading is reliably prevented
These best practices may seem simple and obvious, but there are details to consider. Let’s look at these key points in detail.
1. Far-field performance of the tag is tested
In production machines tags are close to each other. Close proximity reading is needed for preventing cross-reading, and for practical reasons. At the same time, a quality test needs to address the far-field performance of the tag. A common near-field antenna cannot be used. Voyantic has solved this close proximity vs. far-field conflict with the patented Snoop Pro antenna concept. This unique antenna requires the tag to use its far-field properties in close proximity.
2. Test recipe that separates good and bad tags efficiently
Separating good and bad tags is an obvious requirement. But how to do it efficiently, at production speeds, when tags fly over the antenna at high speeds? A current best practice test recipe is often referred to as the “three-point test” or “3-point test”. The three-point test recipe includes
testing the tag at three different frequencies across a wide frequency band (hence the 3-point test name)
checking that the tag sensitivities are within 3 dB from each other (+/- 1.5 dB)
checking that the tag’s EPC code can be inventoried
This is how the test recipe is created:
A good starting point is to set test frequencies to 820 MHz, 950 MHz, and 1080 Mhz
Adjust one of the points to match the tags’ lower resonance frequency
If possible, adjust another frequency to match with the tags’ upper resonance frequency.
select third frequency so that the frequency spread is at least 100 MHz
at least one of the points should be an inventory test (for reading EPC)
at least one of the frequencies should be a sensitivity test, with 3dB between upper and lower limits
the power level for the points should be set so that tag sensitivity in each point is within 3 dB, or +/- 1.5 dB
Considering the recipe, this 3-point test could be described as the current industry best practice.
Picture: 3-point test recipe as seen in the Tagsurance recipe builder
In the sample tag (above graph) both resonance frequencies (868 MHz and 995 MHz) are in the available frequency range. The sensitivity test is set to the lower resonance frequency and the point test is set to the upper resonance frequency. Because the frequency spread is over 100 MHz, the third frequency is set in between. An inventory test is set to this frequency.
In the above picture, the curve is a median performance tag’s threshold sensitivity curve (reference).
Shows sensitivity test frequency and power range, in addition, a 3 dB range is set for the acceptance criteria. the frequency is set to the lower resonance frequency.
Shows the point test frequency and power. The power level is set 1.5 dB above the threshold of a median performance tag.
Shows the Inventory test frequency and power (for reading EPC/UII code).
3. Prevent cross-reading
Cross-reading occurs when one tag is thought to be read, but in fact, data comes from another, nearby tag.
In normal use, RAIN RFID tags are inventoried. They are read with a speed of more than a hundred tags per second. Testing production quality is different. Tags are tested one at a time, and it is critical to be sure that the results are from the right tag, even if another tag is just millimeters away. And to add to the complexity, all has to happen while the tags move at high speeds across the antenna.
Voyantic’s Snoop Pro antenna concept includes a method for completely preventing cross-readings. The antenna concept includes a shielding plate with dimensions matched to the inlay’s antenna and repeat length dimensions. This solution assures that cross-readings do not occur.
In addition to the above comments, 2 more notes can be added from the manufacturing point of view.
4. Speed
Production is about the combination of speed, capacity, and quality. Quality testing UHF RFID tags should not be the bottleneck for production. If any machine output needs to be limited because of quality testing, this would add to the cost of quality.
Voyantic Tagsurance 3 system is designed for high-speed production lines, for continuous production use.
5. Automation
RAIN RFID tags are manufactured in volumes in different machines. Production runs are in millions, and any sample testing is not possible in practice. A common requirement is that tags of unknown quality are not accepted, this forces testing to cover 100% of the manufactured tags.
The testing must be automated and integrated into the manufacturing machine.
Are there quality standards or specifications to follow? What about quality certifications?
Common quality standards and practices such as ISO9000 series standards and six sigma can be applied to RAIN RFID. However, these standards do not offer practical advice on acceptable quality limits.
Exact quality limits have emerged within the RAIN RFID industry. The above-mentioned three-point test and tag sensitivity variation within 3dB is a commonly accepted good practice.
ARC RFID lab is offering quality certification for UHF RFID / RAIN RFID inlay manufacturers as a part of their tag certification program. Correctly implemented three-point test using Voyantic Tagsurace system meets these requirements.
The 3dB variation and three-point testing cannot be used every time – adjustments may be needed. The quality requirements arise from the RAIN RFID / UHF RFID users’ consistency requirements. If an RFID user needs very tight read range tolerances, a smaller variation limit may be needed, and in some cases, wider tolerances may be perfect for the customer.
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