RFID Reader for Your Desk
Thinkify, an industry innovator in embedded RFID applications, has announced the release of a new RFID reader that claims to be easier to use, smaller and lower priced than similar products on the market. The TR-200 desktop RFID reader for document control and provisioning uses Dockon's CPL™Antenna design.
"We searched for a planar antenna in the 900 MHz band that would let our desktop reader be the small, inexpensive, high performance device our customers need. The CPL compound antenna is the first we have seen to offer such a high gain, while still being small enough to support our new, smaller readers," said Dr. John Price, co-founder of Thinkify. "While larger readers make use of antennas the size of laptop computers, CPL antennas the size of drink coasters help make our reader smaller and more affordable. We now pass on the low price of the CPL, omni-directional antenna to our customers and OEM partners."
Thinkify's TR-200 reader is designed for applications where people and tagged items converge; the device enables tag provisioning, point of sale and document/records tracking in medical and legal offices. Powered by USB, and compliant with the ISO-18000-6-C (Gen2) standard, the new reader is an inexpensive, easy-to-use tool for reading and programming tags. A simple communication protocol and software APIs with full source code makes it easy for developers to integrate the TR-200 into their solutions.
CPL antennas are the first commercially available compound field antennas that utilize both magnetic loop radiators and co-located electric field radiators. Conventional antenna technologies typically excite either electric or magnetic radiators, but not both. This simultaneous excitation of both radiators results in an effective cancellation of reactive power, improving the overall performance and efficiency. Radiation efficiency in the 90 percent range is common in CPL antenna designs.
"We are pleased that Thinkify has partnered with Dockon to deliver the CPL technology in their new desktop RFID readers. CPL Antennas are the culmination of over 20 years of research on compound antennas and are the first commercially viable compound planar antenna," said Patrick Johnston, CEO of Dockon. "After years of development, testing and refinement of the design process, CPL antennas deliver on the promise of compound antenna technology in an easy to manufacture format."
Also available is a new RFID development kit from Thinkify that allows OEM partners to quickly integrate RFID functionality into their products with a dramatically smaller footprint compared to existing solutions. Thinkify's developers' kit includes the same RFID engine as is used in the TR-200 desktop reader, a software CD, and a small, low-profile Dockon CPL antenna for the 900MHz UHF band.
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