Abstract
Supply chain optimization is now an imperative for corporations, unfortunately existing track and trace functionality has not been previously available to cover the end to end supply chain. This is especially true in the Oil & Gas industry which is hampered by poor visibility of assets and equipment affected by onshore and offshore locations, large lay down yards and harsh environments. Historically, one of the greatest impediments to a complete solution has been the varied proprietary active tagging systems that do not allow for interoperability.
Unlike Passive RFID, which has been based on a universally accepted standard protocol, Active RFID has been based primarily on proprietary protocols. As a result, Active RFID systems have been highly expensive and inflexible. This has driven industry leading companies to express their support for an interoperability standard, similar to the EPC standard for passive RFID. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard, has risen to the top of that list. Specifically developed for active RFID, and based on Wi-Fi, this standard promotes interoperability for asset tracking using active RFID based tags and systems.
Driving the movement forward are new products such as the first (and only) intrinsically safe, dual technology tag – IEEE based active and passive RFID. This dual technology results in quickly locating the area of the asset as well as locating the specific item among a stack of like items.
The acceptance of the IEEE 802.15.4 open standard for active RFID will encourage innovation and product interoperability that customers have been demanding and will ultimately benefit them by offering a choice of providers and thus eliminating licensing fees and legacy encumbrances, and unreliable technical performance. While end users will realize lower overall costs associated with implementing an active solution, manufacturers will benefit from the lower entry to market which will lead to the greater acceptance of active RFID across the marketplace.
