The solution is based on the use of radio frequency identification tags (RFIT), which have small microchips with built-in antenna that can store a globally unique alphanumeric code (GUID).
RFIT tags come in a range of sizes from small glass capsules to discs and stickers. There are two types of RFIT: passive and active. Passive RFIT tags contain no internal power source and have a read range of less than one metre, depending on the reader used.
Active RFIT tags contain a battery that transmits the GUID. Some may be read from up to 60m away. The average lifespan of an active tag is four to six years.
RFIT tag readers are the electronic instruments that emit radio waves via antennas to activate the tags. Once activated, a tag will send the GUID information back to the reader. Readers can come in many different forms from small handheld models to readers that can be cut into a roadway to monitor active tags used on vehicles.
RFIT tags are also used in asset management. The tags are inserted to make removal very difficult. The tag can then be scanned and the ID code placed in the Equitrax database.
The Equitrax Database can store information related to the asset, asset owner, location, and manufacturer and supplier information.
The RFIT tags are also essential to the localised tracking service Equichip provides. RFIT tag readers can be placed around particular areas of premises to ensure that assets are kept within a certain area.
If the RFIT tag is moved, Equitrax can be programmed to respond in various ways. It can sound an audible alarm; send an SMS message to a particular mobile number; send an email to a particular person notifying them of the movement; or just take a record of the movement.
