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Thursday, April 22, 2010

CE Marking for RFID Tags and Readers




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EPCglobal NEWS


RFID Services

For the developers and manufacturers of RFID products, MET provides the following services:

1) EPCglobal Inc.™ Partnership:

2) DASH7 Alliance Partnership:

3) Regulatory Testing




1) EPCglobal Inc.™ Partnership:

Services and programs that MET provides for EPC are as follows:

EPCglobal Inc.™ Hardware Certification Program

MET Laboratories, Inc has partnered with EPCglobal Inc,™ a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc. ® (UCC®), to develop and manage the EPCglobal Hardware Certification Program (HCP) and the Global Performance Test Center Accreditation Program.

For the HCP, MET Laboratories, is the official testing provider for the EPCglobal Hardware Certification program. MET Laboratories is testing readers and tags for interoperability and conformance to the EPCglobal Generation 2 protocol specification.

Review the Test Requirements for Test Mode Requirements for EPC Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Interrogators.

Review the Test Mode Requirements for EPC Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID IC’s and Tags.

Read more in RFID Journal's article.

EPCglobal Press Release.

Global Performance Test Center Accreditation Program is a program through which qualified facilities can be assessed and approved for RFID performance testing. MET performs the facilities assessment. Workgroups have been formed to develop the specific criteria for this program.

MET has completed facility assessments of over 10 testing centers. The sites, in Europe, Asia, South America, and in the United States have been accredited as sites using a standard set of performance test profiles to simulate real-world conditions in testing the readability of end-user products tagged with EPC certified tags.

EPCglobal Inc. Software Certification Program
MET Laboratories has been selected by EPCglobal to manage and perform certification testing of third party software that incorporates EPCglobal ratified standards. The software certification program is offered exclusively by MET. The certification testing is conduced remotely, using the internet. It is available 24/7.
MET Labs offers certification testing for the following EPCglobal software standards:
-Reader Protocol (RP)
-Application Level Event (ALE)
-Electronic Pedigree (ePedigree)
-EPC Information Service (EPCIS)
-Reader Management (RM)
-Low Level Reader Protocol (LLRP)

Based on the user input, EPCglobal and MET have recently updated the program to provide vendors with more testing capabilities. The key components of the program is the annual subscription, the new competitive prices and additional discounts.
The annual subscription allows vendors to keep certifications current (end-users will appreciate it). Therefore, this will offer a significant competitive advantage. As part of this program, the vendor may:
· re-certify new versions of their products
· certify multiple products from the same company
· certify combination of new versions or products
· certify product for newer version of EPCglobal Specification

This flexibility will allow vendors to keep their certification current.
The key features of the new pricing models are lower prices, and additional discounts. The discounts provide incentives for vendors wishing to submit hardware device for testing. This especially applies for reader vendors who implemented several software standards and also wish to be certified for Gen2 compliance.
For pricing information please contact rfid@metlabs.com.


Approved RFID Testing Center (ARTC) Program

The ARTC program provides the opportunity for regional test centers to offer a broad range of testing and certification services based on EPCglobal RFID standards. Accredited ARTCs will offer RFID testing based on EPCglobal specifications for UHF, HF and other (such as sensor technology) as they become available. This program is offered in partnership with AT4Wireless and is endorsed by EPCglobal.

On October 9th, 2007 at the EPCglobal Joint Action Group Meeting in Hong Kong, MET Laboratories was pleased to present the first gorup of accredited ARTCs. These labs are:

Article Numbering Center of China (ANCC), GS1 China, located in Beijing, P.R. China (http://www.epcglobal.org.cn/artc/artc.jpg)

Telecommunication Metrology Center of MII
, located in Beijing, P.R. China (http://www.emcite.com)

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) located in Chutung, Taiwan, ROC (http://www.rtc.itri.org.tw/eng/index.jsp)

Interested in becoming an ARTC? Click here for more details.

EPCIS Validation Portal

MET Labs has designed, implemented and operates a EPICS Validation Portal. It is useful for user companies that implement RFID to validate that their data (such as EPCC keys, EPCSI events and Core Business Vocabulary) are correctly captured and stored. Once validated, that data a can be exchanged with other companies with no issues.
Learn more.
2)DASH7 Alliance

MET has an exclusive, three year agreement with the DASH7 Alliance to test products for DASH7 certification. DASH7 is the first successful attempt to organize active RFID technologies into a strong, global standard.

Highlights of DASH7 include:
  • 1 Operation at 433 MHz, globally available, unlicensed spectrum
  • Based on ISO 18000-7 standard
  • Multi-year battery life
  • Range of up to 2 km (potentially farther)
  • Penetration of concrete walls, water, and ability to "bend" around metal objects
  • Low latency protocol that enables reliable tracking of moving objects
  • Small, lightweight protocol stack that minimizes silicon costs
  • Data transfer at up to 27.77kpbs (potentially as high as 250kpbs)
  • Sensor & security support

MET hosted the first ever DASH7 Alliance Interoperability Testing Event at MET's Union City Laboratory during April 6 - 8, 2010. Read the DASH7 press release.

3)Regulatory Compliance Testing

Product safety and EMC testing and certification for the major world markets.
U.S.EMC - FCC Rule Part 15 or 90
Safety - UL 60950 for Tag Interrogators and NRTL Certification
CanadaEMC - RSS-210
Safety - CSA 60950 and SCC Certification Body
Europe

EMC testing in accordance to ETSI EN 301 489-1 and ETSI EN 301 489-3
Radio testing in accordance to ETSI 300-220
Safety testing in accordance to EN 60950
Declaration of Conformity for CE marking requirements

TOP






source


Radio tag signals can play havoc with hospital devices

The wireless scanners than let cars speed through tolls and subway commuters pass through turnstiles could have disastrous consequences in hospitals, according to a team of Dutch researchers.

Electronic interference from so called radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag readers can switch off ventilators, reset intravenous drips, and reprogram pacemakers, they claim.

As RFID and other wireless technologies stream into medicine, the chances of accidental malfunction rise. The US Food and Drug Administration has documented at least one such incident, involving an implanted brain stimulator that caused a minor physical tremor in response to a wireless signal.

'No ban'

However, the Dutch researchers and other experts believe more testing and better engineering - rather than a ban or moratorium - will make for safer hospital wards.

"Don't put on a frenetic ban on RFID systems," says Erik Jan van Lieshout, a critical care physician at the University of Amsterdam who led the study. "That would be as stupid as instituting systems without testing them."

He and his colleagues previously found that cell phones could interfere with hospital equipment, and wanted to test how RFID technology might also affect medical devices.

RFID tags, which communicate with a receiver via radio waves, have become increasingly common in hospitals. They can track medications, spot surgical sponges left inside patients, and even identify patients themselves.

Serious malfunctions

Yet, despite this influx, doctors know little about how the electromagnetic fields used for communication affect the internal workings of life-saving medical devices, from dialysis units to pacemakers. "To our astonishment, it wasn't tested," van Lieshout says.

His team tested two RFID systems and dozens of medical devices, none of which were connected to patients. The researchers tested devices within meters of an RFID reader broadcasting a radio signal to nearby tag. The strength of the radio signal, though high, was not unrealistic.

If the signal caused a device to break down, the researchers moved the device away until the interference stopped. If the initial test turned up negative, van Lieshout's team inched the device closer.

In 123 tests of 41 different pieces of equipment, the devices malfunctioned 34 times - 22 of the glitches were deemed serious enough to affect patients. For instance, eight of nine syringe pumps, which trickle medicine to patients, failed completely when exposed to an RFID field, anywhere between a centimetre and a meter away from a transmitter.

Older is safer

"If they shut off, that would be extremely dangerous. In critical care people depend on those devices," van Lieshout says.

Few types of devices showed absolutely no interference, but the further away the source, the lower the chances for an incident. Older equipment also tended to be less susceptible, van Lieshout notes.

For a full breakdown of the results, read the full report here.

Despite these concerns, van Lieshout says RFID and other wireless technologies have the potential to reduce medical errors and make hospital an easier place to work. "We hate wires, when the patient is hooked on machine with wires it gives a lot of trouble," he says.

Donald Berwick, a medical researcher and president of the non-profit Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, agrees. "I think it's really neat case showing the double edge of technology," he says. "Every technology brings with it good news and bad news"

Interference guidelines

But Berwick also agrees that a ban is not the way to go. He suggests that hospitals ought to screen for potential mishaps, while manufacturers should re-engineer devices to withstand radio waves.

Last year the FDA, which regulates device manufacturers, issued a set of draft guidelines that identified RFID technology as a potential safety concern. Its policy would recommend, but not require, that manufacturers design their devices to minimise interference.

A representative for the FDA says it has received no injury reports due to RFID interference with a medical device. However the agency says it is working with manufacturers to develop standards and has tested some devices, such as implantable pacemakers, itself.

Manufacturers and regulators must ensure that medical devices and RFID can coexist, Berwick says. "I'd love to see them take this seriously."

Journal reference: Journal of the American Medical Association (vol 299, p 2884)

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RFID Services

For the developers and manufacturers of RFID products, MET provides the following services:

1) EPCglobal Inc.™ Partnership:

2) DASH7 Alliance Partnership:

3) Regulatory Testing




1) EPCglobal Inc.™ Partnership:

Services and programs that MET provides for EPC are as follows:

EPCglobal Inc.™ Hardware Certification Program

MET Laboratories, Inc has partnered with EPCglobal Inc,™ a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc. ® (UCC®), to develop and manage the EPCglobal Hardware Certification Program (HCP) and the Global Performance Test Center Accreditation Program.

For the HCP, MET Laboratories, is the official testing provider for the EPCglobal Hardware Certification program. MET Laboratories is testing readers and tags for interoperability and conformance to the EPCglobal Generation 2 protocol specification.

Review the Test Requirements for Test Mode Requirements for EPC Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Interrogators.

Review the Test Mode Requirements for EPC Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID IC’s and Tags.

Read more in RFID Journal's article.

EPCglobal Press Release.

Global Performance Test Center Accreditation Program is a program through which qualified facilities can be assessed and approved for RFID performance testing. MET performs the facilities assessment. Workgroups have been formed to develop the specific criteria for this program.

MET has completed facility assessments of over 10 testing centers. The sites, in Europe, Asia, South America, and in the United States have been accredited as sites using a standard set of performance test profiles to simulate real-world conditions in testing the readability of end-user products tagged with EPC certified tags.

EPCglobal Inc. Software Certification Program
MET Laboratories has been selected by EPCglobal to manage and perform certification testing of third party software that incorporates EPCglobal ratified standards. The software certification program is offered exclusively by MET. The certification testing is conduced remotely, using the internet. It is available 24/7.
MET Labs offers certification testing for the following EPCglobal software standards:
-Reader Protocol (RP)
-Application Level Event (ALE)
-Electronic Pedigree (ePedigree)
-EPC Information Service (EPCIS)
-Reader Management (RM)
-Low Level Reader Protocol (LLRP)

Based on the user input, EPCglobal and MET have recently updated the program to provide vendors with more testing capabilities. The key components of the program is the annual subscription, the new competitive prices and additional discounts.
The annual subscription allows vendors to keep certifications current (end-users will appreciate it). Therefore, this will offer a significant competitive advantage. As part of this program, the vendor may:
· re-certify new versions of their products
· certify multiple products from the same company
· certify combination of new versions or products
· certify product for newer version of EPCglobal Specification

This flexibility will allow vendors to keep their certification current.
The key features of the new pricing models are lower prices, and additional discounts. The discounts provide incentives for vendors wishing to submit hardware device for testing. This especially applies for reader vendors who implemented several software standards and also wish to be certified for Gen2 compliance.
For pricing information please contact rfid@metlabs.com.


Approved RFID Testing Center (ARTC) Program

The ARTC program provides the opportunity for regional test centers to offer a broad range of testing and certification services based on EPCglobal RFID standards. Accredited ARTCs will offer RFID testing based on EPCglobal specifications for UHF, HF and other (such as sensor technology) as they become available. This program is offered in partnership with AT4Wireless and is endorsed by EPCglobal.

On October 9th, 2007 at the EPCglobal Joint Action Group Meeting in Hong Kong, MET Laboratories was pleased to present the first gorup of accredited ARTCs. These labs are:

Article Numbering Center of China (ANCC), GS1 China, located in Beijing, P.R. China (http://www.epcglobal.org.cn/artc/artc.jpg)

Telecommunication Metrology Center of MII
, located in Beijing, P.R. China (http://www.emcite.com)

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) located in Chutung, Taiwan, ROC (http://www.rtc.itri.org.tw/eng/index.jsp)

Interested in becoming an ARTC? Click here for more details.

EPCIS Validation Portal

MET Labs has designed, implemented and operates a EPICS Validation Portal. It is useful for user companies that implement RFID to validate that their data (such as EPCC keys, EPCSI events and Core Business Vocabulary) are correctly captured and stored. Once validated, that data a can be exchanged with other companies with no issues.
Learn more.
2)DASH7 Alliance

MET has an exclusive, three year agreement with the DASH7 Alliance to test products for DASH7 certification. DASH7 is the first successful attempt to organize active RFID technologies into a strong, global standard.

Highlights of DASH7 include:
  • 1 Operation at 433 MHz, globally available, unlicensed spectrum
  • Based on ISO 18000-7 standard
  • Multi-year battery life
  • Range of up to 2 km (potentially farther)
  • Penetration of concrete walls, water, and ability to "bend" around metal objects
  • Low latency protocol that enables reliable tracking of moving objects
  • Small, lightweight protocol stack that minimizes silicon costs
  • Data transfer at up to 27.77kpbs (potentially as high as 250kpbs)
  • Sensor & security support

MET hosted the first ever DASH7 Alliance Interoperability Testing Event at MET's Union City Laboratory during April 6 - 8, 2010. Read the DASH7 press release.

3)Regulatory Compliance Testing

Product safety and EMC testing and certification for the major world markets.
U.S.EMC - FCC Rule Part 15 or 90
Safety - UL 60950 for Tag Interrogators and NRTL Certification
CanadaEMC - RSS-210
Safety - CSA 60950 and SCC Certification Body
Europe

EMC testing in accordance to ETSI EN 301 489-1 and ETSI EN 301 489-3
Radio testing in accordance to ETSI 300-220
Safety testing in accordance to EN 60950
Declaration of Conformity for CE marking requirements

TOP




Source

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