RFID Application Development

Next Generation Applications Today

Prasith GovinPramari

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Introduction

Who is Pramari? Leading US Based RFID Software and Consulting Company Member of EPCGlobal (Standards Group for RFID) Partnered with leading Software Providers (IBM, BEA) Leading Hardware Partners (AWID, Alien, Identec) Real Project Implementations (Gillette, Best Buy, UTC, Staples)

About Prasith RFID Veteran with over 7 years in RFID field Architect of earliest EPC RFID implementations and middleware Member of EPC Global Committees for software standards Subject Matter Expert and Exam Reviewer for RFID Certification Exam

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Agenda

Getting Started

RFID System Components

Application Development Process

The RFID Software Stack Standards Components

Benefits of Rifidi

Rifidi – Open Source RFID

Conclusion

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Phase 2

Implementation Phases

Phase 3

Determine Strategy

Review Business Needs

Identify Project Team

Identify Current Business Process

Gather Data on Current System

Identify Current Business Process

Develop RFID Business Process

Implement Top Process (Pilot)

Full System Implementation

Company Wide Integration

Full Volume Tag Testing

Training and Education

Phase 1

RFID Preparation Implementation Full Deployment

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The Benefit Curve

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System Components

RFID Tag Look at Cost/Value Proposition Active vs. Passive Technologies Tagging Considerations

RFID Reader Start to look at features for Enterprise Simple or Intelligent Readers Self Monitoring or Software Integrated

RFID Software Hosts Business Processes and Integrates RFID into ERP Let’s Explore Further !

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Reader

Filtering/Collection Middleware

EPCIS Capturing Application

ALE Interface

EPCIS Query Interface

EPCIS Repository

EPCIS Accessing Application

Partner Accessing Applications

Tag

EPCIS Capture Interface

Reference Architecture

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Phase 2

RFID Application Process

Phase 3

Design Infrastructure

Design Business Process on Paper

Prototype and Analyze

Study Workflow and Data

Start Working with Hardware

Learn Hardware Interface

Buy Middleware or Write Adapters

Implement Workflows

Determine Load and Quantities

Perform Production Integration

Full Volume Tag (Item) Testing

Phase 1

Design Develop Test & Deploy

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The Development Problem

RFID and its need for hardware makes regular Application Development Harder

Design requires consideration of Space and Infrastructure

Business Processes need to be built and tried requiring expensive labor and time

Development brings Hardware Costs Developer needs to purchase reader and tags to establish his test

environment. This increases the project costs. It locks the developer into a specific hardware vendor early in the

project.

Large Scale Load Testing is nearly impossible and has to be custom written

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Current Tool Landscape

Project Task Java WebServices Dev with J2EE Server

RFID Development

Design Service

Build Stubs for Service

Write code (business logic) & unit test

Deploy (Integration Environment)

Load Test

Move to Production

Design Tools

XML SpyWLS Workshop

Workshop for Unit Testing

Deployment Tools

Selection of Tools for building scripts, generating load & analysis. Failure tests.

Tools f. running test suites

Manual

ALE Spec, Write Framework, Template

Need ReaderNo Tools

Real World Test,Troubleshoot

No Tools

No Tools

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Development Summary

Regardless of the Middleware Choices there is simply a lack of Tools to work efficiently and cost effectively in an RFID project

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Ideal Development Scenario

Software that can replicate all RFID Reader Functions

The ability to quickly design new infrastructures virtually without having to wait for space and resources

The ability to create and test new business processes

Load Testing Capabilities with buying millions of tags and hundreds of Readers

The ability to do all this with Software

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The Rifidi Project

Key Product Features:

Simulation tool that enables the accurate modeling and testing of an RFID environment

Functions exactly as an RFID reader device, even down to the protocol level (TCP/Serial/other)

Ability to simulate RFID tag events and behavior

Ability to Perform large scale load tests and workflow based tests

“Software Defined RFID”

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Rifidi Components

Rifidi Designer Visual framework for designing RFID workflows and infrastructure 3D Simulation IDE to mimic/create real world RFID scenarios Physics Engine for RFID reader simulations and tag reads

Rifidi Emulator Device Emulation Software to simulate RFID Readers and Tags Eclipse IDE for cross platform development Only tool to emulate latest EPC Reader Standard (LLRP)

Rifidi Tag Streamer Load Testing tool capable of multiple Readers and Large Tag Sets Used for Load Testing Workflows and more

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Rifidi Screenshot

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Benefits

Save hardware cost in development and test

Allows replication of scenarios outside of production Issues can be replicated without impact to real process Processes can be changed virtually

Repeatable and accurate replication of test cases Test cases can be replicated from developer to developer Reduces ambiguity and errors

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Rifidi - Open Source RFID

Completely Open Source – LGPL Licensed – hosted on SourceForge and GoogleCode.

Collaborative effort between corporations and universities Downloaded over 8,000 times Over 60 subscribers to mailing lists Over 12 contributing members

Led by Pramari with Key Contributions from: FH Regensburg – Students and Technical Partnership University of Arkansas – Hardware and Software Labs IBM Premises Team– Involved in Emulator and Tag Streamer Hardware Companies – AWID, Impinj

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Next Steps

Use Rifidi for your RFID needs

Learn more from our sites and partners

Download, Try and Suggest enhancements http://www.rifidi.org http://sourceforge.net/projects/rifidi

Get the Source Code http://rifidi.googlecode.com

Stop by for a demonstration from our German Engineers

Pramari

Questions and Answers