Multispectral Solutions, Inc.

Multispectral Solutions, Inc. (MSSI) has introduced a new series of ultra-wideband (UWB) active RFID tags for its Sapphire DART Precision Asset Location System product line. The new series of tags utilize a patented technique to achieve an operational life expectancy of greater than 10 years on a single lithium button cell battery.

MSSI's micro inventory tag, measuring only 39 x 11 x 21 mm (1.5 x 0.4 x 0.8 in) complete with antenna and battery, now achieves an operational life expectancy of greater than 10 years transmitting once every two seconds. Using a tiny button cell battery, 3.2 x 16 mm CR1632 rated at 125 mAh, MSSI's tag life expectancy actually equals or exceeds the manufacturer's specification for battery shelf life at room temperature, or 10 years. Utilizing MSSI's patented UWB technology, the Sapphire DART tags have read ranges in excess of 200 meters (650 feet) and can provide accuracy and precision of 10 cm (4 inches) in real-time location system (RTLS) applications.

"Most active tag manufacturers claim multiple-year battery life, yet this performance is only achieved at blink rates of once every 6 or 7 minutes and with much larger capacity and size batteries," stated Rob Mulloy, MSSI vice president and COO. "If these active tags transmitted every other second, as required in many industrial safety, process flow management and dynamic warehousing applications, these same tags would operate for only 10 days. If these tags used a button-cell battery instead of large lithium AAs, they would need a battery replacement every 14 hours. No large-scale RFID application can afford the costs involved with locating and replacing dead tags on a daily or even monthly basis."