A first generation lightweight commercial portable RFID reader was recently revealed to augment the mobile computers from Motorola. Outfitted with an omni-directional antenna that is capable of pinpointing any particular RFID tag, the MC3090-Z is a device that is effective in locating IT assets, medical service provider clinics, department store merchandise, as well as files inside a workplace. Chris Schaefer, the director of Product Marketing for Motorola, said that even though the device, at 22.93 ounces, weighs lesser than current RFID readers out in the market today, it can decipher tags within a 3 to 9 foot radius including any tags that are lying down. Schaefer added that by using the audio and video prompts on its display, the MC-3090-Z is intended to guide the way to an RFID tag that was pinpointed by the device. The device will be released into the market by spring in 2010.
EPCglobal has already accredited the device of being UHF passive EPC Gen 2 standard (ISO 18000-C) compliant which will allow it to decipher and encrypt all inactive tags. With the exception of the application level events standard (ALE) products, the device is capable of linking with readers made by other competing companies. The device has a 3-inch colored touch screen LCD, linear barcode scanner as well as an alphanumeric keypad with 48 characters. It uses the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 OS which allows it to connect to a wireless LAN and is IEEE 802 11a/b/g standard radio compliant.
Users who already have the MC9090-G RFID interrogator and other similar shock-resistant industrial readers designed to be used in harsh environments would benefit from using the product. Due to their extreme and harsh design, these devices will be impractical to use in normal everyday situations. In response to these comments from users, Motorola created a lighter device designed for normal everyday use. Even with its new lighter design the device was able to measure up to several shock tests including 4 foot falls on concrete, as well as operating under extreme temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius and – 10 degrees Celsius. Its newly patented omni-directional antenna makes the location of RFID tags effortless in whatever position they are in. This allows easier tracking of items in a department store setting and the reading area itself has been significantly increased. This shows the benefits of an omni-directional antenna compared to a uni-directional one.