Manual
AK Tag Business Kit
User's Guide
Revision 1.2
July 2006
AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
Publishing Information
Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
All information herein is either public information or is the property of and owned solely by TAGSYS who shall have and
keep the sole right to file patent applications or any other kind of intellectual property protection in connection with such
information.
Nothing herein shall be construed as implying or granting to you any rights, by license, grant or otherwise, under any
intellectual and/or industrial property rights of or concerning any of TAGSYS’ information.
This document can be used for informational, non-commercial, internal and personal use only provided that:
the copyright notice below, the confidentiality and proprietary legend and this full warning notice appear in all copies.
this document shall not be posted on any network computer or broadcast in any media and no modification of any
part of this document shall be made.
Use for any other purpose is expressly prohibited and may result in severe civil and criminal liabilities.
The information contained in this document is provided “AS IS” without any warranty of any kind. Unless otherwise
expressly agreed in writing, TAGSYS makes no warranty as to the value or accuracy of information contained herein.
The document could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the
information herein. Furthermore, TAGSYS reserves the right to make any change or improvement in the specifications
data, information, and the like described herein, at any time.
Therefore TAGSYS assumes no liability and is not responsible for customer applications or product or software which
include TAGSYS products.
TAGSYS HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL TAGSYS BE LIABLE, WHETHER
IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY
DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE,
DATA, PROFITS, REVENUES, OR CUSTOMERS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.
TAGSYS does not and shall not warrant that this product/system/equipment will be resistant to all possible attacks, and
shall not incur, and disclaims, any liability in this respect. Even if each product is compliant with current security
standards in force on the date of their design, security mechanisms' resistance necessarily evolves according to the
state-of-the-art in security and notably under the emergence of new attacks. Under no circumstances shall TAGSYS be
held liable for any third party actions, and in particular in case of any successful attack against systems or equipment
incorporating TAGSYS products.
TAGSYS disclaims any liability with respect to security for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages that result
from any use of its products. It is further stressed that independent testing and verification by the person using the
product is particularly encouraged, especially in any application in which defective, incorrect, or insecure functioning
could result in damage to persons or property, denial of service, or loss of privacy.
© 2000-2006 TAGSYS. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Visual C++, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the U.S.A. and/or other countries.
I-Code is a registered trademark of Philips.
Tag-It is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments.
Printed in France.
TAGSYS – 180 Chemin de St Lambert, 13821 LA PENNE SUR HUVEAUNE, France.
Tel: +33 (0)4.91.27.57.00 / Fax: +33 (0)4.91.27.57.01
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Publishing Information
Table of Contents
PUBLISHING INFORMATION __________________________________________________________ 2
DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY__________________________________________________ 2
1 FOR YOUR SAFETY _______________________________________________________________ 4
1.1 GENERAL USE ____________________________________________________________________ 4
1.2 CARE AND MAINTENANCE ___________________________________________________________ 4
1.3 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION____________________________________________________ 5
1.3.1 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT ________________________________________________________ 5
2 CERTIFICATION___________________________________________________________________ 6
2.1 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH ____________________________________________________________ 6
2.2 REGULATORY NOTICES _____________________________________________________________ 6
2.2.1 IN USA (FCC DIRECTIVE)__________________________________________________________ 7
3 OVERVIEW _______________________________________________________________________ 8
3.1 INTRODUCTION ____________________________________________________________________ 8
3.2 KEY FEATURES ___________________________________________________________________ 8
3.3 MAIN BENEFITS ___________________________________________________________________ 8
3.4 AK TAG BUSINESS KIT _____________________________________________________________ 9
4 TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCES_____________________________________________ 13
4.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ADAPTIVE KERNEL TAG TECHNOLOGY _______________________ 13
4.2 AK TAG READ/WRITE PERFORMANCES_______________________________________________ 13
4.3 TAG ENCODING __________________________________________________________________ 13
5 GETTING STARTED ______________________________________________________________ 15
5.1 HOW TO INSTALL THE SIRIT/TAGSYS READER________________________________________ 15
5.2 HOW TO INSTALL THE DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE ____________________________________ 16
5.3 HOW TO READ A TAG______________________________________________________________ 16
5.4 HOW TO ENCODE A TAG ___________________________________________________________ 17
5.5 HOW TO SET READER PARAMETERS _________________________________________________ 17
5.6 HOW TO GET SIRIT/TAGSYS READER INFORMATION___________________________________ 18
5.7 IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE __________________________________________________________ 19
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AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
1 For Your Safety
1.1 General Use
The SIRIT/TAGYS Reader is designed to be reliable and to provide years of trouble-free service.
Please observe the following general tips:
Take care not to scratch the device. Keep the device clean. When working with the device,
use only TAGSYS-approved accessories.
This device is not waterproof and should not be exposed to rain or moisture. Under extreme
conditions, water may enter the circuitry.
Protect the device from extreme temperatures. For example, do not place the device in a
windowed area where the sun may cause extreme temperatures, and keep it away from
heaters and other heat sources.
Do not store or use the device in any location that is extremely dusty, damp, or wet.
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the device. If the surface of the device becomes soiled,
clean it with a soft cloth moistened with a diluted window-cleaning solution.
1.2 Care and Maintenance
This device is a product of superior design and should be handled with care. The suggestions
below will further increase the lifetime of this device.
Keep the device and all parts and accessories out of the reach of small children.
Keep the device dry. Precipitation, humidity and liquids contain minerals that will corrode
electronic circuits.
Do not use or store the device in dusty, dirty areas. Its moving parts can be damaged.
Do not store in hot areas. High temperatures can shorten the life of electronic devices, damage
batteries and warp or melt certain plastics.
Do not store in cold areas. When the device warms up (to its normal temperature), moisture
can form inside the device, which may damage electronic circuit boards.
Do not attempt to open the device. Non-professional handling of the device may damage it.
Handle the device with care. Shocks may break internal circuit boards.
Do not clean the device with harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents or strong detergents. Gently
wipe the device with a soft cloth slightly dampened in a mild soap-and-water solution.
Do not paint the device. Paint may clog the device’s moving parts and prevent proper
operation. Paint with metallic contents may limit device performances.
If the device or any accessory are not working properly, take it to your nearest qualified
TAGSYS representative.
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For Your Safety
1.3 Important Safety Information
1.3.1 Operating Environment
When connecting the device or any accessory to another device, read its user’s guide for detailed
safety instructions. Do not connect incompatible products.
As with all RF equipment, users are advised that the equipment should only be used in its normal
operating position.
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AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
2 Certification
2.1 Occupational Health
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement:
This equipment complies with FCC’s RF radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled
environment under the following conditions;
1. This equipment should be installed and operated such that; a minimum separation distance of
20cm is maintained between the radiator (antenna) & user’s/nearby people’s body at all times.
2. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.
2.2 Regulatory Notices
An RFID system typically composed of an RF emission device such as the SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader
connected to an antenna is subject to national regulations that may differ by country.
The SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader meets the FCC parts 15 regulatory limit of 1W conducted power at the
antenna terminal.
CAUTION:
It is the responsibility of the CIT (Certified Integrators by TAGSYS) to install the
SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader as described in this User’s Guide or in TAGSYS Documentation.
If a SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader is further integrated in a different product, it is the responsibility of
the manufacturer of this complementary product to obtain the required approvals for this
product.
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Certification
2.2.1 In USA (FCC Directive)
SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader
WARNING TO USERS IN THE UNITED STATES
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) RADIO
INTERFERENCE STATEMENT 47 CFR Section 15.105(b)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
▪ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
▪ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
▪ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different to that to which the receiver is
connected.
▪ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
NO UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS
47 CFR Section 15.21
CAUTION: This equipment may not be modified, altered, or changed in any way without signed
written permission from TAGSYS SA. Unauthorized modification may void the equipment
authorization from the FCC and will void the TAGSYS warranty.
ANTENNA REQUIREMENT
47 CFR Section 15.203
CAUTION: This equipment must be professionally installed. The installer shall be responsible for
ensuring that the proper antenna is employed so that the limits in this part are not exceeded. Non-
professional installation or installation of the equipment with an improper antenna may void the
equipment authorization from the FCC and will void the TAGSYS warranty.
The SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader with its integral circular antenna has been designed to comply with
FCC 47 CFR Part 15 Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) The system devices may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) The library system devices must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
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AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
3 Overview
3.1 Introduction
Welcome to the TAGSYS RFID Adaptive Kernel (AK) family of tags.
The AK Tag Business Kit is a low-cost evaluation kit designed for people and companies that wish
to know more about TAGSYS’ The Package Is The Tag™, an integrated packaging approach
featuring world’s first adaptive EPC Gen 2 family of tags for item-level RFID, the AK Tag.
It provides a step-by-step guide for the following procedures:
Installation of the AK Tag Business Kit
Configuring and using the product within your system
This document does not assume any previous knowledge of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology.
3.2 Key Features
AK Tag Business Kit includes a set of AK tag modules and a high-performance SIRIT/TAGSYS
table-top reading station, ideal for long and mid-range applications where reading distances
can exceed 4m (13feet).
The AK Tag Business Kit also includes several item-level RFID-enabled packages where the
AK tags are affixed.
3.3 Main Benefits
The AK tag module is low cost, universal and is the world smallest UHF tag converted into the
package. When placed near a secondary adaptive antenna also incorporated within the
package, it results in a completely customized, secure and highly cost-effective RFID solution,
fully adaptable to the customers’ packaging shapes, sizes and material.
The AK Tag Business Kit with its AK Tag Explorer demonstration software gives you the
opportunity to test the capabilities of the TAGSYS RFID AK tag modules and adaptive antenna
Figure 1: The Adaptive Kernel Tag
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Overview
3.4 AK Tag Business Kit
Figure 2: AK Tag Business Kit
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The items listed in Table 1 are included in the AK Tag Business Kit.
Table 1: AK Tag Business Kit Contents
Quantity Description
1 Getting Started manual
1 Product flyer
1 Data sheet
1 Plastic suit case that contains:
1 Reading station (SIRIT/TAGSYS reader and antenna)
1 Power pack
1 Serial connector cable
1 AK Tag Module Booster
1 CD-ROM including Getting Started manual, Product flyer, Data sheet and the AK Tag Explorer
demonstration software
1 White cardboard box that contains:
4 Items equipped with AK tags:
1. A standard courier envelope
2. A standard luggage label
3. A fashion price tag
4. A box
1 Roll of 50 AK Tag modules
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Overview
Figure 3: A standard courier envelope
Figure 4: A standard luggage label
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AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
Figure 5: A fashion price tag
Figure 6: A box
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Technology and Performances
4 Technology and Performances
4.1 Brief Description of the Adaptive Kernel Tag Technology
The Adaptive Kernel Tag approach consists of two components:
A low cost, universal and world smallest UHF “Kernel” module converted into the package
An adaptive antenna, which is customized and intrinsically incorporated within the package of
the item to be RFID-enabled, and also placed in close proximity to the Kernel Tag
A reader sends a radio signal at a specific UHF frequency range via an antenna linked to a reader.
This radio signal activates the AK tag which sends its data to the reader. The reader decodes the
AK tag data and sends this decoded data to a host PC for processing. This radio signal is also
used to write data to the AK tag.
Alone the AK Tag module can be read/write at a distance up to 30cm(12 inches) according to
the antenna reader characteristics
AK Tag module associated to the adaptive antenna can be read/write at a distance up to 4m
(13 feet) depending on the item where they are affixed and the size of the secondary antenna.
4.2 AK Tag Read/Write Performances
The AK Tag concept is universal. The Kernel tag can therefore be used for a multitude of items, all
different in size, shape and material. The performance of the Kernel tag can be adapted to its
environment: the geographic region of tag operation or the read range requirements for the object,
by the use of a secondary Adaptive antenna.
The table below shows read/write performances of items equipped with the AK Tag.
These performances have been measured with the 1 Watt SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader.
Items Read/Write distance performances
A standard courier envelope ≤ 3.5m (11.50ft)
A standard luggage label ≤ 4.0m (13.00ft)
A fashion price tag ≤ 1.5m (4.90ft)
A box ≤ 4.0m (9.80ft)
4.3 Tag Encoding
Due to its small size the AK Tag Module requires a small UHF antenna to be correctly encoded.
If you do not own a small UHF antenna we recommend you the AK Tag Module Booster to
facilitate the encoding using a standard UHF antenna reader.
1. Place the AK Tag Module Booster on the SIRIT/TAGSYS reader
2. Place the AK Tag Module on the AK Tag Module Booster as shown Figure 7
3. Proceed to encoding operation
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AK Tag Business Kit User's Guide
Figure 7: AK Tag Module Booster
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Getting Started
5 Getting Started
5.1 How to Install the SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader
1. Plug the power pack to the SIRIT/TAGSYS reader.
2. Connect the serial connector to the PC serial port.
Now the installation is complete and ready for read/write operations.
Figure 8: Hardware connections
Figure 9: SIRIT/TAGSYS reader
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5.2 How to Install the Demonstration Software
o Launch the AK Tag Explorer software from the CD-ROM. (SetUpAKExplorer.msi file)
The AK Tag Explorer software requires the Microsoft .net frameworks V2.0 to run (it can be
downloaded from the Microsoft website)
5.3 How to Read a Tag
o Place the AK Tag above the antenna
o To read data of an AK Tag, click Start
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Getting Started
5.4 How to Encode a Tag
o To write data into a tag, click Write, enter the identifier to write and click Write Tag
5.5 How to set Reader Parameters
o To adjust the power, use the horizontal cursor (+15dBm<Power< +28dBm = 630mW)
o Q Value is an anti-collision parameter which defines the number of time slots during the
reading process (number of time slot = 2Q).
Select the Q value and click Apply
(For further information please refer to the EPC Class 1 Gen 2 protocol specification)
o Select Reader Port according to the PC serial port you chose in § 3.1
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5.6 How to Get SIRIT/TAGSYS Reader Information
o To get information about the SIRIT/TAGSYS reader, click Version
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Getting Started
5.7 If you need assistance
Please contact your nearest TAGSYS sales representative:
Country TEL E-mail
USA
Toll Free
+1 267 895 1750
+1 877 550-RFID dottie.otoole@tagsysrfid.com
ASIA PACIFIC +852 2526 7984 son.lai@tagsysrfid.com
EUROPE +33 (0) 4 91 27 57 07 emmanuelle.vella@tagsysrfid.com
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www.tagsysrfid.com
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