Motorola Offers Port Diversity On RFID Reader

With its XR450 platform, mono- and bi-static ports can be activated depending on requirements and local signal propagation issues, the company said.

Terry Sweeney, Contributing Editor

April 18, 2008

2 Min Read
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Motorola has consolidated RFID functions on its new XR450 platform, which the vendor claims will serve the twin aims of reducing complexity and containing costs.

Motorola's industrial-class XR450 has both bi- and mono-static antenna ports, which makes it suitable "for both item-level tracking and more demanding supply chain applications," the vendor said Thursday, in a statement.

Customers can either deploy four bi-static ports that require dual antennas, or four mono-static ports and one antenna for transmitting or receiving tag data. Mono-static ports are better suited for real-time item-level tracking or application processing and management, such as in postal tracking or reading pallets of goods at retail stores. Bi-static ports are more frequently deployed in more challenging environments, where RF transmission or reception is hampered by local conditions. Having both kinds of ports on the same RFID reader gives customers more flexibility, Motorola said.

"With a mono-static RFID reader option, the total cost of ownership for enterprise RFID applications for our customers has drastically decreased, opening the market to a new class of end-users," said Michael Lowry, president of Lowry Computer Products, in a statement.

The XR450 RFID reader is certified for operation on both Microsoft Biz Talk Server 2006 R2 and IBM Premises WebSphere 6.0 and 6.1. It also supports Microsoft .Net Compact Framework 2.0 for hosting customer applications directly on the reader, Motorola said.

The XR450 also includes new management software and enhanced security features like SSH and SSL support to protect information borne across the airwaves. Custom applications can also be built and hosted on the device. The platform is also now certified and supported in China and South Korea, adding to the product line's footprint in Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

The XR450 fixed RFID reader will be available in July; it's priced at $2,195.

About the Author

Terry Sweeney

Contributing Editor

Terry Sweeney is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered technology, networking, and security for more than 20 years. He was part of the team that started Dark Reading and has been a contributor to The Washington Post, Crain's New York Business, Red Herring, Network World, InformationWeek and Mobile Sports Report.

In addition to information security, Sweeney has written extensively about cloud computing, wireless technologies, storage networking, and analytics. After watching successive waves of technological advancement, he still prefers to chronicle the actual application of these breakthroughs by businesses and public sector organizations.

Sweeney is also the founder and chief jarhead of Paragon Jams, which specializes in small-batch jams and preserves for adults.

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