When you’re qualifying vendors for your next asset management solution, you’re sure to come across companies who use active RFID and those that use passive RFID. If you’re new to the industry, you may think the only way to get real-time information is through an active solutions. If you are currently using an active RFID solution you may think there’s a performance gap and may make the assumption you need to find another active solution. In the last few years due to the improvements from passive RFID suppliers (coupled with Asset Vue’s innovative solutions), the gap between active and passive has considerably shrunk. Below we bust some myths on the perceived gaps between active and passive RFID.
Myth #1: Only an active RFID solution can provide real-time solutions
Many of our clients prefer a passive RFID solution, and we at Asset have developed an innovative solution to provide real-time information using passive RFID tags. We call this solution Real Time Rack. We are able to provide real-time information on assets at the location, room, and rack level. Additionally, our technology provides you a cross-sectional view of a rack to show you the rack elevation of your assets within individual racks.
Myth #2: For my temperature-sensing needs, I have to choose an active RFID solution.
For a long time this was an open-and-shut case, in that if you needed tags to sense temperature that you needed to choose an active RFID solution; that is no longer the case. There are passive tags that can sense temperature and water leaks (combating another myth that passive tags can’t work with water). A solution with multiple passive tags is more cost efficient than a singular conventional sensor.
Myth #3: Active RFID has a much wider read radius
Many believe active solutions have a much bigger read range than passive solutions. For example, atlasRFIDstore does a comparison with a read range of 150 meters for active and a 15-meter read range for passive. In reality, that difference can be made much smaller. The type of readers and placement of your readers can significantly improve the read range of a passive solution. When partnering with Asset Vue, we’ll look at your unique situation and build a solution that is cost-effective and where your assets are easily read.
We acknowledge there are certain industries, environments, and situations where active RFID is the right fit. At the same time, we want to demystify some of the perceptions between active and passive RFID solutions. We hope this helps provide relevant information for you during your search for a new asset management solution. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your specific needs, feel free to schedule a call with us.
