RFID-based Asset Tracking Solution for Warehouses

Smart system to automate inventory tracking

The client is a North American business that rents lighting equipment to media and event companies. As the owner of multiple warehouses with lighting equipment, Christie Lites needed a smart system to automate inventory tracking.

Problem

The Softeq team was employed to deliver a smart tracking solution for warehouses. It would provide the warehouse management staff with the information required to know if a piece of equipment is in store.

The solution had to meet the following requirements:

Based on an embedded TCP/IP stack
The tags would have a durability of up to 10 years
Stable radio frequency inside metal storage shelves and wire screens

Solution

Softeq delivered a custom asset tracking solution based on the embedded TCP/IP stack:

We equipped each item in a warehouse with customized active RFID tags, which communicate with beacons installed across the warehouse perimeter
Once in an hour, the tags send data packets containing unique identifiers through a radio bearer to the local network of beacons
The beacons transmit the information on the equipment status to the client’s server via an Ethernet connection

This way, Christie Lites employees get up-to-date information on equipment availability.

The interaction between different parts of the asset tracking system is based on the following protocols:

Wireless connection protocol, which sends data from tags to beacons via radio bearers
Beacon internal protocol, which transmits data from the beacon radio module to the beacon network module via UART
Ethernet protocol, which sends data from the beacon network module to the client’s server

Challenge

Our team went on to extend the tags’ durability to up to ten years and stabilized radio frequency performance in warehouses with metal storage shelves and wire screens.

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Result

The team completed the hardware design and development phase and delivered a fully functioning prototype within the designated timeline. Once the solution has been tested onsite, it will be scheduled for mass production.