Developing Technical infrastructure for people tracking providing personnel mustering hardware
Technical Infrastructure
Infrastructure and Technical Overview
- PersonnelTracker includes software that is configured according to each customer’s requirements. PersonnelTracker design can be focused on minimal data for personnel for personnel mustering and reporting purposes, and also supports more robust functionality for customers with more advanced requirements:
- Personnel database view (table)
- Visitor database view
- Vehicle database view
- Asset database view
- PersonnelTracker supports Active (433MHz) RFID and UHF Passive (915MHz) RFID technologies. Active RFID readers support long-range radio communications, GSM and GPS communications, and, overlay of data on mapping programs.
- PeronnelTracker supports Ethernet, Serial, POE, Wireless and Wireless Mesh networks, including spoke-and-wheel and daisy-chained RFID reader configurations. SmartTraxx also supports long-range radio communications.
- PersonnelTracker supports additional infrastructure, including solar power for outdoor RFID readers and tablet PC’s at muster points.
Facility Turnstiles
- Turnstiles prevent unauthorized entry and provide data for muster reports. For facilities with controlled building access, turnstiles can be utilized to identify personnel / visitors entering or leaving the facility. Turnstiles can be controlled by RFID ID card, PIN # or biometrics. Turnstile data populates TrackingSystems so that muster reports reflect the data captured by turnstiles.
- However, in the case of an actual emergency, people will seek to exit a facility using building exits in closest proximity versus following mustering procedures that require that staff exit the building through a specified exit point. Further, in case of actual disaster, staff and visitors will go around or even break turnstiles if they are fearful for their safety.
Facility Turnstiles
- Turnstiles prevent unauthorized entry and provide data for muster reports. For facilities with controlled building access, turnstiles can be utilized to identify personnel / visitors entering or leaving the facility. Turnstiles can be controlled by RFID ID card, PIN # or biometrics. Turnstile data populates TrackingSystems so that muster reports reflect the data captured by turnstiles.
- However, in the case of an actual emergency, people will seek to exit a facility using building exits in closest proximity versus following mustering procedures that require that staff exit the building through a specified exit point. Further, in case of actual disaster, staff and visitors will go around or even break turnstiles if they are fearful for their safety.
Long-Range Active RFID Communications
Active RFID Readers can be integrated with capabilities for long-range communications, including:
- Long Range Radio – Active RFID reader boards can include chip set that enables readers to communicate peer-to-peer and to local, remote or Internet networks. Active RFID readers also integrate with two-way radios for long range communications. Detection distances can be up to miles for transmitting active RFID data to local or remote server(s).
- GSM – Active RFID readers integrate with GSM communication chips and devices to communicate Active RFID data via typical cellular networks.
- GPS – Active RFID readers integrate with GPS communication chips and devices to communicate Active RFID data via satellites.
- RFID data updates database(s) and can overlay RFID personnel and asset data to mapping software, such as Google Maps.
RFID Networking
RFID technology supports a wide range of networking schemas, including:
- Ethernet with network drops at each reader, or, to specific readers with additional readers cabled reader-to-reader versus reader-to-network.
- POE or CAT5 cable with network and power provided by a single cable run.
- RS-232 and RS-422 serial networks.
- Weigand.
- 802.11 WiFi.
- Wireless mesh networks.
- Long-Range radio communications.
- Internet.
RFID serial networks support use of converters-to-Ethernet.
Readers can be installed spoke-and-wheel from reader to network via direct connection. Readers can be installed daisy-chain to minimize cabling to network.
RFID Networking
RFID technology supports a wide range of networking schemas, including:
- Ethernet with network drops at each reader, or, to specific readers with additional readers cabled reader-to-reader versus reader-to-network.
- POE or CAT5 cable with network and power provided by a single cable run.
- RS-232 and RS-422 serial networks.
- Weigand.
- 802.11 WiFi.
- Wireless mesh networks.
- Long-Range radio communications.
- Internet.
RFID serial networks support use of converters-to-Ethernet.
Readers can be installed spoke-and-wheel from reader to network via direct connection. Readers can be installed daisy-chain to minimize cabling to network.
Components of infrastructure
Muster Point Tablets
An organization’s mustering supervisors can utilize tablet PCs and Smartphones to muster personnel. Modern tablets and phones support manual mustering, bar code scan or RFID scan.
Portable Scanner
The portable RFID scanner is essential to RFID implementations, if for no other reason, to rapidly find needed/missing files. Portable RFID scanners transmit radio waves approximately 20’. The scanner uses color, sound and numeric indexes to guide a User to within a few inches of a needed file!
Electronic Signature Pad
USB-connected electronic signature pads are supported by the PersonnelTracker management software
Tags and labels
There are numerous styles of RFID asset tags and labels ideally suite for tagging assets. Perhaps the most important consideration is that assets with metal surface or with metal near-surface typically require a ‘raised tag’, often referred to as ‘mount-on-metal’ tags.
Video Surveillance
In cases of disasters where many people are traveling through doorways simultaneously and/or are in proximity to RFID muster points, there can be missed RFID tags or delayed data from RFID tags. For the most comprehensive information possible about personnel and visitors and their movements, video footage can be the sole source of validating information as to the location of personnel and visitors.
Why TrackingSystemsIoT?
- We provide customized tracking and security solutions that are tailored to your specific needs.
- We use the best of breed tracking and security technologies to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- We have a deep understanding of many industries and applications, so we can help you optimize the use of IoT and tracking technologies for your business.