Re: RFID for HA

[Marc F Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:32:14 -0500, Marc F Hult
<MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<scvg02pp79oeg893u4d40n22vvlqabi8eh@xxxxxxx>:

>
>A turn-key home automation RFID add-on to HomeSeer and Crestron using
>Wavetrend hardware and customized software has been available for about
15
>months.  The Homeseer package was _almost_ reasonably priced when they
had
>a beta-bundle-bargain when it first rolled out.
>
>http://www.firecontrolinc.com/downloads/beta_manual.pdf
>http://www.wavetrend.net/content.asp?ids=51
>http://www.iautomate.com/homeseer_rfid.html
>
>I'd be interested in learning about experience with RFID for HA in
general
>and especially less expensive long-range, homebrew alternatives and other
>than what is discussed in the Homeseer forum
>http://board.homeseer.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=758

Here's a tantalizing development:

An article in the Marc 30 2006  hard-copy edition of Electronic Design
describes G2 Microsystem's www.g2microsystems.com new active RFID chip.

The $12 (in quantity; scheduled to ship 3rd quarter 2006) G2501 chip
performs active RFD over standard 802.11b WIFI.  Battery life using two
AA's is projected at 5 years.

The chip is programmed through a url and "uses existing WIFI wireless
access points on the network, meaning no new network installation is
required" if a WIFI network exists.

Spatial location of the tag to within 15 feet can be accomplished  by
triangulation using three WIFI access points, or to within about six feet
using ISO 24370/ANSI 371.1 Time Delay of Arrival (TDOA).

The chip also has two standard passive RFD technologies built in:
Electronic Product Code (EPC) and a standard 125mhz magnetic. These are
powered internally, don't need the WIFI transceiver to turn on and "can
talk to other existing RFD systems in their neighborhood".

GPIO, UART, SPI, current loop and ADC interfaces are built-in and on-chip.
The latter are specifically designed for sensor interfaces such as
temperature, humidity, light, radiation and so on.


HTH ... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org