About CS108

Fig 01: CS108 RFID and Imager

Fig. 02: The Serial Number of the CS108 is located on the bottom of the device.

Left Side of the CS108

There are 5 LEDs on this side, from left to right, respectively:

RFID Power On
Status
Barcode Power On
Charging
External Power connected – This light corresponds to the blue trigger located on the grip handle of the reader, which allows for manual activation of RFID reading capabilities.
Fig 03: CS108 Left side View

The Right Side of the CS108

There is a 2 combination button/LED on this side.
The right button/LED is for the main power. When the LED lights up GREEN, this means power is on.
Hold this button for 3 seconds, then release to power on (must release before it powers on). To power of, do the same thing. Hold the button for 3 seconds and release.
The left button/LED is for Bluetooth pairing. When this LED lights up BLUE, it means Bluetooth is connected.
When first powered up, the Bluetooth LED will automatically start flashing to indicate that it is now discoverable by a smart device nearby. From the Application on the smart device, one can then connect to the CS108.
After connection, the LED will stop blinking and remain lit. At any time, to stop the Bluetooth connection, hold the Bluetooth button for 3 seconds until the LED turns off.
To restart Bluetooth and pair with a device, hold the Bluetooth button until the Bluetooth LED starts flashing and reconnect via the application.
Fig 04: Right Side View

Pairing the CS108 to a Computer via Bluetooth

The reader will need to be connected to the computer using Windows® standard.

Add the Bluetooth Device process prior to using it with any RFID Applications.

Use the following steps to navigate to the Bluetooth settings on your computer:

Start Menu > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices (See Below- Figure 04)

Fig 05: Windows Settings

To Add CS108 Bluetooth Reader in Windows PC

Turn on your CS108 and make it discoverable by holding down the Bluetooth button until the LED starts flashing.
Turn on Bluetooth on your PC, if it’s not on already. To do this, select the Start button, then select Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, and turn on Bluetooth.
Select Add Bluetooth or other devices > Bluetooth (Refer Fig 05).
Select Add Device > Bluetooth
Discover available CS108
Select the CS108XXXXXXXXXX (Refer Fig 06).
Enter the password and click Pair. The password for CS108 is 00000.
Once the connection is completed, a success message will popup (Refer Fig 07).
Fig 06. Windows® 10 Bluetooth & other devices

Fig 07. Windows® 10 Add a device window

Fig 08. Windows® 10 Paired with CS108ReaderB058CC

When researching RFID printers, you will come across a huge selection of models, configurations, and features, some of which you will need and some of which may not be necessary to your use case. It is important to understand what you need prior to selecting your RFID printer. You can evaluate your needs by asking yourself the following questions:

1.Does print resolution matter? Do I need to print high resolution items?

2.What types of items will I be printing?

3.Where will the printer be located in my workspace?

4.How high volume is my printing application?

5.What printer accessories do I need?

Let’s examine these questions one by one to further understand what they mean.

1. Print Resolution

Print resolution is referred to as dpi (dots per inch). If this is not a crucial factor to your use case, you can opt for a standard resolution printer, which is typically 203 dpi. This is typically best for cases in which RFID labels are being printed that do not contain any human readable content.

If you are custom printing RFID tags with your company logo however, resolution may play a big role in the outcome of the RFID tags. You can choose between various dpis when selecting a printer. For example, the ZT610 4-inch RFID Printer, shown below, comes with the option for 203 dpi (standard), 300 dpi (high), or 600 dpi (very high).

ZT610 4-inch RFID Printer

2. Types of Items Being Printed

Different types of RFID printers have different capabilities regarding what types of RFID tags they can print.There are printers available for thin, paper-like labels, thick on-metal labels, wristbands, cards, and more. For example, the ZXP Series 7 UHF RFID Card Printer is designed specifically to print RFID cards. This printer is ideal for use cases in which you need to print badges or security mechanisms.

ZXP Series 7 UHF RFID Card Printer

3. Location of Printer.

Where the printer will be located plays a big role in what the form factor of the printer will be. If you are using a printer in your office, you may want something smaller and less obtrusive, such as the ZD500R, which is a powerful RFID printer that can be placed seamlessly on a desk for convenient office printing. If you are constantly on the move, but you still need RFID printing capabilities, a mobile printer might be best for you, such as the new ZQ630 RFID Mobile Printer, shown below.

ZQ630 RFID Mobile Printer

4. Volume of RFID Application

RFID applications come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You may just need something to print out a few labels a day for items coming into the office, or you may be a shipping company that receives thousands of parts a day that need to be tagged then and there. If the latter the case, you may want to opt for an RFID printer that is designed for high-volume applications. The ZT400 series RFID printers, shown below, are specifically designed for mid-to-high volume applications with a print speed of up to 14 ips/356 mm per second for the ZT410 and 12 ips/305 mm per second for the ZT420.

ZT400 Series UHF RFID Printers

5. Printer Accessories

Different printers require different accessories. You will want to determine whether you would like a printer that accommodates several accessories or not. For example, the ZT411 comes with peripherals such as the Zebra ZKDU-001-00 Keyboard Display Unit (ZKDU).

These questions are just some of the things you will need to keep in mind when selecting an RFID printer, but they should help you greatly narrow down your search. For additional assistance in finding the right printer for you, please contact us!

What is the difference between active and passive RFID tags?

Active RFID tags have a battery and transmit out their own signal on a predefined (often times configurable interval) This signal may be received by an active RFID reader. Depending on the tag, this battery may be built into the tag or may be field replaceable. Passive RFID tags do not have a battery. Instead, they get activated when they get into the field of view of a passive RFID reader. In most cases, passive RFID tags are more cost effective than active RFID tags. However, since active RFID tags do a have a battery, this can assist with providing greater accuracy for certain use cases.

There is actually a third category of RFID tags which is known as semi-passive or battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags. These types of RFID tags have a battery like active RFID tags but the communication works like passive tags where it still relies on the RFID reader to power on and then send back the signal. The purpose of this battery is to provide either sensory functionalities (temperature, moisture, humidity, GPS, etc.) or to extend the range of the standard passive tag by taking advantage of the battery.

What read distance will an RFID tag provide me?

The distance that an RFID tag can be read varies on a variety of factors including the type of RFID tag, the environment the tag is being used (for example, is there a lot of metal and liquid), how the RFID tag is attached as well as where on the item is the RFID tag attached.

Although most RFID tags have an approximate read range listed on their spec sheet, it is always a great idea to test the range out in your environment. It is important to test this out using the similar workflows as if you were scanning in production.

What information can I store on my RFID tag?

There are a wide variety of strategies when it comes to data storage on an RFID tag. It truly depends on your use case. One strategy is to leverage pre-printed, pre-encoded RFID tags. In this case, you associate the pre-printed, pre-encoded RFID tag value using RFID software. The value of this approach is simplicity of association. A second strategy is to encode data that is application or use case specific directly on to the RFID tag. In some cases, just key data such as a product number or serial number may be encoded, in others, it may include a wide variety of information, such as the full service history of the item. The quantitative amount of information that can be stored on the RFID tag varies on the memory availability of the tag.

What is the cost for an RFID tag?

The cost of an RFID tag truly depends on the type of RFID tag – certain passive UHF RFID labels can be just cents while specialized and protected RFID tags for harsh environment can be dollars. Adding memory, batteries and sensors often times increases the cost as well!

What materials can I apply RFID tag on?

With the advancement of RFID technology there are RFID tags available for many materials. From a physics perspective, traditionally both metal and water (or anything liquid) have been challenging to work with for RFID. For most RFID frequencies, metal reflects RF so it different to energize passive tags. However, today, there are special on metal RFID tags (all passive) available that can be applied to items or assets with metal content. Water (or other liquids) absorb RF and again, take away the energy to energize passive RFID tags; however, special attachment methods such as a flag RFID tag can overcome those obstacles.

How do I get my RFID data back to my ERP or WMS?

An RFID middleware, such as TagMatiks Core, is an efficient method to feed your RFID data back into your ERP or WMS.

How does RFID differ from barcode?

RFID provides the ability to read multiple items at the same time. (Whereas with barcode, you would need to scan individually). This provides efficiency as well as increased accuracy (reduce the chance of double scanning or missing an item) In addition, RFID also provides a hidden benefit of serialization as each RFID tag, thus item/asset, has to be unique from a communication perspective. RFID also doesn’t require direct line of sight, so you typically can read stacks of items without manual intervention.

Just to list a couple:

RFID tag, hardware and software selection
Site survey and workflow analysis
Proof of concept testing
System design
Procurement
However, at the time of installation, it’s a great idea to check the following to make your installation as smooth as possible:

Only connect / disconnect an RFID antenna to an RFID reader when the device is powered off .
Angle the antennas to increase the dwell time (the time tag spends in the read zone when traveling through).
Install antennas with an adjustable swivel mount for adjustment of the antenna height and angle to modify the read zone.
Sure that RF cable connectors are tight!
Protect the RFID readers and antennas so they don’t get bumped, moved or damaged.
Ensure that LED’s and visual indicators on the RFID device are easily visible. This is important to be able to visually verify status lights.
When mounting RFID readers, ensure that there is enough spacing so that cables can be easily added or removed later on.
Cable lengths from one reader to pairs of antennas should be equal (to ensure that the attenuation is equal).
Visually inspect the installed AC outlets and Ethernet cable runs.
Check functions of I/O devices and their correct placement.
Need help with your RFID project – let us know!