Navigation:  How to Work with Processes > Working with the RFID Processes Group

 

Process Purpose

 

The RFID group of processes relates to wireless Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID). They enable a device to detect, read and decode information contained within RFID tags.

The use of RFID comprehends two operations:

 

Inventory - RFID tags are detected by the operator with an RFID reader and there is an information exchange. This operation is asynchronous, meaning, it handles the detection/acquisition of RFID tags by the RFID reader, it does not manage the information contained in the detected tags. If required, that can be performed later on.

 

Single Tag - An RFID tag is detected and the contained information is managed within the application (access, storage, reading, writing, etc.). This is considered a synchronous operation because the execution of the tag detection and tag reading is immediate and affects the application flow.

 

The processes included in the "RFID Processes Group" are grouped according to the available RFID operations. There are three groups:

 

Synchronous Operation - the processes included in this group are used to execute a “Single Tag” operation, meaning, they are direct processes that can simultaneously manage the tag detection (with the RFID reader) and handle its information (ex: read/store the tag’s information into defined variables, write info on a tag, erase certain tag memory banks, etc.). The application flow depends on the execution of these processes.

 

Asynchronous Operation - the processes included in this group are used to execute an "Inventory" operation, meaning, they are designed to enable/perform tag detection and/or communication between tag and RFID reader. These processes run on the background. If required, you can use other RFID related processes to store/manage the information of the detected tags.

 

Other - these processes are used to further encode/decode tag information. They can be used in the course of an "Inventory” (asynchronous) and/or a “Single Tag” (synchronous) operation.

 

 

Make sure to use the “RFID” action to complement your Inventory application.

See The RFID Action.

 

RFID synchronous processes ("Read", "Write", "Kill", "Lock/Unlock" and "Erase") MUST NOT be added to an RFID action.

 

 

 

To Create a Simple Inventory Program

 

The creation of any RFID based program implies a few mandatory steps to ensure the necessary workflow:

 

1. Create an RFID profile with the required settings (see Creating an RFID Profile).

 

2. In a routine or routine in of the screen you want to execute the Tag read in, add the "Connect to RFID" process to ensure the connection to the device's RFID reader.

 

This step ONLY applies to projects running with MCL-Client 4.10P170 or higher and for embedded or Bluetooth RFID readers.

 

 

3. In the intended screen, enable the Inventory operation (tag detection) with the "Enable/Disable" process. The enabling/disabling of a tag detection must always be explicit, so either use this "Ready" action on the screen (hard start) OR  create a button on that screen (soft start):

a. Soft Start ( button on screen)

You must add the "Start/Stop Reading" process to the Button control. (This implies the adding of another Button on screen to end the tag detection or the defining of a time out/number of tags read).

b. Hard Start (the target device's trigger)

The tag detection relies solely on the use of the device's trigger. There is no need to add a "Start/Stop Reading" process to the screen. Once the application reaches the intended screen (with the enabled tag detection), the operator presses the trigger to perform the inventory and releases it to stop the operation.

 

4. Use the "RFID" action on the same screen to capture the RFID tag readings asynchronously. This action allows you to set an RFID profile and to organize/store the tag's information. See The RFID Action. The "RFID" action is initiated for every new tag read.

 

5. To avoid a "0" tag detection display, use a "Test & Branch" process to redirect the application flow according to the number of tag detections

 

6. Disable the Inventory operation with the "Enable/Disable" process. It must be explicit (ex: when leaving the screen where the Inventory takes place).

 

Example of a Screen's "Actions" tab with a Hard Start:

 

 

Make sure you have already added a "Connect RFID" process (see Working with "Connect RFID" process) to a routine or to the current screen's routine in because this process MUST be executed before the "Enable/Disable" RFID process.

 

 

 

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