» News Releases » RFID News » RFID News Article
Barcode & RFID News
Zebra Demonstrates Gen 2 RFID Printing
Article courtesy of Frontline RFID
August 16, 2005 -- Zebra Technologies, Texas Instruments and ThingMagic demonstrated Electronic Product Code (EPC) Gen 2 tags in a Zebra printer/encoder at the recent EPCglobal Fast Moving Consumer Goods Business Action Group meeting in Houston, Texas.
The demonstration featured Zebra's R110Xi printer/encoder, embedded with ThingMagic's RFID reader module and Texas Instruments' EPC Gen 2 inlays incorporated into label rolls.
"The success of this demonstration and the tenfold performance improvement of Gen 2 over Gen 1 proves that this new global standard is ready for CPG and retailer transition and adoption," said Julie England, vice president, Texas Instruments and general manager of Texas Instruments RFid Systems.
"Zebra and Texas Instruments first collaborated on high-frequency RFID technology more than a decade ago. We are still working together, now to advance Gen 2 adoption," said Bob Cornick, vice president and general manager of RFID for Zebra. "Zebra's valuable relationship with Texas Instruments enables us to support emerging technology and bring to market the industry's most sophisticated RFID printing/encoding solutions."
Zebra has also joined several other technology providers in supporting the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. Launched in June, and sponsored in part by Wal-Mart, the center focuses on research in RFID technology deployments, data analytics and RFID business cases. The center provides academic research and hands-on experience to students, as well as testing for companies seeking to implement RFID applications in their organizations.
"The objective of this lab is to create a best-practices, real-world environment," said Bill Hardgrave, director of the RFID Research Center. "We have equipped it with a high-speed conveyor system, warehouse racks, dock doors, and retail shelving to emulate the physical layout and data constructs of an RFID implementation so both students and businesses can learn about the nuts-and-bolts of RFID technology."
Other sponsors include AC Nielsen, Deloitte, E. & J. Gallo Winery, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, IBM, Campbell Soup, Intel, ABF Freight Systems, and Tyson Foods, among others. In addition to Zebra, other partner companies include Symbol Technologies, OATSystems, Microsoft, Intel, and ConnecTerra.