Spec Sheet

Product
Profile
I F 5 I n t e l l l i t a g ®
F I X E D R E A D E R
• An intelligent reader – embedded
Linux based internal controller to
host edge-server applications
• Software configurable to read/write
EPC Gen2 and ISO tags
• Factory configurable to operate
in 869MHz, 915MHz or 950MHz RFID
bands
• Directly monitors and controls
presence detectors and signal lights
Joining an already diversified line of RFID
readers, the Intermec® Intellitag® IF5 fixed
reader delivers unmatched capability at
the tag scan site. Considered a “smart”
reader, custom applications running on
the IF5 enable it to filter information from
tags, as well as monitor external sensors
and control audible and visual indicators,
without the expense, and potential
additional point of failure of a separate
server “box”, required by other RFID
scanning solutions. As with all Intellitag
reader products, the IF5 both reads and
writes to RFID tags.
Beginning in 2003, Intermec and IBM
worked with a common goal of creating
an RFID reader capable of filtering
incoming tag data and sending only
pertinent information upstream to the
application server. The resulting IF5 smart
reader is based on a Linux platform,
and runs IBM’s WebSphere® Everyplace®
Micro Environment (WEME). This
eliminates the need and added cost of an
additional industrial PC for data filtering
or processing at the point of collection.
In large scale enterprises, eliminating the
need for a server for every RFID reader,
not only reduces cost, but also lowers the
number of potential failure points in the
network.
Continuing to focus on keeping the cost
of ancillary equipment and installation
low, the IF5 platform includes powered
general purpose input/output (I/O)
circuitry, which allows direct monitoring
and/or controlling of peripheral devices
such as presence detectors and signal
lights without requiring extra circuitry
and power supplies to facilitate the
connection.
The IF5 filters, manages and acts upon
the data read from tags according to
application parameters, all made possible
by Java applets. The Java applets can
also be programmed to change the
application parameters of the IF5 in
response to new incoming data from a
tag or peripheral device. For example,
a portal –mounted IF5 reader can be
programmed to scan the “destination”
field on all tags passing through, and
subsequently flash a red beacon light for
the fork lift driver if an item is about to be
incorrectly loaded.
The IF5 reader is factory configured to
operate in any of three RFID frequency
bands: 869MHz (Zone 1, primarily
Europe), 915MHz (Zone 2, primarily
North and South America, and 950MHz
(Zone 3, primarily Japan and Asia). Multi-
national enterprises operating in North
America, Europe and Asia no longer
have to purchase and support readers
from several manufacturers in order to
cope with the different frequency bands
present in each region.
An internal auto-range adapting power
supply, requiring approximately 15 watts
of 100 to 240 Volts AC, allows the IF5
to be capable of continuous operation
anywhere in the world. For sites with
infrastructure supporting Power over
Ethernet (PoE), the internal controller can
be configured to use PoE.
The Basic Reader Interface included
with IF5 simplifies the control of RFID
interrogators with text-like command/
response protocol that is portable to
many platforms, easy to learn, easy to
optimize, and easy to support .