Frequently Asked Questions: Avante RFID Personnel and Asset Visibility System

What is the difference between AVANTE RFID Personnel and Asset Visibility System (PAVS) and other RFID personnel and asset visibility systems?

  • AVANTE is the first in the industry to combine the use of active and passive RFID technologies, achieving unparalleled flexibility and security in a single badge. (US patent-pending).
  • Combined use of 13.56 MHz passive RFID secured memory technology and optional enhanced anti-counterfeiting encryption to achieve a superior degree of personnel identification.
  • Optional use of biometric data including personal picture, fingerprint, etc. with patented security enhancements for authentication. AVANTE active ZONER™ RFID badges provide nodal personnel visibility around access points in offices, manufacturing, tunnels, mines, and other challenging environments.
  • The short range read distance around the access points operates similar to the current proximity readers with a slightly longer range and read distance of 10 ft to provide a non-obtrusive and non-intrusive operation. This normal operation mode preserves the privacy of individual personnel.
  • The bearer of the AVANTE ZONER™ RFID badge can press a “panic button” on the badge. In this mode, the badge will transmit at much longer range of 100 ft indoors and 300 ft outdoors to allow the real-time locating of their position to the police or other security staff.
  • While the network of RELAYER™ reader-monitor is normally operating in “listen” mode only, they can also be directed to provide alerts of danger or other actions to the personnel using the embedded buzzer in the badge.
  • The network of RELAYER™ reader-monitors can also be directed to command all personnel badges within its monitoring area to respond in high power signal transmission. This allows real-time locating of the personnel in response to an emergency. This ability to provide real-time location on demand is what distinguishes the AVANTE PAVS from other existing solutions.

What is the read distance and monitoring zone of each RELAYER monitoring unit?

  • An AVANTE ZONER™ active RFID badge is programmable for a read distance from 10-300 ft depending on the application.
  • For normal operations, they are programmed for a read distance of 10 ft range indoors and 30 ft outdoors. This read distance is adequate for nodal visibility, but not real-time location, thus preserving personnel privacy.
  • The longer read range of 100 ft indoors and 300 ft outdoors is only activated upon demand either by the bearer of the badge or by a system administrator during a pecific state of emergency with established legal and/or logistic protocols.
  • The passive RFID technology uses secured memory chips based on ISO 14443 with a typical read distance of 2-4 inches.

How about potential privacy issues and RFID security against “snooping” or “eavesdropping”?

  • Unlike passport applications, personal data are not transmitted in personnel visibility applications. Only an unidentifiable code (alphanumeric) is used. The personal data resides in a secured database under strict administrative control of the operation.
  • Biometric data such as pictures or fingerprints may be printed for visual identification just like a standard picture ID.
  • If any additional and personal data including name, etc. is needed for a specific application, they will be custom encrypted and do not use standard protocol.
  • All RELAYER™ monitoring units are placed in areas needing security protection only. All other areas such as garages and hallways are broadly defined for personal security in case of emergency security management purposes.
  • The longer read ranges of 100 ft indoors with the corresponding 300 ft outdoors is only activated upon demand either by the bearer of the badge or by a system administrator under a specific state of emergency with established legal and/or logistic protocols.

Are there any health hazards due to RFID related electromagnetic waves?

  • The passive secure ISO 14443 RFID application uses extremely low power (less than a watt) at 13.56 MHz. The frequency band is between AM and FM bands that have been used for years in public broadcasting.
  • For each transmission, AVANTE active ZONER™ RFID badges transmit at 0dBm for less than one millisecond.
  • The signal carrier at 433 MHz ISM frequency band has been used for medical and civilian applications for years. The power level is 1/100 to that commonly used for cellular phones at a much higher frequency of 900-2400 MHz bands. Thus, there are no health concerns.

Can AVANTE ZONER™-RELAYER™ use WiFi infrastructures that may already exist?

  • While the AVANTE active ZONER™ RFID tag operates at 433 MHz which is different from then 2.4 GHz used in WiFi networks, the AVANTE RELAYER™ has a standard WiFi adaptor module that can directly feed data into WiFi networks at minimal cost.
  • AVANTE RELAYER™ network uses standard Ethernet communication making it extremely versatile.