Seven RFID Organizations Support Open-Source Low-Level Reader Protocol Software Development
August 3, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Seven radio frequency identification (RFID) technology organizations are supporting the open-source development of EPCglobal-compliant Low-Level Reader Protocol (LLRP) software libraries, which enable EPCglobal ultra high frequency (UHF) Gen 2 communications via the LLRP universal reader-to-network interface.
The initial group comprising IBM, Impinj, Intermec, OatSystems Inc., Pramari, Reva Systems and the University of Arkansas is calling for contributions from other organizations or individuals to accelerate adoption and create a set of tools in C, Java and other popular programming languages.
These tools will enable customers to deploy RFID solutions and reduce long-term deployment costs while providing system flexibility to help unlock the business process impact of RFID technology, said Impinj.
The group expects that LLRP development will benefit all end-use RFID application segments including transportation, manufacturing and logistics, supply chain management, point-of-sale, security and asset management.
Recently ratified by EPCglobal, LLRP provides a high-performance, flexible and extensible interface for operating network-connected RFID readers.
Use of LLRP allows readers to deliver optimal performance, resulting in accurate, actionable data and events and creates the foundation for technology providers to extend basic capabilities in satisfaction of industry-specific requirements, according to Impinj.
Businesses desiring to use RFID will also benefit from interface standardization because it reduces long-term deployment costs while maintaining system flexibility.
Recognizing the role that well-defined technology development guidelines and standard interfaces play in widespread RFID adoption, the seven companies created the LLRP Toolkit, a "one-stop shop" that includes a software library for LLRP programmers. The library is modeled after other open-source software developments such as the Berkeley sockets application programming interface (API).
The LLRP standard addresses the reader-to-network interface layer, providing a globally available mechanism to leverage the Gen 2/International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 18000-6C standard that has addressed the tag-to-reader air interface layer.
"The support by leading RFID technology providers for LLRP is great news for end-users implementing scalable RFID deployments," said Mike O'Shea, Global director of Auto-ID Sensing Technology at Kimberly-Clark. "LLRP facilitates scalable and repeatable RFID supply chain processes and allows end-users to take full advantage of advanced RFID reader capabilities while standardizing the common plumbing used to communicate with RFID readers."
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More information about the effort is available at www.llrp.org. Downloadable software libraries will be available in Q3 2007.
Source: Impinj Inc.