SATO CL408e Rfid Manual page 32

Lasting two to eight weeks, on average, a series of large-scale tests should be conducted
to determine if smart labelling can keep up with labelling volume requirements during
normal and peak conditions. The objective of this product testing phase is to gain in-depth
understanding of variables such as: the product itself, packaging configuration, pallet
configuration, tag type (between vendors, active versus passive), reader configuration and
antenna placement, and reading time required for a tagged product to be
encoded/decoded or read in the read zone. Interference can be avoided or minimised by
using different styles and sizes of RFID antennas and tags, and experimenting with
different frequencies, power output levels, and tag mounting options, all within the
application requirements. It is crucial to thoroughly record test data if no automated tools to
track actual read performance exist. "Trial and error" cycles that is done in identical or very
similar environments to the final site of RFID implementation is necessary to achieve
results in the pilot tests.
The final pilot testing phase is where RFID tags and readers are used to simulate the
actual production environment. This is the "ready-or-not" stage. The end-user employs this
phase to validate the business and test cases that were developed during the preliminary
phases of testing and to ensure that the entire range of the equipments and media perform
as expected. Although time varies depending on the degree of RFID integration and
project intricacy of the end-user, the common range typically runs from two to six months.
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