Kathrein Solutions to Launch Gen4 RFID Reader in Q1 2025

Kaiser: The new Gen4 readers offer improved performance while reducing size and energy consumption. They are particularly suitable for applications in demanding environments such as logistics, industrial automation, healthcare and vehicle identification.

Another important component of the new reader generation is the integrated and dynamically adaptable antennas. This allows the RFID reading range to be configured via software and adapted to the application. For example, in applications on an industrial truck, unwanted reading of transponders that are not on the pallet can be avoided.

At the same time, we have made it easier for the user to operate the system. In addition to installation with our ReaderStart software, a web interface and a USB-C interface now make it easier to install and configure the devices. This allows for easy system setup and quick integration into existing infrastructures.

Kaiser: This development has been intensively pursued in order to meet the demands of the market and, above all, of our partners. The demand for more powerful RFID readers has increased, while at the same time the readers have to become more compact in order to be integrated into control cabinets, vehicles or machines.

The goal was to improve the performance of the devices while making them smaller and more compact, and we have done just that.

Kaiser: Let’s start with the mechanical characteristics. The size of the new 4th generation readers has been reduced by half in surface area and by two-thirds in volume.

In addition, the readers are significantly more powerful – both reading performance and functionality have been improved. This is illustrated by the integration of a cellular interface. A host function has been added to the Bluetooth and WiFi functions so that the readers can be connected directly to other mobile devices.

The sum of the detailed improvements and new features, as well as the option of an integrated antenna, make the complete package of the new generation of devices a very interesting offer for professional system integrators.

Kaiser: This may sound abstract at first, but when you consider that at today’s energy costs you can save around €200 per reader over a ten-year lifetime, it becomes tangible. With 10 or 20 readers in use, this adds up quickly.

Kaiser: We will launch the readers in six different versions. The family is divided into three antenna-integrated ARU readers and three RRU reader-only variants. The three variants offer the following features:

• The 4th generation ARU 3500 and RRU 4500 form the base variant.
• The ARU 3560 and RRU 4560 offer additional WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces. They also have a GNSS/GPS positioning module.
• The ARU 3570 and 4570 have a cellular module for direct wireless connection and a GNSS/GPS positioning module.

For cost reasons, we will initially ship these XX70 readers with a 4G module. However, we can switch to a 5G module at any time in the near future or at the customer’s request.

Of course, we offer these six variants with both the European frequency allocation for the ETSI lower band (865 – 868 MHz) and the ETSI upper band (915 – 921 MHz), as well as another six variants covering the FCC range (902 – 928 MHz).

Kaiser: For example, consider a forklift application. If the forklift is equipped with an ARU 3570, each time the reader picks up or sets down an RFID tagged pallet, the RFID information can be read via the integrated antenna and combined with the position data from the GNSS module.

In this way, the pallet ID can be directly linked to the position data. This ensures that the correct allocation is made in external warehouses or when loading from the warehouse onto the truck.

The GNSS data can also be used as a security feature. Data is only delivered when the reader is within its defined area of operation. If a reader is used in an unauthorized location, data output can be blocked.

Kaiser: In principle, the ARU readers have the same functions as the RRU variants. That is, the XX60 reader with WLAN and Bluetooth interface and the XX70 variant with cellular interface. The Kathrein RFID antenna interface (KRAI), which we offered in the 3rd reader generation only for the RRU readers, is now also available for the ARU readers.

The big difference to the ARU readers is the integrated, dynamically adjustable antenna. The customer can adjust the antenna to a wide detection range to cover as large an area as possible, or to a focused beam to detect a single pallet. This can be used for mobile applications on a forklift truck as well as for stationary applications.

Kaiser: All RFID applications require a controller that controls the reader and tells it what to do, and filters, formats or stores the collected data.

We provide such a controller and have integrated it into a powerful Linux system. This means that we have a complete RFID system as a base and a Linux controller on top of that on which the customer can run his own application. The customer always has the choice:

• to develop their own application and port it to the reader.
• to run a Kathrein app on it – for example the AccessManager or the TagBlower.
• or to use CrossTalk, our powerful Auto-ID software with device management, which is used by many customers as the standard interface software for Auto-ID devices.

Kaiser: In addition to the standard Ethernet interface already familiar from our Gen3 readers, we now offer a multi-port connection, as we have seen an increasing demand for serial connectivity in recent years.

Therefore, in addition to an Ethernet port for common network applications, we have integrated a configurable port that can be used as RS-485/RS-232. This allows the customer to select a serial interface if required. In addition, a USB-C interface can be used as a service interface.

Kaiser: We have decided to expand our existing antenna family.

For some time now, the market trend has been towards flat antennas that are easy to integrate. We at Kathrein were one of the first suppliers of such antenna systems and are successful on the market with our Smart Shelf antennas in shelf and retail applications.

The EDGE Line antennas have IP54 protection and are therefore also suitable for outdoor use with splash water from all directions.

Kathrein’s well-known outdoor antennas with IP67 weather protection round off the range as PRO Line antennas.

Kaiser: Yes, of course we will expand our portfolio here as well. The ©KRAI standard allows remote antennas to be controlled via the antenna cable and thus dynamically adapted to the respective reading situation. A typical example is the intelligent shelf antennas, which can be cascaded via Kathrein readers. This means that up to 32 antennas can be connected to one reader at no extra cost.

To make even better use of this function, we have accelerated the ©KRAI switching times for the fourth generation of readers by a factor of 10.

With Gen4 readers and the new SMSH 2.0 antennas, a large number of individual antennas can be used more efficiently to accurately detect changes on the shelf.