CargoBeacon EverTag Combines Wirepas Mesh, BLE and NFC for Asset Tracking

CargoBeacon’s EverTag platform combines Wirepas Mesh, Bluetooth Low Energy and NFC in a battery-powered infrastructure for industrial asset tracking and monitoring. The system is designed for large deployments across warehouses, yards, hospitals and production sites without dense cabling or cellular subscriptions.

Decentralized Mesh as the Network Foundation

CargoBeacon offers the EverTag device family as the hardware layer for its industrial tracking solution. Communication within a facility is based on Wirepas Mesh, a decentralized 2.4 GHz protocol in which each node independently selects connections and optimizes its route to a gateway.

EverTags can forward data from neighboring devices using cost-based routing. If a node or gateway becomes unavailable, the remaining devices reorganize their routes automatically. This self-healing architecture removes a central point of failure and has been demonstrated in Wirepas networks containing more than 700,000 devices.

Point-to-point acknowledgements and automatic retransmissions support reliable packet delivery. Wirepas Low Energy mode enables battery-operated routers and long operating periods, while Low Latency mode is intended for higher data rates on mains-powered devices.

EverTags Operate as Assets or Anchors

EverTags use the Nordic nRF52840 chipset and can be configured for different network roles. Static units operate as anchors and form the local reference infrastructure, with a stated communication range of up to 200 metres under suitable conditions.

Mobile units can run as Non-Router Long Sleep tags for assets that require extended sleep intervals. CargoBeacon specifies location accuracy of approximately five metres, position reports every five minutes and maintenance-free operation for more than five years for the corresponding tracking configuration.

The same hardware can therefore be attached to moving assets or installed as fixed infrastructure. This allows integrators to expand coverage using battery-powered nodes instead of deploying a conventional grid of cabled readers.

Location and Sensor Data on One Platform

All EverTag models include motion sensors for detecting movement, tilt and usage patterns. Standard devices also provide temperature measurements through the chipset.

Dedicated variants extend the available measurements. EverTag T Mesh targets temperature monitoring with specified accuracy of ±0.1 °C. EverTag SL Mesh adds sound and light sensors, while EverTag I/O provides digital inputs and outputs for integration with PLCs, alarms and 24-volt industrial signals.

This combination enables the same network to support location, utilization, condition monitoring and process events.

BLE Extends Connectivity Beyond the Mesh

In parallel with Wirepas communication, EverTags can transmit BLE beacon signals. These advertisements can be detected by fixed gateways, mobile gateways and smartphone applications.

BLE provides an additional channel for identification and low-latency notifications outside the primary Wirepas infrastructure. CargoBeacon states that the tags can work with its own format, iBeacon and other BLE protocols.

NFC Simplifies Configuration

Deployment and maintenance are handled through the CB Admin mobile application. Installers can tap an EverTag via NFC to read or modify its configuration without opening the enclosure or establishing a separate wired connection.

Configuration profiles can be created, shared and protected by a PIN. A multi-tap function allows the same settings to be applied to several devices, reducing commissioning effort in larger installations.

Wirepas provisioning distributes network parameters and security keys to new nodes. Communication is protected with AES-128 encryption at the link layer. Firmware and application updates can be distributed remotely through over-the-air programming, while anchor tampering can trigger an alert.

Relevance for Industrial IoT Projects

For system integrators, the architecture combines tracking, sensing, BLE visibility, NFC commissioning and mesh routing in one device platform. Solution providers can configure the same hardware for logistics, environmental monitoring, equipment status or safety-related applications.

End users gain a network that can be extended without installing powered readers at every location. The practical value depends on site layout, anchor density, reporting intervals and sensor configuration, but the platform provides a defined alternative to cellular trackers and conventional reader-based BLE systems.