Today, BA Systems, LLC releases the AP210, a single device, RFID platform used for reading UHF, HF, and barcode labeled serialized IDs. The solution was developed by BA’s RFID Practice in partnership with Motorola Corporation built for the pharmaceutical distribution and verification markets.
“In conjunction with Motorola, we gathered requirements and listened to the needs of some of the pharmaceutical industry’s biggest players to build an elegant solution that can be used by drug distributors and pharmacies with little effort,” said BA Systems President, William Mapp. The AP210 is an exclusive combination, harnessing the power and reliability of Motorola’s XR series of RFID readers and patent pending RF Interweaving technology produced by BA Systems. The AP210 is the world’s only single device RFID solution providing the capability of reading UHF and HF RFID tags while interrogating barcode labels using a single antenna.
California’s E-Pedigree Drug Safety regulations require drug distributors and pharmacies to verify the chain of custody and ownership of prescription drugs and controlled substances in California’s drug system. The regulations require that a drug’s chain-of-custody, or its pedigree, is verified on an item level using UHF or HF RFID tags and 1D, 2D, or Data Matrix barcode labels. The goal of E-Pedigree is to make the prescription drug system safer by lowering the incidence rate of patients receiving tainted or recalled drugs by tracing a product back to its source of manufacture.
Until now, pharmaceutical companies have had to develop custom software and use multiple RFID readers to simultaneously interrogate multiple RFID tag frequencies and capture barcode data. BA’s solution doesn’t require specialized software to interrogate the various serialized ID data sources. Additionally, the solution only needs one antenna to read both HF and UHF RFID tags, and is one of the few RFID devices capable of reading the recently ratified EPC HF standard of RFID tags.
The pharmaceutical industry has been desperately seeking a single device solution that can be easily installed and maintained for massive e-pedigree deployments. Current systems using multiple RFID readers and computers are expensive to deploy and service while being prone to configuration problems in the field. BA Systems responded to calls from industry and has produced an affordable solution that helps drug distributors and pharmacies maintain productivity while abiding by new e-pedigree rules.
The AP210 integrates easily with existing middleware and custom software systems by using the same data communications protocol as a standard Motorola XR series RFID reader. “Systems integrators building E-Pedigree solutions don’t have to change their code to use the AP210,” said Mapp. “If a system knows how to talk to an XR, that system knows how to talk to the AP210.”
The AP210 also provides the capability for future expansion by supplying USB ports for add-on hardware and remote sensing capabilities. Although, originally designed for the pharmaceutical industry, BA is working with Motorola and other partners to position the AP210 for self-service kiosk, verification, and point-of-sale applications. The AP210 is currently available in limited quantities and is slated for wide delivery via channel sales partners in the Q2 2008 timeframe.
About BA Systems
BA Systems is a leading innovator of RFID solutions and technology. We helps companies that are afraid of losing business and profitability because of production inefficiencies and lack of inventory controls. Our RFID Practice helps our customers gain and maintain a competitive advantage by automating their most critical operations using RFID technology. We foster a culture of innovation and creativity. Using the best in techniques and technology, BA has demonstrated industry excellence by bringing many firsts to the RFID industry. For more information, visit http://www.basystemsllc.com/about_ba.html.
