May/June 2004

Data capture and mobile computing specialist LXE is making a strong bid for a presence in the growing number of RFID (radio frequency identification) schemes currently being implemented.

It has underlined its abilities in the field with the launch of a special RFID-enabled version of its popular Windows CE-based handheld computer, the MX3-CE. This is the company's innovative horizontal half-screen wireless model.

In its new version, the MX3-RFID has 802.11b wireless connectivity, and is equipped to read both barcodes and RFID tags. The RFID capability is provided by an EPC-compliant tag reader, fully protected in a low-profile enclosure in the rear of the unit. This meets the requirements for use in EPC class 0 mode (read only) and class 1 mode (write once, read many times).

In a jibe at rivals who may not have tackled RFID so comprehensively, senior vice-president Peter Fausel says: "The handheld RFID prototypes we've seen to date wouldn't last long in a typical warehouse or distribution centre. The MX3-RFID, like all of LXE's wireless computers, has been designed to thrive in these demanding environments."

 

EPC, the dominant emerging RFID standard, was drawn up by EPCglobal, the not-for-profit joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC).