PDF Data Sheets

On the button
(322 KB)

Managing the information
(630 KB)

e-tag overview

e-tag product information

e-label features

Technical specifications

Application notes

Software integrators

Evaluation kit

e-tag is ideal for Asset Management and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) applications where guaranteed access to information about individual pieces of equipment is important to the efficient and cost-effective management of equipment programmes. Equipment assets fitted with e-tag ensure that critical information is always available wherever the asset itself is available, regardless of geographical location and regardless of access to host IT systems.

e-tag technology allows any type of digital information to be stored on the tag, including relational databases, word processor files, spreadsheet files and schematics, opening up a host of applications, for example, in equipment identification, configuration and service & maintenance recording.

e-tag memory

e-tag contact memory buttons or data tags, are miniature rugged, coin shaped devices packed with up to 64 K bytes of non-volatile EEPROM memory, allowing the equivalent of around 200 pages of A4 text to be stored. An e-tag does not contain a battery and can retain its data for 100 years between uses. Data can be read-from and written-to an e-tag virtually an unlimited number of times.

e-tag can be mechanically or adhesive attached to its host equipment asset. Adhesive attachment is best suited to retrofit applications and mechanical attachment is recommended for new build equipment where suitable mounting arrangements can be designed from the outset. Laboratory qualification programmes have proven that commercially available adhesives can produce strengths of over 1000N even after onerous accelerated life tests simulating demanding aerospace conditions. In addition, the e-tag can be combined with traditional metal ID labels to form an e-label which benefits from further adhesive strength and conveniently combines visual and electronic information.

The contact probe
The system uses a hand-held contact probe, which attaches to most popular computer serial ports in order to read and write the tags. The probe is touched onto the tag, with no specific orientation, to make physical electrical contact which ensures all power and data signals are mated to the e-tag. Contact probes can be configured to 'auto sense' an e-tag when touched and automatically trigger a tag read without further user instruction. The probe is also passive, containing no batteries, and derives its power parasitically from the computer.

e-tag is tolerant to breaks in contact during the reading and writing of tags. The system can recognise when a probe contact is broken and will continue to retry until probe contact is re-established. This robustness can be important and very practical under conditions of awkward access.

Systems
An e-tag system most commonly consists of (1) e-tag s, (2) portable/hand held Readers, each with a Contact Probe attached, and (3) a central Asset Database. Readers can be desktop PCs, notebook PCs or many of the most popular hand held computers or personal digital assistants (PDA). Examples of compatible Reader operating systems are Win 32 and PDAs running Palm OS, Pocket PC or EPOC (Symbion) or Linux. In a typical working environment portable Readers are regularly 'docked' into a cradle to upload/download and synchronise data between the e-tag s and the central Asset Database.

Software integration into Readers or directly into Asset Databases is straightforward using the e-tag Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK is available to OEMs and system integrators and has a CDROM containing the low level data access routines encapsulated in user friendly 'drivers'. The Integration Manual gives code examples of how to drive
the e-tag.

Evaluation Kit
e-tag evaluation kits are available consisting of sample e-tags, a contact probe, our e-tag demonstration software (Win32, WinCE, PalmOS) and the software developers kit (SDK).

The evaluation kit allows potential users and system developers to quickly get 'hands-on' experience.