Using the Alien Gateway Software
Overview
This article will explain the steps required to utilize the RFID Gateway software by Alien.
Downloads
Introduction
The RFID Gateway software by Alien is a very user-friendly and useful tool for connecting to and configuring Alien RFID readers. This software allows user to easily setup their readers and test different configurations in order to find the best settings for their application.
Connecting a Fixed Reader
A fixed reader from Alien can be connected to the host PC by either a network or serial connection. Setup steps for both methods are outlined in the article for Setting Up Your Alien ALR-F800 Reader.
Once connected, the user should see the software's main menu. In this article, we will walk through each section and outline its settings and functionality.
Tag Grid
The Tag Grid section of the RFID Gateway software allows the user to perform a basic inventory function. This functionality allows the user to read all tags within range, and allows for the configuration of various settings like EPC filtering and RSSI reporting.
How to Read Tags in Tag Grid
To perform a basic tag inventory function, connect an Alien reader and open Tag Grid. Once opened, the Gateway software will automatically begin trying to read nearby tags. Each tag will be reported to the screen by its EPC. On this screen, the user can select which antennas to use for reading, and can customize the read by adjusting parameters like the Cycle, Session, and RF attenuation of the read. For example, increasing the RF attenuation will result in fewer tags being read, while changing the Session will change the way that the tag responds to the reader.
Tag Grid also allows the user to filter to a specific tag or group of tags by using the Gen2 Mask functionality. The user can choose which tag memory the reader should filter to, and then will report all tags that match that selection.
Additionally, users can send commands to the reader using the Alien Command Line functionality inside Tag Grid. This allows the user to fine-tune their read even further by sending the reader commands to set or get read parameters.
Command Line Interface
The Command Line Interface functionality allows the user to interface directly with the reader via pre-defined commands. A list of these commands can be found in the Alien Fixed Reader User Guide linked in the Downloads section above.
Tag Programmer
This section of the RFID Gateway software allows the user to read and encode the EPC of a single tag.
Readometer
This section allows the user to monitor different read parameters of a tag read, like reads per second and the total number of reads per antenna. Parameters like reader Session, Cycle, and RF attenuation can be set to fine-tune the read.