Using Inventory Mode in ItemTest
Overview:
This article will explain the process of setting up the ItemTest software tool with the Speedway Revolution R420 reader, and using i to read RFID tags.
Downloads:
Connecting to the Reader in ItemTest
In order to use ItemTest with the R420 reader, we must first configure ItemTest to connect to the reader. For detailed instructions on connecting the reader to a PC and performing a complete setup, please see Setting Up Your Speedway Revolution Reader.
NOTE: ItemTest will not be able to connect to a reader if Speedway Connect has been installed on it. To use ItemTest, Speedway Connect must be uninstalled from the reader. To uninstall Speedway Connect, open it and choose Uninstall in the top right corner.
Download and install ItemTest using the link in the downloads section of this article. After launching, choose the + icon next to Data Sources.
Enter your either your reader's IP address, which you can obtain from the Network section of the Web UI, or speedwayr-xx-xx-xx, with the x's being the last 6 digits of the unit's MAC address. Ensure that the Data source interface matches that of the web UI, either LLRP or IoT. Choose "Add Data Source."
The reader will now appear to the left under Data Sources, using its nickname if you gave it one, or the IP address if you did not.
Configuring the Reader in ItemTest
Selecting the reader under Data Sources will open its configuration settings.
Reader Settings
The image above shows the settings that are configurable for the connected reader.
Inventory Tab
- Antennas: Allows for the specification of the number of antennas to use
- Reader Mode: Setting that adjusts how the reader operates
- Estimated Population: Estimation of the number of tags present in a single read zone
- Session and Search Modes: Please see the linked article for a brief explanation of EPC Gen2 Sessions and Search Modes: https://support.impinj.com/hc/en-us/articles/202756158-Understanding-EPC-Gen2-Search-Modes-and-Sessions
- Power (dBm): Allows for the configuration of the read power of the reader
- Filter: Allows for a read filter to be enabled so that only specific tags respond
- FastID: Functionality that allows for a tag's TID to respond more quickly (exclusive to Monza tags)
- Memory Bank: The RFID tag memory bank to which the filter is applied
- Bit pointer: The starting bit to which the filter is applied
- Length: The length of the data being filtered (in bits)
Once all desired changes to the reader's settings have been made, select "Save As New Profile" to save a profile of these settings or select "OK" to apply the settings. Once the settings have been saved as a profile, that profile can then be selected in the Reader Settings page.
Application Settings - Inventory Tab
The Application Settings page shows the available settings that are applicable to the reader in Inventory Mode.
- List View - These settings will appear in the tag report list if checked
- Table View - These settings will appear in the tag report table if checked
Inventory Mode
Once all reader configuration is completed, ItemTest is ready to perform an Inventory read. ItemTest's Inventory Mode functionality allows the user to use the specified reader settings to scan the environment for RFID tags and report the tag data selected in Application Settings. In this mode, no location or directional data is reported.
To begin reading, select the "Start" button (triangle in a circle). As each RFID tag is read, its data will appear on the screen.
Each unique tag will have its own tag report, which is color-coded according to how often the tag is read. If a tag does not respond over a short amount of time, the tag report for that tag will become a darker shade of gray.