Isabel Expósito

Exploring the Limitations on RFID Technology in Traceability Systems at Beverage Factories

The application of RFID in traceability of products in beverage factories is analyzed in terms of the electromagnetic conditions defined by the massive presence of metallic elements and liquids. Various experiments are reported to determine the maximum reading range from RFID tags installed on tanks or to read RFID information around bottles, both empty and full of wine, trying to put in context the possible problems that could appear when installing an RFID-based traceability system within a winery, a brewery, or any other beverage factory.

Uncertainty in Field-Level Measurements of LTE Signals Associated With User Load

Recent modulation schemes in mobile communications, as Long Term Evolution (LTE), give rise to the question of how to properly assess the exposure to the electromagnetic fields generated by base station signals. This letter examines the changes in the field strength associated with the user load variations in the LTE signals. First, we have generated a set of signals, with the same configuration parameters, modifying only the percentage of user load and simulating how it alters the field level. Then, a setup for measurements is defined, and two electric field probes are exposed to the previous analyzed signals in a controlled environment. Field strength meter readings are recorded as in a real case of exposure evaluation. Uncertainties concerning probes performance and environmental conditions are also calculated to have an overall budget. Due to the user load changes, field-level variations up to 11xa0dB have been found. The measurement uncertainty of the exposure level may be dramatically increased by these field fluctuations.

RFID readability around wine bottle boxes

This contribution focuses on RFID performance in wineries. Specifically, it deals with the problem of readability of the RFID tags attached to wine bottles when packed in boxes. The results of a measurement campaign around cardboard boxes of six glass bottles, individually labelled with an RFID tag, are analyzed to stablish the conditions under which RFID is a valid technology to track wine bottles. The consequence is a guide of good practices to implement RFID tracking systems in wineries and warehouses, when we want to track individual bottles packed in boxes.