AdvanSafe-200

AdvanSafe-200 is the new overhead anti-theft / loss prevention system based on RFID UHF. It comprises an antenna with an embedded reader, controller and alarm combining EAS and RFID functions in one system.

AdvanSafe-200 detects the tagged items that pass below the antenna, verify if those items have been paid, and sounds an alarm if any item has not been paid.

AdvanSafe-200 may comprises up to a primary unit and one secondary unit:

The primary unit has an integrated reader, a controller, an alarm, a visual alarm indicator and one directive antenna.
The secondary unit comprises one directive antenna and a visual alarm indicator.

By using AdvanSafe-200 it is no longer necessary to install two technologies for using EAS and RFID functions in one single shop.

Business benefits of AdvanSafe :

Combination of EAS and RFID in one system, which reduces labeling costs
Improved store aesthetics, by having an open entrance area in the shop (no antennas on the floor)
Improved customer experience, since tags are very thin and can be embedded in labels (for apparel). This allows the customer to try on a garment without suffering the annoyance of a traditional EAS mechanisms
Shrinkage reduction
Provides data to detect which products suffer more theft attempts, which allows taking corrective actions
Statistics of EAS alarms
Plug and play installation

Getting Started

These are the minimum steps to start using AdvanSafe:

1. Power AdvanSafe unit

Connect the AdvanSafe to a power supply (Switch PoE, PoE injector, etc..) through an Ethernet cable and wait until it beeps. It will take between 40 and 50 seconds to boot.

Using a PoE injector

Follow this diagram to connect AdvanSafe through a PoE injector:

2. How it works

AdvanSafe-200 implements beam-switching technology allowing it to have 4 different read beams. Those beams are used to derive whether a tag is going out from the store.

The LED in AdvanSafe-200 units must always face the inside of the store.

3. Alarm test with default EPC Alarm configuration

The default configuration of AdvanSafe is to trigger a visual and audio alarm when the AdvanSafe reads an EPC that starts with 0x3008 and it is read by the 4 read beams in 5 seconds. Pass the tag provided by Keonn under the AdvanSafe path. A triple-beep will be heard and a light will flash.

At this point, we are sure AdvanSafe is up and running normally.

The default pattern to activate the alarm is 3008h.

This value has nothing to do with the SGTIN-96 encoding which starts by a 30h header

4. Configuration

Almost in any installation, it is required to adjust AdvanSafe operation.

4.1 Discover Device

Configuration requires Ethernet access to the unit, as it uses a web application.

We need therefore to connect the AdvanSafe unit to an Ethernet network and execute an IP discovery process. After the configuration process is finished, the Ethernet cable can be removed.

To be able to discover the AdvanSafe IP address, use a PC on the same network as the computer.

Please see the discover devices for the 150/60 Series devices: series150/60-Discover-devices.

4.2 Enter AdvanNet Manager

The previous step will result in the IP that is assigned to the device. Let's named it <AdvanSafe-IP-address>

Use a computer in the same network as the AdvanSafe.
Open a Web Browser (Chrome or Firefox are required).
Go to the page: http://<AdvanSafe-IP-address>
Replace the <AdvanSafe-IP-address> for the IP found in the discover devices.
Enter with the following credentials:

User: admin
Password: admin

4.3 Read Modes

Go to the RF & Antennas options to see the available AdvanSafe read modes.

The AdvanSafe Configuration has the following configurations: AUTONOMOUS, SEQUENTIAL, EPC_EAS_ALARM, HTTP_EAS_ALARM, SQL_EAS_ALARM, EPC_EAS_ALARM_200, HTTP_EAS_ALARM_200 and SQL_EAS_ALARM_200.

The purpose of each Read Modes is the following:

- AUTONOMOUS: In this read mode the RF engine schedules the antenna switching automatically amongst the available RF ports.
- SEQUENTIAL: In this read mode the RF engine waits for read commands.
- EPC_EAS_ALARM: The alarm recognizes EPC patterns to trigger appropriate events. This is the default read mode.
- HTTP_EAS_ALARM: The alarm triggering logic is provided by an HTTP server.
- SQL_EAS_ALARM: The alarm triggering logic is provided by an SQL database.
- EPC_EAS_ALARM_200: EPC_EAS_ALARM taking benefit of Keonn's beam steering technology.
- HTTP_EAS_ALARM_200: HTTP_EAS_ALARM taking benefit of Keonn's beam steering technology.
- SQL_EAS_ALARM_200: SQL_EAS_ALARM taking benefit of Keonn's beam steering technology.

More information about Read Modes can be found here.

The mode EPC-EAS-200 is the only alarm model currently implemented for AdvanSafe-200

4.4 Apply EPC Alarm Configuration

The Autonomous mode can be used to see the tags EPC, it will not trigger an alarm. In the case the EPCs in use followed:

EPC (SKU) begins with 0x3036.

A configuration to trigger alarms when AdvanSafe reads EPCs that begin with 0x3036 will be:

After any configuration change, always use the Apply config button.

Mask is expressed as a hexadecimal number. It can start by 0x, or directly by the hex number.

Any mask must have an even number of hex characters (8 bits): 0x3034, 0x303467ab, etc. When the mask length is not a multiple of 8 bits, the hex mask must be the next multiple beyond the mask length.

For example:

length: 20
mask: 30347f

(the f hexadecimal character represents bits from 21 to 24, they will not be evaluated but must be there)

It is also possible to configure a multiple set of patterns. Visit AdvanNet page for further information

4.5 Persist Configuration

Using the apply button only changes the runtime settings, in order to make those changes persistent follow the steps below:

Remember to apply the configuration.
Click the persist button (surrounded in red) to persist the configuration.
In this case, the AdvanSafe will start with EPC-EAS-200 configuration.

While changing the configuration, AdvanSafe operation remains stopped.

In order to start it again:

- Go to monitor tab.
- Press the start button

4.6 Alarm test with new EPC Alarm configuration

With the configuration of the previous chapters, only the EPCs that begins with 0x3036 will trigger alarms:

Hardware overview

Please check the Hardware page

Installation

Please check Installation page.

Operation

Overview

Please check Settings overview page.

How to choose tags

Tag selection is key for AdvanSafe-200 proper operation.

Use only the most sensitive tags in the market

The AdvanSafe 200 requires sensitive tags.

- CheckPoint G6
- Century CE33081, CE36061
- Smartrac Web Monza 6
- Etc.

Adjusting detection / false alarms

Although there is a large set of configuration options, only a few of them are usually needed to adjust the detection/false alarm level of the system.

Power adjust

The most basic thing to change is to adjust the conducted power.

- Increasing the power will increase detection and will perhaps increase false alarms
- Decrease the power will certainly decrease detection and also false alarms

Power levels of the same RF port must be changed accordingly by the same amount.

For example the following configuration

Can be increased by 2 dB to:

Or decrease 3 dB to:

Please note the order of the beams must follow the sequence displayed

1,1
1,2
1,3
1,4

When the Secondary is present, add to the previous the sequence the following:

2,1
2,2
2,3
2,4

Power adjust (advanced)

Increasing the central beams power (1:2 and 1:3) to the same level of the external beams (1:1 and 1:4) has a direct effect on detection.

This can be used in cases where the previous procedure does not work.

When increasing the centrals beams power improves detection but generates too many alarms, the False alarm filter must be used.

False alarm filter

When the required detection can only be achieved in a way that generates too many false alarms, the only solution is to use the False Alarm filter.

Advanced configuration

AdvanCloud

To connect AdvanSafe-200 to the cloud using sCloud please follow these instructions.

Events & Actions

You can configure which actions will be a trigger in the available events. For example, the most used events are:

- TAG_ALARM: This event is created when AdvanSafe reads an EPC that triggers an alarm, as was explained in USB-emulation-with-EPC-change-configuration.

AdvanSafe can have AdvanSafe Primary and AdvanSafe Secondary. In this case, there are the following events:

- TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1: This event is created when AdvanSafe Primary reads an EPC that triggers an alarm.
- TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_2: This event is created when the AdvanSafe Secondary connected to the port 2 of the AdvanSafe Primary reads an EPC that triggers an alarm.

Normally these events will trigger a Speaker (sound) and a GPO (light) action for each alarm event:

If needed the connection with AdvanCloud, follow the previous chapter on AdvanCloud Service.

Change device IP

To change the IP visit Change device IP.

System features

Please see the discover devices for the 150 Series devices: System-features

Access real-time data

All system activity can be accessed at real-time by listening at TCP socket port 3177.

The protocol used is very similar to HTTP and the message format is XML. The following is a sample of message:xml:

ADVANNET/1.0

Content-Length:488

Content-Type:text/xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>deviceEventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.device.impl.DefaultTagAlarmEvent</class>

<type>TAG_ALARM</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.DeviceEvent$EventType</typeclass>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

</event>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-100-eu</deviceId>

</deviceEventMessage>

Important characteristics:

Header always contains
- ADVANNET/1.0: protocol version
- Content-Length: length of the message
- Content-Type: type of the message
There is an empty line between the headers and the start of the message.
Line separators are CRLF characters: this applies to header lines and the empty line between headers and content. The content itself (in the case of txt or XML type) may contain any form of line separator.

TAG messages

Possible TAG events that will be received are:

INVENTORY

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>inventory</type>

<msg-version>2.1.0beta</msg-version>

<op>inventory</op>

<data>

<advanNetId>AdvanNet-instance-7c:66:9d:55:60:df--1</advanNetId>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

<class>INVENTORY</class>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-100-eu</deviceId>

<items>

<item>

<class>READ_EVENT</class>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-100-eu</deviceId>

<data>

<props>

<prop>TIME_STAMP:1398285448873</prop>

<prop>READ_COUNT:1</prop>

<prop>ANTENNA_PORT:1</prop>

<prop>RF_PHASE:47</prop>

</props>

</data>

</item>

</items>

</inventory>

</data>

</inventory>

TAG_ALARM

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>deviceEventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.device.impl.DefaultTagAlarmEvent</class>

<type>TAG_ALARM</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.DeviceEvent$EventType</typeclass>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

</event>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-100-eu</deviceId>

</deviceEventMessage>

TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>deviceEventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.device.impl.DefaultTagAlarmEvent</class>

<type>TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.DeviceEvent$EventType</typeclass>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

</event>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-100-eu</deviceId>

</deviceEventMessage>

TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_2

Same as TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1 with TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_2

TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_3

Same as TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1 with TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_3

TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_4

Same as TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_1 with TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_4

Whenever a TAG_ALARM is sent, it is also sent the TAG_ALARM_ANTENNA_X counterpart. They are redundant messages.

It also important to understand that AdvanSafe installations with Secondary unit, the antenna that detects a tag is not the antenna which is closer to that tag, is just the first antenna that is able to read a tag.

Use it the antenna value with caution

SYSTEM messages

Possible SYSTEM events that will be received are:

- ADVANNET_INFO

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>eventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.advannet.impl.event.DefaultAdvanNetEvent</class>

<type>ADVANNET_INFO</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.AdvanNetEvent$AdvanNetEventType</typeclass>

<advanNetId>AdvanNet-instance-00:1e:8c:25:0c:43--1</advanNetId>

<msg>Device[adrd-m4-100] started in mode: EPC_EAS_ALARM</msg>

</event>

</eventMessage>

- ADVANNET_DEVICE_CONNECTED

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>eventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.advannet.impl.event.DefaultAdvanNetEvent</class>

<type>ADVANNET_DEVICE_CONNECTED</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.AdvanNetEvent$AdvanNetEventType</typeclass>

<advanNetId>AdvanNet-instance-7c:66:9d:55:60:df--1</advanNetId>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

</event>

</eventMessage>

- ADVANNET_DEVICE_DISCONNECTED

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<type>eventMessage</type>

<event>

<class>com.keonn.advannet.impl.event.DefaultAdvanNetEvent</class>

<type>ADVANNET_DEVICE_DISCONNECTED</type>

<typeclass>com.keonn.spec.event.AdvanNetEvent$AdvanNetEventType</typeclass>

<advanNetId>AdvanNet-instance-7c:66:9d:55:60:df--1</advanNetId>

<deviceId>AdvanSafe-m-200-eu</deviceId>

</event>

</eventMessage>

- Also several error messages can be received.

Factory reset

It is possible to do a full factory reset.

Whenever the system is fully booted:

- Press the reset button for 15 seconds. Use a paper clip or similar.

- The unit will be rebooted with:
  - Default network settings: DHCP
  - Default system settings

Use GPO/relay lines

AdvanSafe supports Secondary antennas. Each of the Secondary antennas feature a LED light controlled through a GPO line from the Primary unit.

The spare GPO lines can be used to control whatever system we wish.

Let's image we want to use the GPO cable of Secondary #3 to control whatever external device:

- Configure the system to use the GPO#3
  - Got to Events & Actions tab
  - Click on new

- - Adjust new event settings as follows
    - TAG_ALARM: is the event that will trigger the GPO line change
    - High: the event will switch the GPO line to high value.
    - On time: amount of time the line will be high
    - Off time: amount of time the line will be low
    - Total time: the total amount of time the GPO event will last.

- - Persist changes if necessary.

- Use the GPO line to control an external device. Remember the electronic characteristics are:
  - 5 V
  - 100 mA

The relay output is linked to GPO #9

Speaker sound level

it is possible to adjust the level of the external loud speaker. Follow instructions here.

Autonomous Mode

The Autonomous Mode configuration allows the user to test the AdvanSafe performance without any alarm configuration. The purpose of this configuration is only for testing, not for real scenarios.

To set this configuration, enter the AdvanNet manager (Web Application) of AdvanSafe, stop the reading and change the configuration to Test Mode:

Filters to minimize False Alarms

Filters information can be found on the Reader configuration page

Other

Check NTP connection

Please see the Check NTP connection for the 150/60 Series devices

API examples

Please check API examples page.

Other

Adding an external sounder / Tower stack

It is possible to add an external buzzer/sounder and or Tower stack to AdvanSafe-200.

Please see the details on the Tower Stack page.

FAQ

Is it possible to detect tag direction?

No. This current version of the FW does not estimate tag direction. It could be done in future FW releases.

Is it possible to detect tag location?

No.

The current hardware would only allow tag location in one dimension. The current FW does not implement any estimate.