“Supply chain disruptions will continue for the foreseeable future, and logistics tracking management will become increasingly important. Logistics is the process of moving items from one place to another, taking place within a production site, within a warehouse, or between geographically dispersed locations. Logistics tracking management can provide real-time supply chain status, enabling adjustments as needed to minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions and ensure smooth, efficient and profitable operations.
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Author: Jeff Shepard
Supply chain disruptions will continue for the foreseeable future, and logistics tracking management will become increasingly important. Logistics is the process of moving items from one place to another, taking place within a production site, within a warehouse, or between geographically dispersed locations. Logistics tracking management can provide real-time supply chain status, enabling adjustments as needed to minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions and ensure smooth, efficient and profitable operations.
With the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), logistics 4.0 and intelligent supply chain management, including artificial intelligence, have emerged to meet new challenges and increase flexibility in logistics management. Logistics 4.0 enables real-time supply chain visibility and integrity control to ensure you have the information you need to deliver the right product in the right quantity at the right cost, at the right time, place and conditions. Depending on the location in the supply chain, logistics tracking can be managed using a range of technologies, including linear (1D) barcodes, 2D barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Wirepas (Industrial Bluetooth) and GPS technology.
This article provides an overview of logistics challenges, compares the utility of several logistics tracking technologies and related industry standards, and concludes with an example of tracking tools provided by Banner Engineering and Würth Elektronik, as well as an evaluation platform to speed up the development process.
Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0 are interconnected, and both are necessary to achieve the goal of efficient mass customization in an economical way. Logistics 4.0 relies on highly granular and real-time information related to a variety of items, combined with networking, automation and low-latency communications to enable early warning and rapid response to supply chain disruptions to maintain optimal availability of goods throughout the supply chain. Excellent flow. In specific cases, multiple technologies are required to achieve the optimal logistics solution.
1D and 2D barcodes
Barcoding is an inexpensive and efficient way to automate data collection for various items. Depending on the amount of data, barcodes come in a variety of formats, including:
• One-dimensional or linear barcodes that can contain information such as serial numbers, model numbers, and item history.
• Stacked linear barcodes, which use multiple 1D barcodes stacked closely together to provide higher density data.
・ 2D barcodes, consisting of boxes or cells, store larger amounts of data in a grid format.
One-dimensional barcodes are the most common, and the barcode information is contained within a certain width of black bars and spaces, and is read with a barcode scanner that understands the specific format being used. 1D barcodes come in a variety of formats that are optimized for the data required for a specific application. An example is as follows:
・ Code 128 for material handling
・ Code 39, used by military and government agencies
・ Interleaved 2 of 5 for specific industrial applications
・ UPC-A, widely used in the US retail industry
・ Postnet, used by the United States Postal Service (USPS)
For example, the format for Code 128 includes (Figure 1):
Black bars are black lines that convey information. In the basic encoding, black bars come in two sizes – wide and narrow, and are translated into binary information by the reader. Other barcode formats may include black bars and spaces of different widths to convey more detail.
Static areas are blank spaces around the edges of the barcode that allow the scanner to recognize the beginning and end of the barcode. This is a common feature of all 1D barcode formats.
Start and stop codes are specific combinations of black bars and spaces that indicate the beginning and end of the barcode.
The check code is used to verify the accuracy of the data and prevent data reading errors.
Human-readable codes are not part of the machine-readable information in barcodes.
Module width refers to the height/width of the smallest cell or black bar in the barcode and determines the minimum resolution required by the scanner to accurately read the code.
Figure 1: 1D barcode structure using Code 128 code format (color is for identification only). (Image credit: Banner Engineering)
2D barcodes are more complex and contain a larger amount of data. Some common 2D barcodes include:
・ DataMatrix for automotive, electronics and USPS applications
・ QR codes are also used outside of automotive and commercial marketing
・ Aztec, for travel tickets and some vehicle registration documents
・ Maxicode for material handling and United Parcel Service (UPS)
The DataMatrix format includes (Figure 2):
A cell is an area of black and white squares within a two-dimensional matrix that contains data.
The static area is the white space around the 2D barcode that allows the scanner to recognize the beginning and end of the barcode.
The finder (or “L”) mode orients the reader so that it can identify the correct way to read the code.
Timing mode is the opposite of Finder mode and indicates the size of the cells inside the reader barcode and the number of rows and columns in the barcode.
Figure 2: 2D barcode DataMatrix structure (color is for identification only). (Image credit: Banner Engineering)
2D barcodes also contain error correction data. Depending on the barcode, the error correction data may appear three times to improve the quality of data collection by the reader.
Read barcodes
Laser scanners are a simple and economical way to read 1D barcodes. The laser light shines on the barcode through a rotating mirror, and its reflected light is measured by a photodiode. Then, the measurement of light is converted into a digital output. High-speed laser scanners can perform up to 1300 scans per second, but cannot read 2D barcodes.
Image readers can read both 1D and 2D barcodes. This type of reader captures an image of the barcode, which is then analyzed with image processing software to locate, orient, and read the barcode. Compared to laser scanners, image readers have a wider depth of field, can read at multiple heights, and can read multiple barcodes simultaneously. The speed of the reading process depends on the capabilities of the imaging camera and processing software.
Wirepas self-organizing mobile network
In addition to barcodes, wireless tags and IIoT can also be used for item identification, location and condition determination throughout the supply chain. Wirepas is an autonomous self-organizing wireless connectivity protocol designed to achieve the scale and density required for Logistics 4.0 applications. Traditional mesh networks such as Bluetooth have difficulty reaching large scale due to congestion and bandwidth constraints. Wirepas overcomes this barrier by decentralizing network intelligence across nodes, resulting in a self-healing network using conflict-free radio spectrum (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Wirepas can replace Bluetooth or proprietary wireless protocols in logistics tracking applications that need to manage a large number of items. (Image credit: Würth Elektronik)
Wirepas Mesh software is designed for large scale and battery powered networks. Each node:
・ Scan the network environment and choose the optimal path
・Adjust transmit power based on the proximity of nearby nodes
• Can be used as a routing or non-routing node, and also as a sink node.
・ Switchable between low power and low latency modes
・ Select the optimal frequency
・ Anti-interference
The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) is an independent organization founded by several major container shipping companies. The organization has published a wireless connectivity interface standard for shipping containers. Wirepas is DCSA compliant.
Implement 1D and 2D barcodes
When designing a Logistics 4.0 tracking system using 1D or 2D barcodes, designers can use Banner Engineering’s image-based WVGA (752 x 480 pixels) barcode reader ABR3009-WSU2 (Figure 4). It is factory calibrated at three focus positions (45 mm, 70 mm and 125 mm) and has a continuous focus range that provides fine-tuning for various applications. The ABR3009-WSU2 can capture 57 frames per second.
Figure 4: Banner Engineering’s ABR3009-WSU2 reads a variety of 1D and 2D barcodes. (Image credit: Banner Engineering)
All standard 1D and 2D ABR 3000 series readers are set up to read DataMatrix barcodes and can be easily configured via onboard buttons to read other styles of barcodes, or for more complex configurations via PC using Banner’s Barcode Manager software Finish. Lens options, including software-adjustable autofocus, further simplify setup and configuration. Device integration and IIoT data collection can be configured via industrial Ethernet, serial or USB connections. The model ABR3009-WSU2 is IP65 rated, preventing the ingress of dust and water sprayed from the nozzle.
Wirepas Radio Module
Thetis-I from Würth Elektronik is a 2.4 GHz radio module that supports the Wirepas mesh network communication protocol. Designers can integrate Wirepas into a Logistics 4.0 asset tracking device using part number 2611011021010 with a line-of-sight range of 400 m (Figure 5). Its transmit (Tx) power is 6 dBm, receive sensitivity (Rx) is up to -92 dBm, and transmission rates are up to 1 Mbps. The 2611011021010 consumes 18.9 mA in Tx mode, 7.7 mA in Rx mode, and 3.16 μA in sleep mode. Its dimensions are 8 x 12 x 2 mm.
Figure 5: 2.4 GHz Thetis-I radio module supporting the Wirepas mesh networking protocol (Image credit: Würth Elektronik)
To accelerate the development of Logistics 4.0 applications using Thetis-I radio modules that support the Wirepas mesh networking protocol, designers can use the Thetis-I EV kit. The kit includes a mini-EV board, a USB radio patch, and three sensor nodes (Figure 6). A functioning Wirepas mesh prototype network can be set up in minutes, and each component in the EDV kit (mini-EV board, USB radio patch, and sensor node) can be purchased separately to expand the prototype network.
Figure 6: The Thetis-I EV kit is equipped with the Thetis-I Wirepas Mesh module and includes a mini-EV board, a USB radio patch, and three sensor nodes. (Image credit: Digi-Key)
The mini-EV board supports connection to a host microcontroller for application development. The sensor node is a 31 mm × 32 mm battery powered board with a pressure sensor and a humidity sensor. Sensor data is automatically read by the radio module and transmitted to the mesh network. The EV kit also includes Würth’s PC tool, Wirepas Commander software, which supports communication with radio modules, network configuration and sensor data monitoring.
Summarize
Logistics 4.0 relies on real-time, fine-grained information on all items in the supply chain, and requires the use of networked systems, automation and low-latency communications combined with Industry 4.0 to provide early warning of supply chain disruptions. Implementing a successful logistics system requires a variety of tracking technologies. This article presents various options related to 1D and 2D barcodes and highly scalable wireless Wirepas networks that can work together in a Logistics 4.0 solution.
The Links: G150XG03 V3 6DI150AH-050
