DENSO introduces SP1 RFID Sled

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: DENSO introduces SP1 RFID Sled.

DENSO, part of the Toyota Group and inventor of the QR Code, has launched the new SP1 RFID Scanner. 

Kaber Kolioutsis, Marketing Communication Specialist at the DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit, says: "RFID allows an enormous increase in efficiency in data collection. With our new SP1, the RFID feature can now be added to almost any smart device. This allows companies to avoid having to completely replace their equipment. However, they can still include RFID technology into their processes.”

To connect the devices to each other, a QR Code, which is printed on the SP1, is read with an available smart device. They are then paired via Bluetooth. Even if the Bluetooth connection is interrupted temporarily during a scanning process, no data gets lost as the SP1 stores all scanned data internally. 

That way, it is able to resynchronise with the application program, even if there was an interruption. It can resend the unsent data or even all information. Therefore, no new scans are required. Another advantage is that the SP1 is almost self-explanatory. Users do not lose precious time for getting used to the functionality. 

In addition, the SP1 can read up to 700 RFID tags per second – a decisive advantage especially during inventories. While other devices are able to achieve similar reading speeds, their major weakness is that they overheat and thus slow down after a short period of time. "This issue does not occur with our SP1 sled. As we want to meet the high standards of our customers, we designed it to ensure continuous high-speed operation" says Kolioutsis. With the SP1 and its optimised design, DENSO has created exactly the solution that was needed. 

The ergonomic and lightweight design of just about 400 grams makes working with the SP1 very comfortable. Especially when working for a longer period of time, this comes as a big advantage. This lightweight design does not mean it is fragile, however. "Even if things get stressful and the SP1 falls down, there is no need to worry. It can withstand up to 30 falls from up to 1.2 meters," says Kolioutsis. The SP1 is also IP54 certified against water and dust, and has a scanning range of up to eight meters. 

The extensive research to develop the time-saving and innovative SP1 was performed in a large EMC chamber. It measures 20 meters ap-proximately, which is very rare in the industry. "At DENSO in Japan, we set up a demo store with about 2,000 items to test our RFID device. The EMC chamber is basically like a sound-proof room, where absolute measurements were realised," explains Kolioutsis. DENSO also measured the performance of the tags and came to the conclusion that their new RFID device can achieve the highest reading performance in the industry. "The combination of outstanding reading performance and the most suitable RFID tag for the surroundings ensures maximum efficiency. And thus, we are very excited to present our new SP1," concludes Kolioutsis.