Overview of Asset Tracking

The purpose of an asset tracking system is to improve workflows, reduce inventory loss, and introduce process optimizations to enhance overall operational efficiency and productivity. In any asset tracking system, real-time location information of stationary/moving assets is securely communicated to the cloud via gateways/routers. This article discusses key considerations for implementing an accurate and cost-effective asset tracking solution that best suits your industry requirements.

The article is divided into two parts, where the first part provides an overview of IoT-based asset tracking solutions, the high-level architecture of the system, essential system components information, and cost-driving factors in designing the system. The second part will provide you with complete details on different types of protocol compressions and widely popular industry applications.

 

Advantages of IoT-based Asset Tracking

In contrast to legacy and passive asset tracking systems, IoT-based asset tracking is an intelligent, efficient, and smart system. IoT-enabled asset tracking solutions leverage IoT sensors to remotely track assets' specific application details without any manual intervention. These IoT sensors can be attached to assets along with traditional tracking tags (e.g., QR codes, RFID tags, barcodes).

There can be multiple use cases for IoT-based solutions considering the cost of assets relative to the overall solution. Traditional passive solutions are simple, cost-effective, and easy to implement. However, expensive and high-quality IoT solutions are increasingly gaining popularity across various industries.

  • Automated tracking processes

 

  • Real-time information

 

  • Real-time inventory management

 

  • Environmental and usage information

 

  • Automatic reminders and alerts

 

  • Accurate device location

 

  • Ensuring compliance

 

  • Quick asset audits

 

Key Components of an Asset Tracking Solution

There are five main components - Tags, Readers/Hubs, Gateway, Cloud, and Mobile Application - that cover the entire solution, as described in the following section. Choosing each component based on industry requirements will make the solution unique.

Tags: Tags are the essential unit identifiers for all assets, supporting wireless communication protocols to communicate with readers and provide tag information. Tags can be RFID, barcodes, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, BLE/Bluetooth 5.1 supporting Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) active and passive nature.

 

Readers/Hubs: This is a device used to detect available tags in a specific area and send the same data to the gateway or act as a data aggregator in the cloud for that area. Nowadays, some readers have enough capability to send tag data directly to the cloud without the help of a gateway. Different types of readers are passive readers, Passive Reader Active Tags (PRAT), Active Reader Passive Tags (ARPT), and Active Reader Active Tags (ARAT).

 

Intelligent Gateway: The gateway is the core of the system. It should be intelligent enough to perform various operations such as maintaining a connection with the IoT cloud - sending tag data to the cloud in real-time, preserving tag status/information when internet connectivity is unavailable, analyzing tag information, and working smartly to save battery. In many use cases, the gateway adds significant value to the system through local computing capabilities. The gateway should widely support one or more operating systems such as VxWorks, AWS FreeRTOS, Zephyr, uC/OS, and Linux for further application development.

 

IoT Cloud: The IoT cloud is the primary interface of the system from which we can access real-time inventory status. The cloud is capable of performing business analytics with the help of predefined logic and may utilize AI and ML and represent data in a structured form. Multiple clouds are available for various services like data analytics, real-time data monitoring, gateway monitoring, etc. The cloud needs to support popular protocols like HTTPS, MQTT, CoAP for communication with the gateway/devices.

 

Connected Mobile Application: The mobile application is one of the key components of the solution, depending on the type of solution or application. The mobile application can efficiently provide directions, display data, quick information about any monitored asset, and notifications/alerts for any critical situations.

 

Primary Cost-Driving Factors: Tag Cost and Infrastructure Cost

 

Designing the optimal asset tracking solution is also a significant challenge. It depends entirely on the type of assets we are trying to track and the level of advantage we aim to achieve through implementing these solutions. There are two main cost-driving factors: the number of tags and the cost of infrastructure setup. More complex tags incur higher costs but definitely require lower-cost infrastructure. On the other hand, simple and low-cost tags necessitate more expensive and highly complex infrastructure.


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