Tag Setting
Blink Configuration
Always make sure that tags and anchors have the same blink configuration. The default blink configuration of the tags is in the following table:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Refresh Interval |
|
| Channel | 5 |
| RF Profile | RF5* |
*Depends on the firmware version. Legacy firmware has RF4, RF3 as default. Default settings might also differ for customer's custom configuration requests.
Tags reconfiguration is described in section Tags.
Once the tags and anchors are set to the same blink configuration, go to RTLS Manager -> Tag Summary and check the List of Online Tags. All active tags should be listed there.
Tag Key Settings
You should focus on correct tag configuration for given use-case. The following criteria are typically considered because they affect each other.
Refresh Interval
It is an interval for sending location signal - Blink (represent as blue columns on the picture below). Generally, it means how often the blink is sent and how often the position calculation will be calculated.
If the tag is active and blinks are sent, the power consumption is much higher (milliwatts) compared to if the tag is not moving and it is in Sleep mode (microwatts). In the Sleep mode the tag sends kind of keep-alive message “Hey I am still here, I am static, and my battery is 52%”.
The refresh interval (RI) is key setting for the battery lifetime. You can compare examples in the table below.
Tag Recommended Setting
Each tag type is used for the different use case. Therefore, it requires different setting to meet the requirements. The table below shows recommended setting for each tag type.
On this page:
Motion detection and Sleep Mode
Overview
Motion detection utilizes the accelerometer’s data to detect, whether the Tag is moving or not. This information gives the tag possibility to go into sleep mode once the Tag is stationary.
This brings two benefits:
- Motion detection significantly prolongs the battery lifetime.
- Motion detection decreases communication workload over the channel.
Tag Sleep Mode Setting
Tag distinguishes between movement and static position based on the motion detection feature, which is built on the top of the accelerometer sensor.
Two important parameters for Sleeping modes are:
- Refresh Interval
- Refresh Interval in Sleeping mode
Refresh interval can be set for both cases tag in movement and static tag separately. Refresh Interval is typically below 2s, while the refresh interval in Sleep Mode is in minutes. It is just kind of keep-alive message “Hey I am still here, I am static, and my battery is i.e., 52%”.
Previous Tag types (Piccolino and Tag iMU) have different accelerometers than the Leonardo family. Therefore, it is recommended to test the threshold sensitivity level for a given tag type and particular application
For a static tag you can define sleep mode types:
- Disabled - Tag send blink message regularly and movement detection is inactive.
- Delayed sleep - Once no movement is detected, tag remains sending blinks for a 15 second period and then go into sleep mode. This mode can be useful in scenarios when accurate position is required at the spot where tag was stopped.
- Immediate sleep - Tag is put into deep sleep immediately after no motion event is detected.
Movement event threshold could be set via tag configuration (NFC or wireless). Implicitly it is set to most sensitive value.
Tag Sleep Mode in Detail
The picture below provides sleep modes comparison.
(RI - Refresh Interval; RISM- refresh interval in sleep mode)
Backward Compatibility
Tag's FW 3.118 includes feature Keep alive → Tag is put into sleep immediately after no motion event is triggered, still it sends blink every 5 seconds. After the blink is sent, the tag is put back into deep sleep. This feature is useful for static tag tracking
Current Tag Setting
You can find the current Tag setting in RTLS Manager section Tag Summary:
Battery lifetime
It is mainly dependent on parameters refresh interval and sleep mode.
Please use our Tag Battery Lifetime Calculator for details
Maximum Number of Tags at One Location Area