Deploying High-Performance RTLS

In the following weeks, I will share my thoughts on how to deploy a high-performance real time location system (RTLS).

The reason for writing this is because an RTLS project involves many parties and components, and is not always straightforward. After working in the RTLS industry over seven years, and having seen quite a few RTLS deployments, it has become clear that some go better than the others. Things typically go smoothly as long as the system is planned, implemented, and tested carefully. And of course, there’s a lot of hype and bashing going on out there. Thus, finding unbiased information and especially testing systems from different vendors prior to the production system purchase is essential. And finally, I would suggest keeping the expectations realistic and starting with the one or two of the most important use cases.

Below is a summary of steps to be discussed. We will discuss many of those in more detail in the coming weeks.

The typical steps for RTLS deployment are:

1. Find out applications and define requirements
   – What are the main problems you will be solving (use cases) with RTLS?
   - Requirements for location accuracy and real-timeness
   - Requirements for tag and application layer features
   - Tag battery life considerations
   - Reliability and performance requirements
   - The primary end users of the systems
   - Security requirements
   - New procedures for staff, and changes to existing procedures
2. Map out your environment
   – Areas where RTLS will be used
   - Existing software where RTLS needs to be integrated
   - Existing infrastructure (Wi-Fi, etc) that could be used
3. Figure out a budget, resources and schedule
   – Who needs to be involved in the project, when, and what is the required effort
   - How much time is needed from the parties involved
   - When does the system need to be running
   - System cost and ROI
4. Evaluate solutions
   – Find out about various RTLS vendors (Google and “social google”)
   - Find independent studies
   - Talk to the vendors that meet most of the requirements
   - Ask vendors for an on-site visit and a live demo
5. Select the vendor
6. Perform infrastructure changes, if necessary
   – Deploy additional readers / sensors / access points, if necessary
7. Calibrate the system and verify accuracy and performance
   – Set up the system either in the full facility or limited area
   - Verify the accuracy in real-time, and using vendor-provided analysis tools
   - Multi-floor testing is essential
8. Install server software and tag first assets to be tracked
   – Install and configure location server and application server(s)
   - If applicable, install the integration pieces
   - Connect a few location tags to the system
9. Perform end-to-end system test
   – Test end-to-end accuracy, real timeness, and business rules such as alarms and tag messages
   - Emulate actual user behavior when it comes to tags and applications
10. Conduct end user training
    – Train the trainer or all end users
    - System usage as well as system maintenance
11. Roll out the system
    – Start deploying more tags and larger areas
12. Monitor System Operation
    - For the first weeks and months, closely observe system operation and end user reactions
    - Interview users and system administrators

—
Jussi Kiviniemi
Sr. Product Manager at Ekahau

Ekahau Site Survey 4.6 Shipping

It’s finally out, shipments have begun.

Check out the new features list at: http://www.ekahau.com/misc/ess-46-whatsnew/ .

We’ll be posting more about the usage and features of ESS later.

Ekahau Site Survey 4.6 “Almost Ready” ™

We’re currently finishing up Ekahau Site Survey 4.6.

You probably read  the press release already.

For those of you who don’t know what Ekahau Site Survey tool is: it’s a visual software that runs on your laptop that allows you to create and administer Wi-Fi networks that work and provide high performance.

For those of you who don’t know about version 4.6: It brings Hybrid Survey. Hybrid Survey means making both passive (read signal information such as signal strength, SNR, 802.11n parameters) and active (test end-to-end connectivity, packet loss, round-trip times) tests simultaneously.

So whether you’re troubleshooting or verifying the network, you’ll get more done in the same time. What the active tests bring is you’ll see if the connection truly works. There may be cases where APs are misconfigured or broken (bridging issues or such), and these problems can’t be detected without end-to-end testing. And of course, if there’s excessive packet loss or long round-trip times, there’s a performance issue that needs to be solved. Maybe it’s excessive non-802.11 interference (use a spectrum analyzer to solve) or high co-channel interference (use the co-channel interference view in ESS to solve).

Version 4.6 brings lots of other new stuff as well, like noise measurements from external Wi-Fi adapters (not nearly as good as a spectrum analyzer but better than nothing), and automatic map scrolling during site surveys.

Give us a week or two and you’ll get the new software!

Locatable Wi-Fi Wristwatch

Well, that’s not really true as it doesn’t show time. But it’s kind of cool still:

We very recently announced a wristband location tag. It allows tracking people over any Wi-Fi network – all you need is tags and Ekahau Positioning Engine software.

The form factor is nice and small, and it suits well for tracking patients in hospitals, and kids at amusement, for example.

The tag also has a panic button to call for help.

If you want super-high accuracy (Wi-Fi alone cannot provide 100% room-level accuracy, let alone bed-level), the tag also works with Ekahau Location Beacons. The Location Beacons are small (think hockey-puck size) battery-powered transmitters placed where high accuracy is required. And unlike some other choke points / exciters / readers, Location Beacons cost less than a hundred dollars.

Welcome

Welcome to the Ekahau Blog.

Let’s hope in the future someone will have the time to post cool stuff here about Wi-Fi location systems and/or about deploying and maintaining high-performance Wi-Fi networks.

In the meanwhile, feel free to visit our web pages at www.ekahau.com!