Kathrein RFID And Tönnjes E.A.S.T. Conclude Cooperation Agreement

Kathrein is starting a global collaboration in the field of electronic vehicle identification (EVI) with Tönnjes E.A.S.T., the leading German licence plate manufacturer. Both companies have been working together for years in the development of new technologies. In their joint projects, Kathrein contributes its expertise in the field of RFID technology, Tönnjes E.A.S.T. is a specialist for the integration of the required transponders into vehicle licence plates or windscreens.

The automatic, contactless identification of cars, lorries or motorbikes using electromagnetic waves is a pioneering technology for the road traffic of the future. It enables efficient solutions for electronic vehicle registration (EVR), access to low emission zones and traffic light control systems. “Our collaboration includes implementing the required infrastructure on motorways and in cities, as well as establishing and operating central data base solutions for authorities and providers. In other words, we offer our clients a turnkey solution,” explains Thomas Brunner, Head of the Business Unit RFID within the Kathrein Group.

Automatic Speed Monitoring And Toll Gates
The joint portfolio includes new products from both companies. The RRU 4500, Kathrein’s latest generation of RFID reader, has a read range of up to 20 metres and enables the reliable identification of vehicles in freely moving motorway traffic up to a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Tönnjes uses RFID technology in two systems: One is the IDePLATE, a vehicle licence plate with an integrated RFID chip. The other is the IDeSTIX, a windscreen sticker containing a data chip with an encrypted ID number.

In order to ensure the IT security of the employed transponder data, the cooperation partners rely on UCODE DNA, the latest generation of hi-security transponders from NXP Semiconductors. The decryption takes place directly between the transponders and the Kathrein readers. These are a new kind of combined RFID reader-writer and IoT gateway, as it is called. This means that the data can be loaded directly into a Cloud and then used from there.

“We are very happy that we are taking the proven collaboration with Kathrein up to a new level,” says Dietmar Mönning, Managing Director of Tönnjes E.A.S.T. “Together we can offer our customers comprehensive hardware and software solutions as well as services from one source. We see great potential in our global collaboration."