Multispectral Solutions Receives Certification For Micropower RFID Tag Under New FCC UWB Regulations

The FCC has issued a Grant of Equipment Authorization for Multispectral Solutions' micropower ultra wideband (UWB) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag under its latest UWB regulations. The UWB tag is the fifth in a series of FCC-certified UWB products from the company, and is compatible with the company's latest Sapphire Precision Asset Location System product line.

The tag is available in two form factors - a small asset tag for equipment and a credit card-sized mini-badge tag for personnel. Both UWB tags have ranges in excess of 650 feet line-of-sight, yet have battery life expectancies in excess of 4 years, over 2 orders of magnitude longer than other active RFID tags operating at the same blink rate of once per second.

Certified under the FCC's most recent UWB regulations (Part 15.250) established in March 2005, the Sapphire tag can be legally operated both indoors and outdoors, a major advantage over competing UWB technologies (such as those being envisioned by IEEE 802.15 WPAN Task Group 4a) which can only be operated indoors. When operating with the Sapphire system, the tag can be used for RFID at extended ranges outdoors, or indoors through multiple obstructions, and for precision tracking to better than 4 inch (10 cm) accuracy and resolution.

"With this latest addition to its product line, MSSI continues to demonstrate its leadership in the deployment of viable UWB solutions into the marketplace," stated Dr. Robert Fontana, MSSI president and CEO. "We believe that the availability of a low cost, low power drain, active RFID and high-precision tracking solution, with proven performance in severe industrial environments, will add a new dimension to inventory control, work in process and personnel safety applications."

About Multispectral Solutions, Inc.
Multispectral Solutions, Inc. (MSSI), established in 1989 in Germantown, MD, is a pioneer and established industry leader in the development of ultra wideband (UWB) systems for communications, radar and precision positioning applications. The company's PAL650 Precision Asset Location system is the world's first FCC-certified, UWB-based, active RFID and tracking system for personnel and asset management.