“Given today’s evolving security and supply chain management landscape, it is not enough that an RFID portal simply registers a tagged item within its sensor range,” says Paul Schwab, Engineering Manager, M/A-COM Technology Solutions. “The ability of our floor-mounted DOT portals to calculate the direction an RFID tagged item traveled delivers a new level of security and information to the supply chain management field. The bi-directional processing also allows the more advanced middleware providers to more easily discriminate false reads and achieve ultra high levels of confidence in tracking supplies and assets.”

The portals make use of M/A-COM’s Directional Antenna, a mono-static RFID antenna designed for uses in which the direction of travel of a tagged product is required. The antennas have specialized narrow-beam, high-gain patterns with the main beams electrically “squinted” to either side allowing for superior discrimination across the field of view.

M/A-COM Technology Solutions is a spin-off of M/A-COM Inc. Earlier this year, UK defense firm Cobham purchased M/A-COM from Tyco Electronics. The commercial portion of the company became M/A-COM Technology Solutions, while the aerospace and defense parts were rolled into Cobham’s own defense systems division.