![](bg1.png)
EPC Virtual Lab: Experiments using an RFID
Location Simulator
Carlos Perdig
˜
ao
1,2
and Miguel L. Pardal
2
1
Link Consulting, Av. Duque de
´
Avila, 23, 1000-138 Lisboa, Portugal
2
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Instituto Superior T
´
ecnico
Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic data capture
technology that has great potential to improve business. However, RFID projects
have significant up-front costs: buying tags and readers, and installing them in
business locations. Until now, a physical deployment was required to properly
test RFID software and its integration with existing systems.
This paper describes EPC Virtual Laboratory (EPC VLab), a physical world
simulation engine, that can be used to feed standard RFID information systems
with realistic data. The simulator has proved to be useful for preliminary and
exploratory testing.
1 Introduction
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that can be used to tag physical
goods, allowing them to be detected automatically. Readers communicate with tags
using a wireless power and data link [1].
The Electronic Product Code (EPC) framework [2] defines standards for a compre-
hensive supply chain management system based on RFID. It encompasses tags, readers,
data, and information systems.
The working principles of RFID imposes specific requirements and constraints on
software [3]. To properly assess them for a specific project, a pilot deployment, at least,
is required. This approach implies significant up-front costs: tags, readers, and their
proper installation in a business location. All these costs make RFID projects particu-
larly risky, and can steer many companies away for experimenting with the technology.
This paper proposes EPC Virtual Laboratory (EPC VLab), a physical world simu-
lation engine, that can be used to feed EPC information systems (EPCIS) with realistic
data and test their integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
The deliverable is the identification of data sources and flows i.e. the “questions”
that EPCIS and “ERP” should answer and what data is used to answer them.
2 EPC VLab
EPC VLab is a physical world simulator. Its main purpose is to allow the user to model
an RFID location with minimal effort.
PerdigÃ
ˇ
co C. and L. Pardal M.
EPC Virtual Lab: Experiments using an RFID Location Simulator.
DOI: 10.5220/0003027401080113
In Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on RFID Technology - Concepts, Applications, Challenges (ICEIS 2010), page
ISBN: 978-989-8425-11-9
Copyright
c
2010 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved