Handheld Reader

The Handheld Reader was a portable reader for finding tagged items. To find one crate in an aisle of stock, a user entered the crate's tag ID and chose Call.

The reader showed when it found the tag, and the tag could beep or blink to help. The reader also measured the strength of the tag's reply, which gave a sense of its distance.

Its radio range could change, and that set the size of the search area. It could also read and program single tags by hand.

An optional barcode scanner read a label and wrote the same information to a nearby tag, for sites moving from barcodes to tags.

It passed its data to a host computer through a serial port or Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports.

Specifications

The datasheets are historical documents. Their phone numbers, addresses and e-mail are no longer ActiveWave's.

CPU Intel® PXA255 32-bit RISC 400Mhz

Operating System Windows CE 5.0128MB RAM (SDRAM), 64MB RAM (Flash ROM)

Memory FlashROM 64 MB; RAM 128 MB; SDRAM Expansion Integrated SD, CF Type II

Display Graphic Transflective TFT with touch panel, 256K color with adjustable backlight
Size: 3.5”, 240 x 320 pixels

Keys Entry options: 29 backlit keys

Host Communications RS232: Baudrate 150 bps - 115.2 kbps, serial cable
Ver. 1.1, full speed, serial cable connector,client, optional host
WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth

Battery Lithium-Ion, 3.7 V 3000 mAh• High-capacity battery: Optional 3.7 V 4000 mAh

External Power 9.5V DC adapter to AC power source
AC Power: AC100~240V, 50~60HZ

Dimensions 91.3/78 x 192.5 x 60.6/42.2 mm 3.59/3.07 x 7.58 x 2.39/1.66 in

Weight Weight body: Ca. 600 g / 1 lb 5 oz (incl. battery)

Power Consumption Over 10 hours

Operating Temperature -10 to 50 ºC / 14 to 122 ºF

Operation Humidity 5 - 95 % (non-condensing)

Drop Test 1.5 m / 5 ft drop onto concrete surface

Rain & Dust Resistance IP54

RFID Multi-Tag Read Capability Yes

RFID Receive Frequency from Tag 916.5 MHz, 927 MHz, or 868 MHz - depending on Reader model

RFID Transmit Frequency to Tag 433 MHz

RFID Tag Signal Penetration Tag signal can be read through virtually all non-metallic materials.

RFID Tag Read / Write Range - internal antennas 1.5m (~5 feet) / 3m (~10 feet)

RFID Tag Read / Write Range - external antennas 30m (~100 feet) / 15m (~50 feet). These ranges can be extended with larger antennas.

Operating Modes RFID Reader, Barcode Scanner

EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatiblity) RF communications is not affected by normal electromagnetic x-ray interference

Optional Accessories Cradle, Vehicle Charger, Extra Battery, Gun Grip with Trigger, Waterproof Carry Bag

CPU	Intel® PXA255 32-bit RISC 400Mhz
Operating System	Windows CE 5.0128MB RAM (SDRAM), 64MB RAM (Flash ROM)
Memory	FlashROM 64 MB; RAM 128 MB; SDRAM Expansion Integrated SD, CF Type II
Display	Graphic Transflective TFT with touch panel, 256K color with adjustable backlight Size: 3.5”, 240 x 320 pixels
Keys	Entry options: 29 backlit keys
Host Communications	RS232: Baudrate 150 bps - 115.2 kbps, serial cable Ver. 1.1, full speed, serial cable connector,client, optional host WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth
Battery	Lithium-Ion, 3.7 V 3000 mAh• High-capacity battery: Optional 3.7 V 4000 mAh
External Power	9.5V DC adapter to AC power source AC Power: AC100~240V, 50~60HZ
Dimensions	91.3/78 x 192.5 x 60.6/42.2 mm 3.59/3.07 x 7.58 x 2.39/1.66 in
Weight	Weight body: Ca. 600 g / 1 lb 5 oz (incl. battery)
Power Consumption	Over 10 hours
Operating Temperature	-10 to 50 ºC / 14 to 122 ºF
Operation Humidity	5 - 95 % (non-condensing)
Drop Test	1.5 m / 5 ft drop onto concrete surface
Rain & Dust Resistance	IP54
RFID Multi-Tag Read Capability	Yes
RFID Receive Frequency from Tag	916.5 MHz, 927 MHz, or 868 MHz - depending on Reader model
RFID Transmit Frequency to Tag	433 MHz
RFID Tag Signal Penetration	Tag signal can be read through virtually all non-metallic materials.
RFID Tag Read / Write Range - internal antennas	1.5m (~5 feet) / 3m (~10 feet)
RFID Tag Read / Write Range - external antennas	30m (~100 feet) / 15m (~50 feet). These ranges can be extended with larger antennas.
Operating Modes	RFID Reader, Barcode Scanner
EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatiblity)	RF communications is not affected by normal electromagnetic x-ray interference
Optional Accessories	Cradle, Vehicle Charger, Extra Battery, Gun Grip with Trigger, Waterproof Carry Bag

Quoted from page 2 of the Handheld Reader datasheet (version 10). Two lines read as the PDF prints them: the operating-system line runs into a memory figure, and the second host-communications line names no port.

These figures are the original units' claims, quoted as their source printed them. Where two ActiveWave datasheets disagree, this site quotes each and does not reconcile them. A rating or a test result belongs to the original units and does not carry over to a rebuild.

Nothing on this site says a rebuild may transmit on these frequencies as they are. Radio rules differ by country, and the TigeRFID project checks them before it chooses a rebuild's radios.

The datasheet

Handheld Reader datasheet (version 10) (PDF). This page's description comes from its first page, and the figures above from its second.

Older datasheets, kept as history:

Handheld Reader datasheet (version 9) (PDF). Version 9 lists a different display, keypad, battery, size and weight from version 10.

Files in the TigeRFID repository

The repository's notes on these bills of materials say the Handheld Reader may work best with older versions of the tags and the other readers.

These links open the repository as it stood at its activewave-2018 tag. Nobody has rebuilt the original hardware recently, so these files may not make a working unit as they stand.