Optimizing Field Asset Identification Leveraging RFID Technology - Virtual Brew 02/20/25

Transcript

FDC 2.1.1 Release Update

Justin
Our field data collection application update, FDC 2.1.1, went out about two weeks ago — Patrick, that’s correct, went out on the sixth. A couple things we did to give better supportability: FDC is now fully supported on Android 14, the most current Google operating system. We’ll be releasing the Android 14 update for the Mesa 3 Android tablets shortly — we held that back just to make sure everything’s going to be great for you. There’ll be a lot of communication coming out on how to update your operating system — nothing is forced, it’s discretionary, a popup will come up like on a cell phone.

There are a lot of great features and performance improvements in this release — we’re always trying to tweak things to make sure your surveys are done accurately and well the first time. We added a highly requested feature, GPS proximity sort — on your site list, as you’re walking up to your points, you can filter to show the closest site right on your list, and refresh it for better navigation. We also added your last surveyed date and value right on the main screen — when doing annuals and periodics, it’ll show your last good test point read and your last pipe-to-soil read, so you can create some efficiency and not have to navigate to so many places.

We love to hear your feedback and comments — as always, these updates are by and for you, our loyal customers and everyone in the corrosion industry, so please don’t hesitate to give us constructive feedback. Patrick has a lot of capacity to put everything he can into making your experience the best it can be. Without further ado, I’ll hand this over to Patrick — thank you again for joining us at Virtual Brew, I appreciate it.

Introduction to RFID Technology

Patrick
Thanks, Justin. Thanks, Christian. Again, my name’s Patrick — I’m the product manager for FDC, as well as the survey accessories that go with FDC to help you survey in the field. Justin made some great call-outs on FDC 2.1.1 — and again, if you have feedback for me on the application at any point, I’m always open to hear about your user experience in the field, and to expand functionality to handle those use cases. Feel free to send along any feedback — I’m all yours.

Today we’re going to talk about FDC and how we can utilize field asset identification by leveraging some technology I don’t think a lot of people know about — RFID technology.

Poll: Who’s Using RFID in FDC

First, let’s see how many people already know there’s RFID support in FDC — Christian’s going to put up a poll, just a yes-or-no on whether you currently use RFID with FDC.

Good — we do see some people who already use RFID, which really helps efficiency in the field, and that’s what we want to talk about today. Looks like about 71% haven’t used it before, so this will be great for you, and hopefully the folks who already use it can pick up some extra functionality.

RFID Use Case Overview

This is going to be a down-and-dirty rundown, so let’s get into the meat and potatoes. The use case we’re adapting to: as a user, you want to be able to scan RFID tags to find your assets easily while collecting compliance data — you want to locate them and make sure that when you’re on-site, you’re at the right site in your survey, so you collect the right data for the right asset.

The RFID technology lets you take an RFID reader, scan different types of RFID tags associated with a site, linked back to your PCS database, and jump right to that site on the inspection tab — ready to take your inspection data at that asset. The tags come in different form factors, which we’ll cover, giving you flexibility in how you mount them to your assets in the field. The reader itself is just a Bluetooth device that connects to any of your devices — Windows, iPads, iOS, or Android — you pair it over Bluetooth, then use the reader to collect tag data while you’re out surveying.

We’ll do a quick rundown of what you need set up in PCS to use this technology in the field, then walk through some user scenarios using the RFID tags. If you have questions, stop me — Christian will be calling out questions — or wait until the end, whichever you prefer.

The RFID Reader

We support the PenSolid RFID reader, a Microsense reader — it’s a Bluetooth reader, supported across all platforms: iOS, Android, and Windows. You’ll connect it to your device’s Bluetooth settings, just like a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, and the reader will automatically be picked up by the FDC app when you open it and go into a survey. Once paired, it’s ready to go as soon as you open PCS and go into your survey.

RFID Tag Types

RFID tags come in different options for different types of assets in the field. Key fob tags are for hanging on things like valves or other facilities where it’s not practical to apply a tag directly. For test point riser poles and other dry-surface PVC pipe, you can use peel-and-stick tags — very low-profile, giving you flexibility in how you attach them. We also have teardrop tags — steel tags you can bolt on or epoxy onto bare metal or coatings, anything exposed metal. And for rectifiers, bond boxes, and similar assets, we have stick-on metal tags as well — just clean the surface and peel and stick. So there’s a lot of flexibility, and whatever your application is, there’s a tag to suit it, so you can mount these to your assets on the pipe.

Reader Features

A quick overview of the reader’s features, whether you’ve had your hands on one before or not: it’s powered by micro-USB and has a 10-hour battery run time. There’s a power button — hold it to power on the unit, and it’ll go into pairing mode, which is when you go to your Bluetooth settings and pair it to the device. There’s also a scanning button that looks like a Wi-Fi signal icon — click that to read a tag, holding it within a couple of inches, up to six or seven inches, to about an inch from the reader, and click to take a read.

For button status, there’s a light: a red light means it didn’t read a tag, or got an invalid read, so you’ll need to read again; a green light means a successful read. I’m going through these slides quickly because I really want to demo the software and show you the use cases — this will all be provided as a PDF for quick reference afterward, so you can go back and look at the slideshow.

Setting Up RFID in PCS

Let’s talk about setup. The key thing to remember about PCS and FDC is that they’re linked — they send data back and forth, giving you that field-to-office experience. First, you want to make sure your data view is set up correctly: in PCS, when you’re looking at facilities for any module and facility type, you have information, inspection, and maintenance tabs. This is an information field, since you’re collecting information about your asset — under your Customize settings, add the RFID field to your grid, so you can see which assets have tag IDs set and which don’t.

You can also copy that value if you want to set multiple tags for one asset, or one tag for multiple assets — for example, if you have a test point and a rectifier at the same location and want to use the same tag, you can use one tag to find both assets, which we’ll show shortly.

The other setup step is adding the RFID prompt to your prompt theme, so it’s included in what you’re collecting during the survey. Under each prompt theme, for each facility type, add the RFID field. There’s a caveat: whether it’s included or excluded in the prompt theme, you can still read and set tags in the field — it’ll work either way, but best practice is to always add it to every facility type, since it lets you see that a tag was successfully added or updated, so you can confirm the IDs. It’ll work without it in the prompt theme, but adding it is still the recommended best practice.

Core RFID Workflows

The main activities you do with RFID tags: first, capturing a tag. The nice thing about this technology is you don’t have to input all the tag data in PCS ahead of time and then go to the field — you can set your tags in the field, mount them to your assets, pair your reader, scan the tags, and collect that RFID data right there. It gets pushed back to PCS when you import your survey.

To capture a new tag: whether you’re on the site list or at a specific site, go to the site you want, click the Information tab, and scan the tag. You’ll get a prompt saying there are no sites found for this tag in this survey, and asking if you’d like to set it for this site — click Add Tag, and you’re done. That data gets pushed back to PCS on import.

To read a single site you’ve already tagged: say you’re standing at a test point and want to find it quickly in your survey — scan the tag with your RFID reader, and it’ll jump you directly to that site and open the inspection page, ready to enter your data with no extra steps. You don’t even have to be on the site — you can be on the site list, scan, and it’ll jump you right to the site and the inspection page.

If one tag is associated with multiple assets — say, a test point and a rectifier at the same location — scanning that tag will pop up an option listing the associated facilities; select the one you want with the radio button and hit OK, and it jumps you to that site and the inspection page. This is great for test points, junction boxes, and other spots with multiple assets in the same location.

If a tag belongs to someone else’s system, or needs replacing — maybe it’s damaged, or not an asset you’re using anymore — you can remove it, put on a new tag, and even if that site was already associated with a different tag, you can overwrite it. Go to the information page, scan the new tag, and you’ll get a message asking if you want to overwrite the existing tag. Cancel, or hit Add Tag to update the site with the new tag number — and when that syncs back to PCS, the record updates there too, so it’s a seamless interaction between PCS and FDC.

Live Demo: Setting Up in PCS

Let’s look at the software. First, in PCS: go to your Edit Data grid for whatever module and facility type you’re in, then click the Information tab. Once the grid loads, if RFID isn’t in your grid, go to Customize and search for RFID — double-click it to add it, and place it wherever you want in your layout. This gives you visibility into what has tags and what doesn’t, and if you want to associate a tag number with multiple sites, double-click it, copy it, and paste it into the other sites you want associated with that tag.

That’s the setup on the grid side in PCS. When you’re ready to send your sites to FDC for surveying, use FDC Send — go into Customize, click Prompts, select your prompt theme, and for each facility type in that theme, search for RFID and double-click to add it, placing it wherever you want in the layout. It’s a little tedious, but you want to make sure every survey type in your prompt theme has it. These will all land on the Information tab inside FDC for each site.

Live Demo: In the Field with FDC

Now that setup’s done — I pre-loaded some of this to save time — we’ll select some sites. Today we’re just looking at test points, rectifiers, and foreign bonds. I’ll hit Apply, and since I’m using an Android device, I’ll select Send to Mobile, refresh, and pick my device — the Mesa 3 Android. We’ll send over 20 sites, a mix of foreign bonds, rectifiers, and test points, name this survey “Virtual Brew,” and send it over to the FDC application.

Now, in FDC — I’ll go back to my list and refresh, and “Virtual Brew” shows up. Click it, it’s ready to download, and once you open it, you’re ready to survey.

Now I’ll hold up my RFID reader — it’s already paired to my device. First, I want to capture a new tag: I go to a test point, check the information page, don’t see anything in the RFID field, so I pick a new tag and hold it up to read it. As soon as I read it, I get the same pop-up from that screenshot earlier — there’s no site in this survey associated with this tag yet, and I click Add. Now it’s associated and populated.

Going back to the site list — as soon as I scan that tag again, it jumps me right back to that site and straight to the inspection tab, ready to survey. I’ve got a little battery hooked up to my voltmeter for the demo, take a reading, enter some criteria, and I’m done. Very quick to capture and read.

Same thing works for sites already associated with a tag — I scan the next tag, and it jumps me right there. Between this and the mapping and site list navigation we’ve shown before, this is just another efficiency feature — no scrolling through the site list, no digging through information, since you’re standing right there and the tag’s already associated. It takes the guesswork out of it — quick and easy way to find your assets.

Say you’re at a site with three things — a test point, a foreign bond, and a rectifier — and you want to make sure you get the right one, since depending on how things are sorted or filtered, they may not all be in view, and you don’t want to scroll or dig through the map. You can scan the tag associated with multiple facilities, and you’ll get a popup showing all the sites associated with that tag — for instance, we’ll pick the foreign bond, and as soon as you click it and hit OK—

Q&A: Bluetooth Pairing

[Moderator]
We have one question from the chat we missed: do you connect the reader through the device’s Bluetooth settings, or in the FDC app?

Patrick
Great question — the Bluetooth RFID reader connects to the device’s Bluetooth outside of FDC. There’s a big distinction there — when we connect our voltmeter, we connect it inside FDC, but when we connect the RFID reader, you connect it through the device’s Bluetooth settings, whether Android or iOS, do your pairing there, and it’ll say it’s paired. Then, once you open the FDC app, you’ll see the reader stop broadcasting in pairing mode and show a solid blue light, meaning it’s paired and being used in the application. Great question, we get that asked a lot, glad I could clarify.

Live Demo: Best Practices and Overwriting a Tag

One more thing to show on this test point: it jumped me right to my site, but I also wanted to show that this site doesn’t have an RFID prompt on it — just to illustrate that best practice is to add it, so you can see the ID when updating or capturing tags. But even if you forget to add it to your prompt theme, you’re not out of luck — the technology still works and still helps you in the field, but you’ll get better visibility if you add it.

Now let’s look at one I already added — this test point, where I decided this tag isn’t right, either damaged or not an asset we’re using anymore, and I need to overwrite it. Go to the information page, scan the new tag you’re replacing it with, and you’ll get a warning that you’re overwriting an existing tag, along with the new tag number. Once you accept it, it updates the tag number to the new one, and when that’s imported into PCS, it updates the record there too, so it’ll work correctly next time you send it out — you don’t have to worry about whether it got pushed back and forth correctly.

This functionality really streamlines your workflow in the field. I get a lot of questions about this, especially at trade shows or with customers — people ask what it’s for, so I really wanted to highlight it here today. It’s not the longest demo, but it makes you a lot more efficient in the field, gives you flexibility in how you associate and find your assets, and gives you another way of viewing things while you’re working.

Closing Q&A

Let’s open it up for questions — this is pretty straightforward technology, so if you have questions after this, feel free to email us. This will also be available as a PDF with screenshots, and there’s a video on how to capture RFIDs included as well.

[Moderator]
Question from Cole: is there a new script needed for the Android 14 release — for the update, or for the RFID reader? Can you clarify?

Patrick
No — the RFID reader works with Android 11 and Android 14, you don’t need any updates for the reader to work, it’ll work the same as it always has. One really positive thing about the readers we’ve integrated into FDC is that it only takes a firmware change to transition one from one operating system to another — you can take the same reader from an Android device, move it to a Windows device, move it to an iOS device — all of that’s on our page. We try to make it fairly simple.

[Moderator]
And to clarify — it’s not so much firmware, it’s just a configuration setting. All you have to do is run a configuration change on it, so if you have some people using iPads and some using Android devices, you can reconfigure the reader for whatever device you’re using.

[Moderator]
Patrick, Travis was asking: is the Microsense reader able to integrate with alternate, non-AI-provided RFID tags?

Patrick
That’s correct — it reads any high-frequency RFID tag, so you don’t have to have proprietary tags from us. If they’re high-frequency RFID tags, the reader will read them. Travis, if you’d like, you can send us the specifications of your tags and we can help you navigate that, or call into support and we’ll help you work through it, to make sure you have something usable.

[Moderator]
Sean — yes, we sell the RFID readers on our website, as well as all the tags, and you can also reach out to your sales rep, who can help you get the setups you need, the different tag configurations, and the reader itself.

Sean, if you go to our web store — we’ll drop the link here — we actually have a large number of the Android-native RFID readers listed, but it’s really just a simple configuration update that switches them over if you’re looking at iOS or Windows instead.

hey’re all the same reader — we just sell them preconfigured for whatever operating system you need, but you can make a quick change, and we’ll drop a link showing how to do that right from our support site. Doesn’t matter which version you get, they all have the same capabilities and functions.

[Moderator]
I see another question — has there been a new release of the PenSolid?

Patrick
The reader from six years ago, with the proper scripts, still works today — as long as it’s the PenSolid high-frequency reader by Microsense, it’ll work, no problems with that.