What is RTLS?

In healthcare, a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) is a system used to provide immediate or real-time tracking and management of medical equipment, staff and patients within all types of patient care environments.

Is RF the same as RFID?

Often the term “RFID” is loosely used to describe both, but there’s a big difference between them: RF tags all send the same, simple signal and simply tell the receiver that something is present; RFID tags send more complex signals that uniquely identify whatever they’re attached to.

Is WiFi a RFID?

WiFi and RFID are two very different technologies and concepts, but they are related in the real-time location system (RTLS) and asset location space. In some cases, the two are used together. For example, an asset location system could use WiFi for data backhaul and RFID for the actual data identification process.

How much does RTLS cost?

Tag costs: A $50 price tag may not seem unreasonable, but if you need 5,000 tags, you may run into some budgetary constraints. Additionally, some solutions force you to use proprietary tag technology, which will definitely up the cost.

What’s the difference between WiFi, RFID and RTLS?

WiFi and RFID are two very different technologies and concepts, but they are related in the real-time location system (RTLS) and asset location space. In some cases, the two are used together.

How is WiFi and RFID related to each other?

WiFi: The Technology. WiFi and RFID are two very different technologies and concepts, but they are related in the real-time location system (RTLS) and asset location space. In some cases, the two are used together. For example, an asset location system could use WiFi for data backhaul and RFID for the actual data identification process.

What are the different types of RTLS tags?

Depending on the technology platform chosen, the system locates the tags within varying degrees of granularity. The various locating architectures of RTLS include: legacy infrared (IR), Second Generation Infrared (Gen2IR™), Ultrasound, Low Frequency RF, Bluetooth (BLE), Wi-Fi, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ZigBee, and Ultra Wideband (UWB).

What’s the difference between RFID and location based services?

While RFID and RTLS solutions are both classified as location-based services, the two are not the same. So, what are RFID and RTLS technologies exactly and how do they differ?