Zebra offers free downloadable firmware upgrade

Zebra Technologies, a manufacturer of RFID printer/encoders worldwide, has announced a free EPCglobal Gen 2 firmware upgrade for its RFID smart label printer/encoders.

Zebra customers can download and install the firmware to expand RFID support to include Gen 2 smart label printing/encoding. No hardware replacement or service call is required.

The free firmware upgrade is available for Zebra's RXi series printer/encoders, RPAX4 series print engines and European R4Mplus printer/encoders. These models are configured to update RFID protocols via firmware, not hardware, so there is no need to replace the reader module to add support for new protocols. Because Gen 2 functionality can be added to Zebra printer/encoders without sacrificing the use of other UHF technologies, including EPC Class 1 and Class 0, companies who utilize Zebra RFID printer/encoders can be assured that the product will support their current and future business needs.

‘Zebra's firmware solution provides outstanding convenience for our customers. We've removed any concerns about transitioning to Gen 2, and eliminated the time and expense often associated with upgrading to new protocols,’ said Bob Cornick, vice president and general manager of RFID for Zebra. ‘Zebra's multi-protocol printer/encoders protect our customers' RFID investments by making it practical to adopt the powerful Gen 2 standard, while leveraging their legacy equipment.’

Gen 2 is a flexible standard that conforms to different frequency, emission, power output and other radio regulations in place around the world. Zebra UHF printer/encoder products have been approved for use in 35 countries, with additional approvals pending. Zebra's firmware supports all Gen 2 features and is qualified for use on currently available tag types. Zebra will continue to develop additional RFID no-cost and readily available firmware upgrades, to accommodate emerging protocols and additional tag types.

Zebra customers can download the Gen 2 firmware upgrade and complete installation instructions from www.zebra.com/firmware.

The U.S. Department of Defense, Wal-Mart and other organizations are migrating to Gen 2 tagging requirements because it has significant performance advantages over previous-generation EPC technology. Gen 2 chipscan be used around the world, have significantly faster read rates, can offer more memory and are rewritable.