RFID reader connectivity

[Michael Travers]

Hi,
We have been timing races with RFID chips for a number of years using a Zebra Fx7500 reader, and we have used a chromebook and more recently iPads.  With both of these, we have always used an ethernet connector.

I recall that was the only option in the option.  Can I confirm that ethernet connectors are still needed with these?

Also, we are beginning to get issues with the ipad batteries and are looking to replace out device. If we use a windows machine, am I right in thinking that these can be connected over wifi?

If so, and the wifi drops out, does the reader continue to record chips?

Thanks,
Michael

[Vesa Suomalainen]

The Zebra FX7500 does not have a built-in WiFi hotspot, so you’ll need to use an Ethernet cable to connect to the FX7500. You can use a direct Ethernet connection from the device running Webscorer PRO, or connect through a WiFi router (WiFi from timing device to router, Ethernet cable from router to FX7500).

Zebra and Impinj readers do not store chip detections on the reader, so if your connection (WiFI or Ethernet) is lost between the timing device running Webscorer PRO and the reader, the detections during the outage are lost. Webscorer PRO does support readers such as RaceResult Ubidium and Feibot A800 which have reader-based local storage which buffer chip detections in situations where there was a connection outage between the timing device and the reader - and you were not able to cover the detectors manually on the app.

[Michael Travers]

Thanks Vesa, so the reason our system has been as robust as it has been thus far, is the fact that we've been connecting the FX7500 by ethernet to the router, and then the router via ethernet cable to the device running Webscorer Pro, so any outage in Wifi, has still allowed the data to be passed through the router?

[Vesa Suomalainen]

A WiFi connection from the device running Webscorer PRO to the router should be just as robust as an Ethernet connection.  The benefit is that when using an Ethernet connection to the router, that’ll free up the WiFi on your device running Webscorer PRO to be used for posting live results.  If you connect via WiFi from the device running Webscorer PRO to the router and want live results, you’ll need to use a router (such as Starlink) that provides for the internet connection as well as the local WiFI hotspot.