ThingMagic, Inc. announced that its Astra integrated RFID reader/antenna is available in the European Union. Astra is easy to install, unobtrusive, and available with Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Wi-Fi options. Designed for office and commercial environments, Astra’s deployment options allow for flexible, low cost, single cable installation.

The company says their solution is ideal for enterprise asset tracking applications, including document management, inventory control, baggage tracking and equipment location.

Astra meets all European Union RFID and environmental certification requirements, and is available for immediate deployment.

Driven by ThingMagic's Mercury5e UHF RFID embedded reader module, Astra has a read range of over nine meters for Generation 2 RFID tags and can read up to 190 tags per second. Fully supporting ThingMagic’s enterprise-class MercuryOS software, Astra’s network management and security features include DHCP for configuration and firmware management, and SSL/SSH–based security. Astra has ETSI and CE certification and meets all European Union RFID and environmental requirements.

Astra reader features include:

- High performance, EPCglobal Generation 2.0 (ISO 18000-6C) support with anti-collision, Dense Reader Mode (DRM) and advanced anti-jamming functionality
Wi-Fi option, providing low cost integration with existing enterprise Wi-Fi networks, and supporting enterprise WiFi security standards including TKIP, AES and EAP-TLS
- An integrated 865-956 MHz, circularly-polarized antenna with 6 dBiL gain and 65° beamwidth
- 16MB of flash and 32MB of RAM available for reader-hosted applications
- An external antenna port for an additional antenna
- An easy to use Development Kit, for customizing applications, settings, deployments and management
- A small form factor (10.2”H x 10.2”W x 3”D)