Many types of people operate equipment and systems throughout industry. Sometimes they are at a control panel much of the day, while in other cases they may infrequently change settings. The situation is further complicated when there are personnel with different roles or levels of authority, or when newly hired workers or temporary staff should be granted only limited authority.

IDEC offers color-coded fob or card style RFID tags which are easy to carry and withstand the elements. Each tag carries a unique ID, which is readily associated with the specific worker or a user category to provide access control at varying levels. Unlike many standard consumer grade products on the market, IDEC tags include extra protection to prevent duplication.

Designers can integrate the KW2D smart reader into any type of production line equipment capable of industry-standard Modbus TCP/IP or EtherNet/IP communications, and these devices are easy to configure using the simple and intuitive software.

Designers can ensure that users of all levels are granted the necessary permissions:

• New or temporary staff can monitor the equipment but may not take action.
• Trained operators can access normal control functions.
• Technical leads and supervisors can change machine settings and recipes.
• Maintenance personnel can jog motors and test other sensors and actuators.
  By using RFID tags and KW2D smart readers, designers gain the ability to secure functionality, grant appropriate access by identifying users and groups, and to track worker actions.