Biological Asset Management Solution Based on ZigBee Active Electronic Tag Technology

I. Solution Background

Animal ear tags play a vital role in modern livestock farm management and are an important tool for achieving precision management. Typically containing unique identification numbers, they are affixed by tagging the ears of livestock. Their importance lies in providing a unique identity for each animal, facilitating individual animal management, and serving as a crucial tool for implementing precision management practices.

II. Industry Pain Points

The demand for refined management of biological assets in the breeding industry is increasingly growing. Electronic tags, represented by RFID, are gradually being trialed for biological asset management tags. However, passive RFID faces significant challenges during use. In contrast, active electronic tags serve as an effective alternative, compensating well for the shortcomings in animal ear tag applications.

2.1 Difficulty in Inventorying Large Numbers of Live Animals

Ordinary ear tags lack electronic reading functionality, making digital management applications impossible. Traditional farmers find inventorying penned livestock inefficient and challenging.

2.2 Deficiencies in Passive RFID Applications

Short read range, difficulty in troubleshooting loss, damage, and malfunctions, lack of audible/visual search and positioning functions, and inability to expand applications are real dilemmas identified through practical application scenarios of passive RFID tags in recent years.

2.3 Harsh Tag Usage Environment

The usage environment for electronic tags in breeding facilities is extremely harsh, with high-frequency water flushing, high possibility of damage from biting and crushing, requiring very high product protection levels and environmental safety standards.

2.4 High Difficulty in Tag Application

Applying tags to live animals requires professional ear tag tools and proper tag docking/installation. Installation must consider the characteristics of different animals.

2.5 High Protection and Hygiene Requirements

Electronic tags worn on animals must not be too heavy, nor too small for easy human eye reading. The application process must minimize physical harm as much as possible.

III. ZigBee Active Electronic Tags – Providing a Low-Cost Solution for Biological Asset Management in the Breeding Industry

Shidian Technology's Biological Asset Management Solution for Pig Farms (and similar penned livestock farms) effectively addresses the current needs for inventory, positioning, identification, full industry chain tracking, and adoption of biological assets characterized by large numbers and fast movement. This is achieved by deploying an active electronic tag positioning and searching system based on ZigBee technology in indoor pens. The specific solution functionalities are as follows:

3.1 Rapid Oversight of Livestock Count in Pens

• Real-time viewing of pig count in pens
• Quick locking of pen area location
• Monitoring data changes for entry/exit from pens
• Rapid pig location for breeding staff

^{System Topology Diagram for Penned Livestock Asset Management Solution Based on ZigBee Electronic Tags}

3.2 Rapid Deployment of Biological Asset Field Monitoring System

• Quick access with power and network availability
• Wall-mounted where walls exist, frame-mounted where not
• Base stations fixed, tags assigned to items
• Area zoning, three-point positioning

^{Pig Farm ZigBee Electronic Tag Deployment Diagram 1 (Fixed Base Station + DTU Solution)}

3.3 Unlimited Data Applications from Hardware of Tags Worn on Biological Assets

• Electronic tags with low frequency and low power consumption
• Continuously and actively transmit data to base stations
• Data includes quantity, location, presence in pen
• Dual-frequency excitation for more accurate positioning

^{Pig Farm ZigBee Electronic Tag Deployment Diagram 2 (Qianwu Qianxun Mobile 4G Card Reading Base Station Solution)}

IV. Solution Value

The widespread application of active electronic tags in biological assets can enhance the efficiency of digital production in the breeding industry and bring transformation to animal adoption models. Simultaneously, in precision livestock scenarios, it can provide beneficial intelligent system upgrades for production enterprises.

4.1 No More Worries About Animal Inventory

For biological assets wearing electronic tags, management personnel no longer need to enter foul-smelling pens to count numbers. Real-time counts in pens can be understood at a glance on monitoring devices, and dynamic real-time locations within pens can be viewed.

4.2 Larger Reading Range Up to 100 Meters

When precise locking or manual periodic inventory is required, a mobile reading gun can be used for long-distance scanning. This provides great convenience for improving work efficiency.

4.3 No More Difficulty in Manual Pig Identification

Animals wearing electronic tags still retain visually identifiable IDs and nameplates, satisfying both electronic identification and daily visual recognition functions, allowing breeders to seamlessly switch between the two identification modes.

4.4 Adoption Tracking Becomes Reality

The currently popular "adopt a cow/sheep/pig" model can truly achieve customized client adoption, full-process supervision of breeding, and regular care – the implementation and execution of the modern网红 (internet-famous) business model – with the support of electronic tags.

4.5 Expansion of Electronic Tag Functions

All digital application functions of the active electronic tag system used on asset tags can also be adapted for use on biological assets. The rich data collected by electronic tags provides a perfect digital information collection carrier for precision livestock farming and production.

In summary, although active electronic ear tags may seem simple, their uses in the livestock breeding industry are extensive and important. They are not only identifiers for biological individuals but also crucial tools for achieving scientific breeding management, ensuring food safety, optimizing breeding strategies, and promoting industry development. With the continuous development of the pig farming industry and technological advancement, the functions and applications of ZigBee active electronic tags will continue to expand and improve, providing more powerful support for the sustainable development of the livestock breeding industry.

V. Shidian Product Links

5.1 Tag: Long-Range Cattle/Sheep/Pig Electronic Ear Tag WE-T39

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