| The Dallas iButton™ Resource Page |
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Serious users of identification systems, systems used to track people, users of systems that require genuine and secure proof of staff attendance - rely upon the Dallas iButton™.
Here we present information on the unique features of the Dallas iButton™, button deployment and applications.
| What Is So Special About The iButton™? |
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Quite simple: they are unique serial numbers packaged into a durable and easily deployed package shaped like a "button". Being stainless steel, they can be used almost anywhere.
They are read by an electronic instrument (usually called a "wand") being touched onto them and making electrical contact.
The Dallas iButton™ provides an excellent means of uniquely labeling a location, person, or thing that cannot be changed or tampered with - and the iButton™ is reliable and simple to use.
| Radiation - Are iButtons™ Safe ? |
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Absolutely - The DS199a iButton™ is totally inert unless it is being read by a data-wand. This iButton™ does not have a battery in it, it does not record anything, it does not do anything at all when it is sitting idle glued to something.
An iButton™ is powered up by a recording instrument (XL-Data Wand). Until it is touched by a recording instrument, it is for all intents and purposes, "dead as a door nail".
When the iButton™ is being read by an XL Data Wand for example, the amount of radiation is extremely small, low in frequency (low energy) and lasts for a very short time. The XL Data Wand has passed all "emc" (electromagnetic compliance) tests and is an extremely low power and safe instrument.
By contrast, a mobile phone or 2-way radio emits a huge amount of very high energy radiation.
There are many different kinds of iButtons™ available. Elite-ID Electronic Systems only use one kind - the DS1990A which is the "serial number" button. It contains a guaranteed unique serial number - no two are the same.
The features of the Dallas iButton™ type DS1990A are;
- Size and shape: Circular - 17mm Diameter - 3mm or 5mm thick (two versions).
- Material: Stainless steel - sealed - suitable for use in harsh environments.
- Life: at least 8 years.
- Power source: none - all power required is provided by the data logging instrument.
- Serial number: 12 digit hexadecimal code. No two the same. Guaranteed unique.
- Simplicity: just affix them to a location and you have "uniquely labeled" that location.
- Application Areas
- Security: Affixed to strategic locations. Data-logging "Wands" are used to track security guards attendances around sites and between clients.
- Cleaning: Affixed to locations around an area to be cleaned. Proves the diligence of cleaners. Used to ensure rosters are being performed. Reports may possibly be of assistance in defending against public liability claims.
- Couriers: Affix buttons to customer sites. Logged data then used to track pickups and deliveries to specific premises.
- Service organizations: affixed to specific plant and equipment items. Data loggers then used by service people to prove their diligence in performing service at nominated dates and times.
The unique features of the Dallas iButton™ make them almost mandatory for serious users of attendance verification and proper identification systems.
The catch phrase we use is "If your data is important - then the Dallas iButton™ is the best technology".
The Reasons ...
- Data security: is one of the biggest reasons. The serial number in a Dallas iButton™ is coded into a chip packaged into a stainless steel can. It cannot be altered, changed or "fiddled". It only produces the one serial number.
This means that properly designed systems using this type of serial number offer a high degree of data security - it produces a true and correct recording of events.
Other technologies that don't offer uniqueness or allow copying totally eliminate this kind of data security.
- Durability: because they are packaged in a stainless steel can, they are suitable for use in environments that other types of identification system cannot long survive.
For example - they can be used in direct sun, they withstand rain, if dirty they can be cleaned with a solvent, they can be used nearly anywhere.
- They cannot be copied: and this is a major consideration. Your identification system cannot be "rorted" by photocopying or "just making another" - which can be done with barcodes.
- They are unique: no two buttons are the same - every single one has a different serial number.
- They require an instrument to be touched onto them to read them: meaning that the person carrying the instrument was actually there. In this way - they prove personal attendance at a location.
Also - the fact that they are touched means that there is little or no operator training required. The Elite-ID readers read the serial numbers quickly and simply.
- They are all electronic: meaning that when they are read by the instrument - the direct contact and software in the (Elite-ID) instrument give a reliable and accurate reading of the serial number.
- The Elite-ID Readers are rugged: meaning that the cost of repairs is reduced, as well as operating costs.
Barcodes are the worst possible choice for applications that require certainty that something has happened.
The reasons are;
- Copying: bar codes can easily be copied or reproduced. There is no guarantee that the bar code that was read was the original and not a copy. For applications that "label a location" this is an absolutely critical problem - it may become very easy to "rort the system".
- Durability: bar codes (unless specially treated) are quite fragile and unsuitable for use in harsh environments. Also - they can fade over time making them less reliable.
- Size: barcodes can be quite large (wide) meaning that mounting them may prove difficult.
- Readers: barcode readers are often quite fragile and particularly susceptible to damage if dropped. This is because reading a barcode requires "optical" instruments with lenses and light sources.
Without doubt, the critical problem with barcodes is the fact they can be copied with a photocopier or just simply re-printed so that the security and certainty of an identification system is totally broken. There is no certainty that what is being reported actually happened.
By contrast - an iButton™ reader uses a steel read-head that is very robust. It is usual for these readers to have a long battery life, be smaller, more robust, cheaper and easier to maintain.
| How Many Buttons Do I Need ? |
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This is a difficult question that we can't answer for you. We can help and advise you with our experience, but the final decision really is up to you, since it may involve legal, contractual and operational issues. Also, your requirements may change over time and vary from one location to another.
Application - Cleaning in Shopping Centres
Common places in shopping centres are toilets, entrance doors, mall and food courts.
Application - Security in Shopping Centres
Security in shopping centres can use similar button placement to cleaning, but usually also adds buttons on roof tops, in plant and equipment rooms, in car parks and any secluded places or entry points.
Application - Security in General
General security applications typically place buttons at the front, side and rear of a property that is to be patrolled outside of business hours.
Guidelines and In General
We recommend to clients that;
- Stating the obvious: If you glue a button to a location then use an XL Data Wand to track staff at that location, what you are doing is tracking the movements of staff. Therefore you must be confident you are achieving what your business requires you to achieve. You may be looking to lower risk of "slip and trip", to provide supervision, or to reduce needle-stick injury risk. Understand your result before applying a button.
- Use as few as possible. Too many buttons turns your staff into "button pushers" and that proves nothing. Too many buttons make it hard to train new staff and consumes too much time in both hitting them and later in administration. Don't make it hard for staff.
- Make sure each button "represents something" - in other words - it was placed where it is for some meaningful purpose or reason. The staff member hitting the button can be expected to have done something or been at a significant place when the button was hit.
No - and that is a major advantage to the iButton™ technology. You can be sure that an attendance record was generated from an original iButton™ and not a copy.
The reason they cannot be copied is that they contain a silicon chip inside them that has been laser burned with a unique serial number. Since there is only one manufacturer, each one is unique.
Yes of course. Whilst they made of are stainless steel - they can be damaged by heavy impact from sharp or hard objects. We have seen them hit with shovels (not a recommended practice) and still continue to work!
In normal operation where they are touched with a data logging instrument such as the XL Data Wand they experience very little wear unless the user is very rough with them.
They are electrically very robust. We have not had any damaged by static electricity. However it would be quite possible to apply enough power to damage them if a deliberate attempt were made.
| Do They Have a battery In Them ? |
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No - all the power for their operation comes from the device that reads them - the XL Data Wand.
No battery means a longer life and less things to go wrong.
We don't know! We do know that iButtons™ have been in use in Australia for approximately 10 years and we have not heard of any wearing out in that time.
Since there is no battery and little mechanical wear, we believe that they will have a very long life.
We recommend the use of "Liquid Nails" glue (or similar). Some of our customers have used super glues and other products. An excellent super-glue is Loctite 410 which is an epoxy filled super glue that some customers use. We prefer Liquid Nails!
As with all gluing, there is no certainty. You must follow the manufacturer's directions which usually include only gluing onto clean and dry surfaces.
Please Note: Buttons should be glued "flange side down" - so that the read head on the XL Data Wand can fit over and read the iButton™ where the numbers are printed.
| Are There Any Problems with Using an iButton™ ? |
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Yes there are! They are usually quite simply understood and avoided;
- Fixing an iButton™ to a location requires the use of a glue or similar product.The choice of glues is important - the wrong glue in some cases may allow the buttons to fall off.
Our clients have successfully used "Liquid Nails", some epoxy filled "Super Glues" such as Loctite 410, and other 2 pack epoxy glues.
- Cost is an issue. Though a single iButton™ may be cheap, purchasing lots of them becomes expensive.
- Pilferage is not normally a problem. In our experience from talking with clients, they lose very few to people removing them (theft).
Generally - the use of a strong glue and selecting a location to affix the button that is not too obvious will reduce or eliminate theft.
Just call Elite-ID and we will help you in any way we can!
... Just call:
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