Researchers Studying PASS Alarm Interference
Tests developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology may be used by NFPA as part of revised performance standards for Personal Alert Safety Systems worn by firefighters.
Tests developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology may make Personal Alert Safety Systems more useful and reliable. PASS devices are worn by firefighters; the systems detect motion and activate an alarm if the wearer has been motionless for too long. But there is interference between PASS systems with wireless alarm capability and radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems, so NIST developed test methods to evaluate how well the PASS technology works under realistic conditions. The methods can test interference in other wireless devices, such as radios, local area networks, and urban search and rescue robots, according to the Commerce Department agency.
Newer PASS systems use a wireless link to connect incident command base stations and portable units,
which allows emergency recall signals to be sent to firefighters or "firefighter down" alarms to be sent to the base. Because firefighters also may carry RFID tags for location tracking or may be inside warehouses and other buildings using RFID inventory systems, there is the potential for significant interference. "Every wireless device will fail given strong enough interference," NIST project leader Kate Remley said. "The question is the level at which the device fails. Our goal is to develop lab-based test methods to quantify the level of interference at which PASS units fail so we can help ensure they operate reliably." The NIST researchers shared their findings Aug. 17 at the 2011 IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Symposium in Long Beach, Calif.
They measured the interference between "frequency hopping" PASS and RFID systems operating in similar frequency bands and found that, when signals are weak due to environmental or other conditions, a portable PASS unit's reception of an alarm from its base station can be delayed or fail, even without interference, and it becomes more likely to fail in the presence of moderate RFID interference. Strong interference caused variable delays that sometimes lasted longer than one minute, which the researchers defined as signal failure. They also found that an RFID system can be less reliable when a PASS unit is nearby.
NIST is working with the National Fire Protection Association, which will consider adopting the tests as part of revised PASS performance standards. An NFPA technical committee on electronic safety equipment will consider the wording of a draft standard that could be approved by 2013. The research is supported by the Department of Homeland Security.