FAST Bin
℠
User Manual
Fastenal Company
FAST Bin
℠
User Manual
Page | 4
Revision 4.0
There is an array of LED IR emitters on one PCB and corresponding IR sensors on the opposite
PCB. Obstruction of an IR beam equates to the presence of inventory at that point inside the
Bin. The obstructed or unobstructed state, as detected by the sensors, is transmitted to the
Controller by means of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the data for each Bin is then
transmitted to the Fastenal Server via the Internet.
Multiple IR Bins communicate via BLE directly with a single Controller. If distance or
obstructions are an issue, a Repeater can be used. In this case, the IR Bins communicate via BLE
with the Repeater, which in turn communicates via Long Range Radio (LoRa) with the
Controller.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Bins
RFID Bins are standard Bins with RFID tags applied (as shown in Figure 4). When a Bin has been
emptied of its contents, it is manually placed in the replenishment area of the RFID enclosure.
The
Reader, which is located in the enclosure’s subfloor,
registers the presence of the RFID tag
on the Bin. The Reader then transmits the tag ID to the Controller via LoRa, and the data is then
transmitted to the Fastenal Server via the Internet. A typical RFID enclosure is shown in
Figure 5.
Figure 4. Bin with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag