Refresh Rate
How frequently position information is updated in RTLS systems. Also called update rate. Typical refresh rates range from once per second to 10+ times per second depending on application requirements and technology. Real-time applications like collision avoidance need high refresh rates while asset monitoring may need only occasional updates.
Refresh rate in RTLS refers to how frequently the system updates displayed position information or recalculates asset locations, typically measured in Hertz (Hz) or updates per second. While related to update rate (how often tags transmit), refresh rate specifically describes the visualization or application layer update frequency.
Typical refresh rates range from 0.1 Hz (one update every 10 seconds) for slow-moving asset tracking to 10-20 Hz for safety applications or AGV anti-collision systems. Human perception research indicates that 2-5 Hz refresh rates provide sufficiently smooth visual tracking for most monitoring applications, while higher rates may be imperceptible to operators but consume more system resources. The complete refresh cycle includes: tag transmission time, signal processing, position calculation, data transmission over network infrastructure, database updates, and screen rendering. Each stage contributes latency that must be minimized for effective real-time monitoring. Industrial RTLS systems often implement adaptive refresh rates, updating frequently for moving assets while reducing rates for stationary objects to optimize system capacity. Display refresh rates may differ from underlying position calculation rates - some systems calculate positions at 10 Hz but only refresh displays at 2-5 Hz to reduce visual clutter and rendering overhead.
Applications requiring immediate response (safety zones, collision avoidance) demand higher refresh rates with guaranteed maximum latency bounds, while asset tracking or analytics applications can tolerate lower refresh rates. System capacity planning must account for total refresh rate demand across all active tags and connected applications.