Tag Capacity
The maximum number of active tags an RTLS can simultaneously track without performance degradation. Determined by processing power, network bandwidth, and wireless spectrum. Must account for peak scenarios like shift changes or maximum facility occupancy.
Tag capacity refers to the maximum number of tags that an RTLS infrastructure can simultaneously track while maintaining specified performance levels. Industrial tag capacity requirements range widely: small pilot deployments may track 50-200 tags, departmental systems 200-1,000 tags, facility-wide implementations 1,000-5,000 tags, and enterprise deployments 5,000-20,000+ tags across multiple sites. A system tracking 2,000 tags at 1 Hz generates 2,000 position calculations per second, while tracking 200 tags at 10 Hz generates the same computational load. Therefore, capacity specifications should state maximum tags at specified update rates (eg., 3,000 tags at 1 Hz, 1,000 tags at 3 Hz, or 300 tags at 10 Hz). Per-anchor tag capacity is typically the first bottleneck in distributed RTLS architectures. UWB anchors typically handle 100-500 tags depending on update rates, transmission protocols, and processing capabilities.
When anchor capacity is exceeded, performance degrades: increased packet collisions, detection failures, positioning gaps, and reduced accuracy. High-performance positioning engines process 5,000-20,000 position calculations per second on modern server hardware. Application layer capacity limitations include: database write capacity (storing thousands of position updates per second requires optimized database architecture), visualization performance (rendering thousands of moving objects demands efficient graphics), and network bandwidth (transmitting position data to multiple concurrent users and applications). Industrial deployments should plan tag capacity with growth margin: specifying system capacity 30-50% beyond current requirements accommodates organic growth without infrastructure replacement. Documentation of system capacity (maximum supported tags at various update rates, recommended operating capacity, performance degradation characteristics beyond capacity) helps customers make informed decisions.