Features of the Saga Card
The Saga Card is designed to be activated via NFC on the pharmaceutical manufacturing line, where it is packed into the product's secondary packaging.
Controlant provides software tools to activate the Saga Card. We also support the creation of customized NFC tools with API documentation. For more information, contact your Customer Success Manager.
The activation procedure
To preserve battery power, the Saga Card is powered off until it is activated. Activation means that the device is powered on and starts reporting.
During activation, information and commands are sent to the Saga Card via an NFC reader. The Saga Card provides feedback to confirm that the device was successfully turned on, i.e that it is operational.
If the required information is not present in the NFC memory at startup, the Saga Card will not enter operational mode and will shut down. For more information, see Activate via NFC.
The Saga Card and the product (i.e., unit or trade item) can be paired via API during the pharmaceutical packing process or at the logistics service provider. For more information, see the Unit Level Tracking user guide.
Note
Pairing creates an association between a specific Saga Card and a product, allowing you to monitor the product in the Unit Level Tracking system.
To pair a Saga Card Device ID with a unit, you need to provide the following information:
serial number
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
batch number
expiry date
Each Saga Card has its own unique Device ID.
The Device ID is printed on the front cover:
as a QR code that encodes the URL, which includes the Device ID (i.e., scanning the QR code will direct the scanner to a specific URL that contains the ID within it)
as part of a web URL
as a string of lowercase letters and numbers, with hyphens in the correct places (e.g., 4000c5cc-d8a9-43b5-bc9b-78842fea68eb)
 |
After a successful pairing and activation, the unit will be visible in the user interface in the Unit Level Tracking system.
The operation of the Saga Card can be changed via configuration. The configurable parameters are listed in each of the following feature sections, and in an appendix.
Configurable parameters are updated over the cellular connection when the device wakes-up to upload data. Changes can be made at any time, but they will not take effect until the device connects successfully.
The Saga Card wakes up periodically to upload data; at a configurable interval, and when a point of use event is detected. During each wake-up the device reports its location (in accordance with the location rule for that country) and events that may have occurred. You can configure the wake-up interval.
Note
The following can prevent the device from waking up:
Wake-up interval
You can configure how often the Saga Card will wake-up and report its location. A shorter interval will result in more location data but also a shorter expected operational lifetime. A longer interval will result in less location data but also a longer expected operational lifetime.
To follow the device's location closely over a short time, a wake-up interval of e.g. 1 hour can be set. This will result in a device lifetime of approximately 9 days.
To keep track of the device's location over an extended period, a longer wake-up interval is needed. To reach a lifetime of 180 days, a wake-up interval of 72 hours is recommended.
Limited operation at lower temperatures
Note
The Saga Card is not intended for use outside of the standard operating temperature range of +2°C to +50°C.
The device has a limited operating temperature range of -10°C to +2°C, and is able to survive in that temperature range for 3 hours.
When in this temperature range, the device will stay operational, but have limited functionality: the Saga Card stops reporting.
When the temperature returns to the standard operating temperature range, the device will resume reporting.
Startup hiatus
You can configure a startup hiatus for the Saga Card: This means the device will stay idle for a set amount of time after the first wake-up. During the first wake-up the device receives configuration data for the startup hiatus. The device will suspend its operation for the configured period before entering operational mode. This is to make sure that point of use events are not generated while the device is being handled on the packing line. You can also use the startup hiatus to conserve energy while the device is still located at the manufacturing site.
Note
The first wake-up must be successful for the device to receive the configuration for the startup hiatus. The default value of 30 minutes will be applied otherwise.
Location data collection
When the Saga Card connects to the cloud, it is able to store information about the location of the device. The accuracy of the location data collected is limited, to ensure compliance with tracking regulations in each country. If location tracking is deemed permissible the default accuracy of the location data is such that the real position is expected to be within a 3km radius from the reported location.
You can configure the Saga Card to provide more accurate location data. This is only applicable for applications that are not in scope of tracking regulations, e.g. no personal tracking is involved. For more information, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Configuring data reporting
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Wake-up interval | Configures the interval between attempts to connect to the cloud, in hours. Default is 24 hours. |
Startup hiatus | Configures the amount of time the device stays idle following the provisioning wake-up, in minutes. This is to allow the device time to leave the manufacturing site. Default is 30 minutes. |
The Saga Card features an automated and prolonged radio suspension in-flight.
Turning radio suspension on or off is assessed by two different methods:
Barometer: changes in pressure before takeoff, during flight, and after landing
Accelerometer: vibrations from aircraft engines
The sensors and algorithms for pressure and acceleration operate independently of each other. If either assessment method indicates that the Saga Card is on a flight, cellular communication will be suspended and the device will not wake-up. The device starts reporting again when it is no longer in a flight.
The Saga Card is capable of detecting when a medicine box is opened. A point of use event is generated when a box opening is detected. The event is essential for logistical and inventory insights in the Unit Level Tracking system. You can enable or disable this feature via configuration.
The box opening detection uses a combination of three methods to determine whether a box has been opened. The three methods are based on light, movement, and temperature measurements that must meet a given criteria.
Tip
You can configure how and when the Saga Card will deactivate after a point of use event. See below.
Deactivation after box opening
You can configure the Saga Card to automatically deactivate when a box opening event has been detected and reported. The purpose is to limit the operation of the device to its intended use.
Light method
The light method uses a light sensor to detect changes in ambient light.
The Saga Card detects box openings using a combination of an LED and a light sensor, which generates a point-of-use event in the Unit Level Tracking system. When a possible box opening event occurs, the LED flashes infrared light a number of times, and the sensor measures the amount of reflected light. A drop in reflected light indicates that the box is open.
Warning
For a successful box opening detection, the environmental light intensity needs to be >20Lux.
Note
This is the primary method for detecting box opening, the other two are only used to reduce the likelihood of false point of use events.
Movement method
The movement method uses an accelerometer to sense movement.
If you use the accelerometer, the Saga Card will reject box opening events if the device is completely still.
Temperature method
The temperature method uses a temperature sensor to detect changes in temperature.
If you use the temperature method, the Saga Card will reject events when the temperature is below 15°C for 5 minutes after a light event is triggered. This is suitable for medicine stored in cold conditions since in most cases it will only leave the cold storage shortly before use.
Configuring box opening
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Enable box opening detection | Configures whether box opening detection is active.
Default is True - box opening detection is enabled. |
Deactivate after box opening | Configures whether device will deactivate after a box opening event.
Default is False - device will not deactivate after a box opening event. |
The point of use event is the single most important event for inventory management applications.
The purpose of the hibernation module is to try and ensure that the device delivers the event, when it occurs within a set target lifetime. When the device's battery reaches a critical level, the module activates hibernation mode. This is done to ensure that the device battery has enough energy remaining to send the point of use event, given that it is recorded within the target lifetime. This feature can be enabled or disabled via configuration.
A long target lifetime translates to fewer wake-ups over the device's lifetime. Keeping the device operational for a long time consumes energy from the battery - leaving less energy for wake-ups. The expected operational lifetime table (see Expected operational lifetime) demonstrates the relationship. To reach a lifetime of 180 days the device can wake-up 60 times while a lifetime of 100 days means the device can wake-up 133 times.
With this is mind, the wake-up interval should be chosen carefully to match the desired target lifetime. A short wake-up interval and a long target lifetime will result in rapid connections to begin with but the device will soon enter hibernation mode and only transmit again when a box opening event is detected.
Note
When in Hibernation Mode, the device will only attempt to connect to the cellular network when a box opening has been detected.
Configuring the hibernation module
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Enable Hibernation module | Configures whether Hibernation module is enabled.
Default is True - Hibernation module is enabled. |
Device target lifetime | Configures target lifetime that hibernation module shall aim for, in days. A longer target lifetime means earlier hibernation. Default is 180 days, or six months. NoteWe recommend configuring the wake-up interval and the device target lifetime in conjunction. For more information, see Expected operational lifetime. |
The Saga Card is designed to monitor medicine over extended periods. The operational lifetime of the Saga Card is up to 6 months. The operational lifetime depends heavily on the wake-up interval; more frequent wake-ups translates to a shorter lifetime. The table below lists wake-up intervals, expected lifetime, and number of wake-ups.
The following conditions will reduce the operational lifetime of the device, especially if more than one apply:
bad cellular signal
environmental temperatures below +15°C
accuracy of the location data
Wake-up interval, in hours | Expected lifetime, in days | Number of wake-ups |
|---|---|---|
*Conditions: Room temperature; signal conditions bad. | ||
1 | 9 | +200 |
3 | 25 | +200 |
6 | 45 | 183 |
12 | 77 | 154 |
18 | 100 | 133 |
24 | 117 | 117 |
72 | 180 | 60 |