ShockWatch RFID – When to Use the RFID‑Enabled Impact Indicator
This article is part of our SpotSee® Knowledge Base.
ShockWatch RFID – When to Use the RFID-Enabled Impact Indicator
ShockWatch® RFID combines SpotSee's mechanical impact-indicator technology with a passive RFID chip, so a shipment's condition can be read by an RFID reader rather than by eye alone. It suits warehouses and distribution centres that already scan incoming goods with UHF RFID and want to extend that to condition monitoring.
What is ShockWatch RFID?
A single-use, field-armable, tamperproof impact indicator fitted with a passive RFID chip. When an impact above the selected G-level occurs, the indicator changes from green to red and the chip's status changes with it. Any standard UHF reader can then tell whether the device has triggered.
Mechanically it is the same device as ShockWatch 2: the same 42.93 × 42.93 × 6.35 mm size, the same acrylic adhesive, the same sensitivities from 5G to 75G, and the same response equations sensitivity by sensitivity. What it adds is the chip.
Key specifications
- Sensitivities: 5G to 75G
- RFID type: ISO 18000-6 / EPC Gen 2, passive — no batteries
- Impact duration: 0.5 to 50 ms; accuracy ±15% at 20°C
- Operating temperature: −25°C to 60°C — narrower than ShockWatch 2, which reaches 80°C
- Product life: 2 years from manufacture
- Dimensions: 42.93 × 42.93 × 6.35 mm; adhesive: acrylic
- Armable, tamperproof and serialised
How to read one
The activation state is held in a single bit of the EPC memory bank. Read bit 512 of Bank 1, which is one 16-bit word at word pointer 32.
The logic is the reverse of what you might expect: if the bit is clear (0) the indicator has triggered; if it is set (1) it has not. It is worth confirming this against your own reader configuration before relying on it in a receiving process.
When to use ShockWatch RFID
- RFID-enabled warehouses and distribution centres — automated receiving, high-volume scanning, sites already using UHF RFID for inventory control
- High-value or fragile products — medical devices, laboratory equipment, industrial machinery, precision electronics
- Operations needing to reduce receiving time — triggered shipments can be flagged on scan, so teams inspect only what needs inspecting
ShockWatch RFID vs ShockWatch 2 QR
Both add a way of reading the indicator beyond looking at it, but they suit different operations.
| Feature | ShockWatch 2 QR | ShockWatch RFID |
|---|---|---|
| Activation method | Field-armable | Field-armable |
| How it is read | Smartphone camera, no app or account | UHF RFID reader |
| Equipment needed | A phone | RFID reader infrastructure |
| Read at a distance | No — the code must be scanned | Yes — without line of sight |
| Operating temperature | −25°C to +80°C | −25°C to 60°C |
| Best for | Receiving by hand, evidence at the door | Automated receiving at scale |
Fitting best practice
The same as ShockWatch 2:
- Mount in the lower third of the package, close to a rigid edge
- Avoid the centre of a large panel, where flex distorts the reading
- Use two indicators if the package is more than twice as long as it is wide
- Use companion labels so handlers can see the shipment is monitored
- Arm the sensor and apply it to the product when you are ready to ship
- Attach the alert sticker to the bill of lading
Is ShockWatch RFID right for your shipment?
Choose it if you already have UHF RFID readers and want condition monitoring to arrive through the same scan. If you do not have that infrastructure, ShockWatch 2 QR gives you a digital check with nothing more than a phone, and covers the wider temperature range.
Browse the ShockWatch® RFID range — ask us for sensitivities, pack sizes and lead times. You can also browse ShockWatch 2 QR impact indicators, or the standard ShockWatch 2 while stocks last.
Good Life Innovations Ltd is an Approved SpotSee Partner, supplying genuine ShockWatch® and TiltWatch® indicators across the UK.
Related SpotSee Guides
- ShockWatch 2 – When to Use the Field-Armable Impact Indicator
- ShockWatch 2 QR – When to Use the QR-Enabled Impact Indicator
- ShockWatch Label QR vs ShockWatch 2 QR – Which Carton-Level Impact Indicator Should You Use?
Part of our SpotSee® Knowledge Base
Explore our SpotSee® Knowledge Base for product guides, comparison articles and supporting technical resources for impact, tilt and temperature monitoring.