The How-To Community is focused on making RAIN accessible to integrators, software engineers and data practitioners. We address the “how to” questions surrounding the use of RAIN, such as:

Interpreting RAIN tag data
Understanding RAIN tag data constructs
RAIN reader and printer interfaces
Making the RAIN read-zone efficient
Understanding all aspects of RAIN performance
Focusing on tags of interest

The work includes the important aspect of interoperability with barcodes and deals with sensors, authentication and data security.

Structure: This community consists of ongoing Workgroups – Developers and Technical currently – and Tiger Teams, which are focused on specific shorter team projects and deliverables. Here are some of the projects:

Projects:

RCI Ver 6, incorporating GS1 TDS/TDT [Developers]
RCI Simulator implementing Basic RCI. [Developers]
RAIN Best practices [Technical]
RAIN Encoding Best Practices: From barcodes to RAIN Encoding [Technical]
Guidelines for Developers of Label (Encoding) Software [Developers]
RFID Regulations
Manufacturing Quality Certification Specifications
RAIN Training and Accreditation
The RAIN Alliance How To for DPP
Overview of Gen2v3 air interface [Technical]

WORKGROUPS

The Developers Workgroup supports the exchange of best practices and promotes open-source software and easy-to-use systems to accelerate development efforts through an active RAIN ecosystem.

Leaders: Lars Thuring, Bertus Pretorius
Participants: RAIN Alliance members committed to producing specific deliverables
Level of dedication for active contributors (measured in working hours): high (from 1hr to 2hrs /week until deliverables are complete)
Responsible for:
- Projects such as the next version of the RAIN Communication Interface (RCI) Guide, Labelling Software Guide, and RCI Simulator
- Defining, delivering, and deploying strategy (OKRs)
Meeting cadence: Monthly

The Technical Workgroup identifies, develops, and publishes materials that provide technical information for alliance members to support the development of RAIN technology within the Alliance and to support the Alliance externally.

Leader: Claude Tetelin
Participants: RAIN Alliance members committed to producing specific deliverables
Level of dedication for active contributors (measured in working hours): high (from 1hr to 2hrs /week until deliverables are complete)
Responsible for:
- Projects such as the education and promotion of the new Gen2v3 air interface protocol
- Defining, delivering, and deploying strategy (OKRs)
Meeting cadence: Monthly

To learn more, contact the How-To Community leaders: Lars Thuring, Claude Tetelin, Bertus Pretorius

Resources

See the following web pages to learn about RAIN technology:

RAIN Communication Interface (RCI) Guide V.5.0 (Members only access)
RAIN System Design Guidelines
RAIN associated standards
RAIN Item Numbering and Tag Data The technical note describes the potential of RAIN tag use at the hand of the different types of RAIN tag data elements, each with its purpose, benefits, and issues. The aim is to inform business leaders, integrators, and users of the advantages of proper usage of RAIN item/object numbers and its data as stored in its tag. The document also addresses the critical issues of ‘RAIN flooding’ (occasions where too many tags are in the read zone) and ‘acid RAIN’ (occurrences of poorly programmed tags and of tag cloning/copying).
RAIN Item Numbering to Avoid Tag Interference: This advisory note informs business leaders, integrators and users of the importance and advantages of proper usage of RAIN item numbering and information to reduce RAIN tag interference.
RAIN Communication Interface (RCI)
RAIN RCI Version 4 – regulations, tag filters, crypto and sensors

How-To Community Leaders:
Lars Thuring, Logopak Systeme GmbH & Co. KG;
Claude Tetelin, GS1;
Bertus Pretorius, Toennjes

Participants in the How-To Community:
RAIN Alliance members interested in learning or sharing knowledge to ensure effective, efficient, and interoperable use of RAIN technology. The RAIN Alliance ecosystem needs and wants to learn from those who are on the front lines of development and implementation. This community is for those who have questions and are looking for advice.

Level of dedication:

There are different levels of effort depending on what role you decide to take on.

Participation in the community is a low dedication effort and allows you to receive a high-level overview of what the Workgroups in the community are doing.
Participation in a workgroup or tiger team is more intense. Involvement can range from engaging in discussions to reviewing guidelines to contributing text and code for the guidelines. For example, a high level of commitment is needed by an editor for a guide or a code set, a project that is often rewarding and important to the contributing company.

Community Meeting schedule:
Every 3 months, to mesh with the cadence of in-person member meetings