M4 Carbine SCAR FN Weapons Shot Counting RFID RuBee WSC GSC

We Make Weapons Smart - Allegro is an Optimized Gun Prognostic Health Manager (PHM).

Allegro is a patented, secure, RuBee enabled wireless Weapons Shot Counting (WSC) tag with NIST shock sensors. It contains an ultra-low powered full custom state machine signal processor, two full custom integrated circuits including a CPU, a ruggedized MILSTD 810G handheld (Javelin) mobile tag reader, and integrated application software that provides real-time weapon Prognostic Health Management, and firearm diagnostics. Allegro tags can have an optional battery life of 5, 10, 15, or 20 year life. Visible has field proven 25-year battery life tags.

WSC sensor tags represent the first major step to twenty-first-century PHM for weapons since Christopher Spence developed the rear loading automatic carbine in 1860 (see Why Weapons Fail tab for review).

What Makes Allegro WSC Tags and Software and Systems So Unique?

1. Allegro WSC Tags Don't Just Count Shots: The Allegro WSC tag counts shots but more importantly it characterizes the shock waveform (Impulse Response Function) using an advanced state of the art, low power signal processing chip that diagnoses the health of the weapon. It allows us to predict routine required maintenance and provides analytics that anticipate battlefield failure before it happens. Allegro tags and software are based on gun physics.

2. RuBee WSC Tags Are Secure: Don't be fooled by RF and RFID imitators and their security claims

RuBee wireless magnetic tags produce no Compromising Emanations and have no eavesdropping, tempest or target risk and are Battlefield Secure. RuBee is the only wireless technology that has been approved for use in secure areas by the US DoE, US Navy, US DoI, and the National Nuclear Security Administration. See our Wireless Security review for details.

RF based Gun Shot Counting Tags (passive/active RFID, Zigbee, WiFi, LE Bluetooth and NFC) all represent significant battlefield Radio Direction Finding (RDF) targets from as far away as 80 (eighty) miles (see Video). Even when RF systems are turned off they still provide the enemy with a tuned circuit target detectable from miles away just like a passive RFID tag.

Radio Direction Finding (RDF) systems have been in widespread use since WW1 and advanced RDF hardware like Wolfhound and the Predator UAV typically detect RF from 10 mHz up to 6 gHz and are in the battlefield today. (See RF Security Risk Whitepaper)

3. Allegro WSC Tags are Compatible with RuBee Automated Armories: Both gun audits and shot counting data can be captured automatically when the weapon is placed on a RuBee Smart Rack in an Armory 20/20 equipped armory. A full armory audit with all weapon WSC diagnostic shot counting data can be automatically captured in 10-20 minutes many times a day. The same tag is used for issuance and can be detected and read on exit/entry via a DoorGuard reader.

Audits and issuance can be performed with a RuBee Javelin handheld as a lower cost human assisted option, over full automated audits.

RuBee is the only wireless technology that can do both secure Weapons Shot Counting with PHM and 100% accurate automated armory audits, 100% accurate armory issuance, and covert exit/entry perimeter detection with 99.9% accuracy with total battlefield signal security.

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How Does Allegro Sense Weapon Health?
The Impulse Response Function (IRF)

Gun Physics 101: The Impulse Response Function (IRF) is the weapon's EKG

Allegro is breakthrough technology based on an advanced custom chip set, sensors, proprietary signal processing state machine, and advanced signal processing. The Javelin hand held readers have diagnostic Prognostic Healthcare Maintenance (PHM) software and a secure two-way data communication link. Allegro does a weapon "health check" as each round is fired based on the Impulse Response Function. We record the number of shots fired as well as extract IRF waveform details (the KPIs).

Advanced Allegro features include weapons temperature histogram, barrel wear metrics, cleaning status, or presence of mechanical problems. The IRF is captured using a custom ultra-sensitive NIST traceable accelerometer, mounted in a standard location on each weapon model, using ultra-light custom packaging that has no effect on weapon performance, or on the IRF.

The IRF is the weapons' electrocardiogram (EKG) and provides weapon Prognostics and objective Key Performance Indicators (KPI) about weapon health.

The WSC tags are either built into the grip or can optionally be attached to the lower assembly (see arrow). The tags can be washed in acetone in an ultrasonic bath with the firearm without any damage. We also have tags that can be inserted into the grip of a pistol. The tag can store about 500 bytes of data that includes serial numbers, manufacture, model number and as well as shots fired.

In three independent customer tests, using three different model carbines, based on total of over 50,000 rounds fired, Allegro consistently had 99% shot counting accuracy (see White Paper).

After extensive testing, Allegro won the competitive $5 million US Navy RFP Weapons Shot Counting Award, and recently won a $25 million competitive Estonia Defense Forces RFP with LMT Defense as a partner, and won the Grand Coulee Dam RFP (see Press Releases)

Wireless Reading and Writing Data Stored in the WSC Tag

Data stored in the tag may be read using a Javelin mobile handheld or via an automated fixed reader in an armory. The Javelin has a capacitive touch screen interface, a secure, two-way RuBee IEEE 1902.1 wireless data link and is ruggedized to meet MIL-STD-810G. Visible provides a variety of Javelin programs that capture tag data and transfers the information to the server-based Armory 20/20 and the Allegro 20/20 RuBee IO application. The Javelin has optional WiFi data links, USB port, optional WAN, GPS and a 2D Barcode reader.

The data captured by a Javelin, or a fixed reader in the Armory is uploaded to a Oracle database on a local or remote server and processed by the Allegro 20/20 application. Servers can use the RuBee IO (www.rubee.io) framework as a cyber secure local rack mounted 1U or 2U server, or can be run on a local laptop. All of the RuBee hardware/software is Linux based and can be supported remotely. The local server option can use a Windows or an Apple laptop.

We can provide central Command and Control Systems that provide cyber secure data and records for entire countries via the RuBee IO architecture.

The basic diagnostic maintenance warnings for weapons is similar to the warning the lights found in any modern automobile. So what can we say about the health of a weapon:

1. Needs to be cleaned
2. Has gas port erosion
3. Has barrel erosion, loss of accuracy
4. The bolt is at risk of cracking
5. Barrel burnout time to replace
6. Increase jams are likely

We have a detailed PHM summary of the Allegro diagnostics in a Allegro Power Point.

Our Allegro Partners

Allegro Weapon Shot Counter

Automated Weapon Diagnostics and Health

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