rubee (ieee standard 1902.1) is a two way, active wireless protocol designed for harsh environment, high security asset visibility applications. rubee utilizes long wave (lw) magnetic signals to send and receive short (128 byte) data packets in a local regional network. the protocol is similar to the ieee 802 protocols in that rubee is networked by using on-demand, peer-to-peer, active radiating transceivers. rubee is different in that it uses a low frequency (131 khz) carrier. one result is that rubee is slow (1,200 baud) compared to other packet based network data standards (wifi). 131 khz as an operating frequency provides rubee with the advantages of ultra low power consumption (battery life measured in many years), and normal operation near steel and/or water. these features make it easy to deploy sensors, controls, or even actuators and indicators. because rubee uses long wavelengths and works in the near field (under 50 feet) it is possible to simultaneously transmit and receive from many adjacent antennas, without interference providing the signals are synchronized. that makes it possible to enhance bandwidth and remove any angle sensitivity normally seen with other rf systems.