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EZ TAG is an electronic toll collection system in Houston, Texas, United States, that allows motorists to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths. Motorists with the tags are allowed to use lanes reserved exclusively for them on all Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) roads. As of late 2003, the EZ TAG can also be used on all lanes of tolled roadways in Texas that accommodate electronic toll collection.
Houston Transtar uses EZ TAG sensors, which are placed at numerous points across Greater Houston, for their Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) traffic monitoring system. By tracking the movement of individual transponder tags (EZ TAG user vehicles) over the city, the system can generate real time traffic information for use by the general public. The personal information about the EZ TAG customer is not compromised in this process because the EZ TAG database and the AVI system are not interconnected.
Removing the sticker after placement has a high probability of either separating the chip from the antenna, de-tuning the antenna from its designated frequency, or both, therefore invalidating the tag for future use. The tag also relies on the windshield for an amplification effect, and its effective range is greatly reduced if it is not mounted on a glass substrate. This range reduction is so much that not having a tag properly mounted will result in it not reading at all in toll lanes.
These characteristics are much different compared to the old battery tags, which would read fine if not mounted properly. As such, some toll patrons attempt to hold up their sticker tags when driving through the toll lanes, and appear mystified when they do not work as their old tags did.
The new tag uses three different protocols, or communications methods, with the tag readers—ATA, eGo and SeGo.
The protocol used in Houston is ATA for automatic equipment identification; however, a driver in Houston can conceivably use the tag in another state where the other protocols are used. In addition, the tags support ANSI INCITS 256-2001 and ISO 10374. The tag is read by scanners as far as at 915 MHz, and the tag features a 2048-bit read/write passive memory. Business Wire: TXDOT selects TransCore RFIDs
To duplicate a 915 MHz EZ TAG, a copy of the Read-only memory 2048-bit chip must be dumped and loaded into another ROM chip and a matched inductance of the RFID EZ TAG surface needs to be constructed. Blank 915 MHz RFID pads can be bought online. WavStore
Despite the similarity in the names, EZ Tags are not directly compatible with the E-ZPass system in the northeast USA. However, the interoperable SunPass PRO can be used anywhere EZ Tag or E-ZPass tags are accepted (except Colorado).
The EZ Tag by BancPass is available online, at H-E-B grocery stores and at Corner Store by Valero. Accounts can be reloaded online or at any H-E-B, CVS or Corner Store by Valero.
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