The Impinj xArray is a fixed infrastructure RFID gateway that integrates a RFID reader with antennas to provide always-on, wide-area monitoring for real-time identification, location, and direction of RFID tagged items. The xArray provides wide area monitoring through its beam-forming antenna array, which delivers full power throughout a 40 foot diameter when ceiling-mounted at 15 feet high. The xArray can distinguish 52 different antenna beams providing for location assignment within the read zone, and the antennas radiate a linear pattern in both the horizontal and vertical paths in order to read tags in any orientation. The reader itself is optimized to read many thousands of tags very quickly, and to distinguish tags of interest from the rest of the field. This device can be configured to handle both wide area monitoring scenarios and portal applications. Moreover, Impinj has added robust tag direction capability that has been proven accurate even in difficult, real world environments.