RFID
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) Overview
RFID is a technology that has been around for over three decades. However, the latest generation of RFID tags opens up totally new and significantly bigger usage potential in many lines of business that previously have not considered tagging technology.
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What is a tag ? How does it work?
A tag consists of a chip, memory and an antenna in an encapsulation. It is read by an RFID reader
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The latest generation of chips are TINY - see the picture (left) of the Hitachi mu chip only 0.4mm x 0.4mm including the antenna. The white objects are grains of rice. As a result chips can be encapsulated in all sorts of materials- Labels (paper, cloth and plastic), Nails, Glass, Credit Cards - even banknotes!
Download our FREE RFID GUIDE (New version April 2011 - file size 1.1 MB)
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Here are some of the things that vary with different tag technologies
Tag Read Range - Previous generations of tags could only be read at a few cms. - in our labs we read at ranges of many metres using our own antenna design & tuning skills. Our maximum so far is 7 metres with a UHF passive tag - more than enough to cover a large door or portal. Active tags can now be read at well over 100 metres, as can SAW technology. New Tag to Tag products eliminate the need for costly infrastructure to support RFID, and also have read ranges of 100 metres.
Data storage - The latest tags can store kilobytes of data, and can be read and have data written to them, so the applications are infinite.
Applications - RFID has been used to track all sorts of things. Traditionally it has been used in the supply chain to track parts, pallets, containers etc. but nowadays as well :
- It can be used to track people- Olympic Games, London Marathon, ID Cards, passports.
- It can be used to track animals - pet passports, horse passports, cattle, sheep and pigs.
- It can now be used in the manufacturing process to track components and subcomponents through manufacture and out to customers.
- It can be used to track garments - retail, active shelves, laundries, garment rental/ hire etc
- It can be used to track individual items - WalMart, Tesco, Marks & Spencer are all adopting RFID and the new EPC standard. So - not just a pallet of Diet Coke, but every single can in all their stores is unique and traceable in all parts of the supply chain from manufacturer through distribution to store to customer.
Infrastructure - traditional RFID requires an infrastructure of readers and antennae, which in turn require power and linking to your existing WAN/LAN. This can be expensive if your RFID application is not adjacent to your current systems or buildings, or has to go into an RFID "unfriendly" environment. However, where this is not suitable newer technologies such as Tag to Tag set up their own infrastructure - and they do not require power or cabling! This means they are easy and cheap to set up, and even easier to change. Speak to us about this fantastic new technology.
Other technologies - you can link RFID to other technologies like GPRS for hand helds, GPS or RTLS for positioning - there are even tags now that talk to one another that set up their own infrastructure and to determine precisely where an asset is located. So all sorts of amazing things are now possible - and economically viable !
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