RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a type of auto ID technology that uses radio waves to transmit the identity of an object. It is currently revolutionizing the way companies track the location and movement of objects as diverse as livestock, parts in a manufacturing line, expensive electronic equipment, and goods in the supply chain. As component costs decrease and global standards are established, RFID is sure to become common in other applications as well.

History

Although RFID may be considered a cutting-edge technology, it dates back to World War II. The British military used RFID to differentiate between their own aircraft and German aircraft. However, it wasn't until the 1980's that it first appeared in private-sector business applications.

In 1998, the Auto-ID center was founded in MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). It focused on developing open standards for RFID, as well as reducing the cost of RFID tags to make it economically viable for widespread adoption.

RFID Architecture

Simply put, an RFID system consists of readers and tags. A tag consists of an antenna and chip that stores the information on the object's identification. Tags can be applied to any level: pallets, cases, or individual objects. A reader consists of an antenna, transceiver, and decoder. Readers can either be fixed (attached to a warehouse ceiling) or movable (handheld). When it receives a signal from a tag, it passes the information on to a data processor.

Types of RFID Tags

There are two types of tags: active and passive. Active tags have a battery, while passive tags do not and must be powered by the reader's signal. With the passive tag, the reader always initiates communication and the passive tag responds. With active tags, either the tag or reader can initiate communication.

Because they have no battery, passive tags are lighter, smaller, and cheaper than active tags. However, they have a shorter range (5-10 ft) compared with the long-distance range (>100 ft) of active tags. Passive tags are commonly used in high-quantity, individual items whereas active tags are used for tracking valuable items, like shipping containers over long range.

RFID systems can be configured for 2 different frequency ranges. Low frequency systems operate in the 30 kHz to 500 kHz band. These have shorter reading ranges, as well as lower costs. Common low frequency applications include asset tracking and security applications. High frequency systems can operate at 800-950 MHz or 2.4-2.5 GHz. They offer longer reading ranges (greater than 90 ft) and can read at faster speeds. High frequency systems are used for automated toll collection.

Advantages of RFID

RFID technology is well-suited for automatic ID and short/long-range tracking applications. It doesn't require line-of-sight to communicate. It also can function in harsh environments like snow, ice, rain, and extreme heat where barcodes and optically read technologies cannot work. RFID tags can even be read through paint and dirt. They can be read at high speeds, typically responding in less than 100 ms.

RFID does not require human intervention to send data and therefore offers businesses a more automated and efficient option. RFID tags can be updated and unlike barcodes, they have the potential to contain much more data.

Applications

Today RFID's main business application is managing and tracking goods in the supply chain. It offers real-time, automatic visibility into inventories and can be used to track goods from a supplier's manufacturing floor to the retailer's shelves.

Other applications include:

- Pharmaceutical industry: monitor the distribution of drugs to prevent illegal counterfeiting
- Animal and livestock tagging
- Automated toll collection on toll road ways
- Improve recall process for faulty parts
- Tagging expensive items to prevent theft
- AVI (Automated Vehicle Identification) systems
- Used with smart card technology in the financial industry

Future for RFID

As with any new technology, more work needs to be done with global standards. EPCglobal is a member-driven organization dedicated to developing global standards for the EPC (Electronic Product Code) network to support RFID. This will allow companies to share information more effectively, further increasing efficiencies in the supply chain.