This document is put together to help you better understand RFID technology and available products. RFID requires doing your homework to know the product's abilities and limitations. Choosing the right RFID solutions provider maybe as important a decision as choosing which system to implement.

By hiring us to do your RFID project, you have hired a team of professionals that are committed to excellence.

Why RFID? Why RFID now? You maybe one of the many firms that are using Bar Coding and you are happy with the technology. RFID will not eliminate bar coding. It is a process that will enhance bar coding and the overall Auto ID industry.

RFID has certain costs associated with it. In many instances, these costs are extensive. If you merely look at the costs, RFID will not seem feasible in your work environment. However, when you factor in the benefits and cost saving features of a properly installed RFID system, the decision to install RFID is a no-brainer.

In its simplest definitions, RFID is a data gathering utility. It will increase the level of accuracy and visibility of all items being tracked. The system will show you how, when and other specific details on tag movement. It may point out gaps in your workflow processes and be the driving force behind changes leading to a smoother running operation.

Introduction to Auto ID

Not long ago, Auto ID became a must in Identifying, Maintaining and Controlling goods and other products as they moved through the "process". It allowed companies to track items as they moved using some sort of data. The first automated technology to be used in this field was and remains the Bar Code. The Bar Code is a standard system for tracking items as they move through the supply chain.

Since then, a new technology has emerged that is reinventing the way products, people, vehicles and machinery, to name a few, can be tracked as they move from point-to-point. This new technology is RFID. RFID is a process that enables two devices to share data using wireless technology and embedded firmware/software.

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What is Radio Frequency?

Radio frequency refers to a signal generated by a transmitter (reader) and sent out through an antenna. The frequency of the transmission is described in terms of the number of cycles per second or Hertz (Hz), A transponder (tag) would be tuned to this frequency in order to receive the transmission. This signal is referred to as "RF"

A diagram of an RFID System

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INTRODUCTION TO RFID

RFID is not a new technology. It was developed during World War II. It was used to identify "friendly" planes. Almost 50 years later, RFID is making news because the capabilities of the technology are rapidly progressing. Most industries are beginning to see the benefits RFID will have on their business.

Over the course of decades of RFID development, industry has evolved RFID solutions that variously trade the regulatory constraints; the signal propagation characteristics of various RF carrier frequencies, the economics of tag size and optional batteries. These solutions employ only a few RF frequencies, around which the vast majority of RFID systems are fielded today. The RF frequencies include relatively narrow bands centered around: 125/134KHz or low frequency (LF); 13.56MHz or high frequency (HF); 433/869/915MHz or ultra-high frequency (UHF); and 2.45/5.8GHz or micro-wave (uW).

These frequency values are commonly referred to the RFID technology. Thus, tags and readers combinations are described as employing LF, HF, UHF, or uW technology.

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RFID Benefits

RFID offers higher data storage capacities, higher identification speeds, greater immediacy and accuracy of data collection. An increasing number of supply chain management companies worldwide are embracing RFID technology to identify multiple items in a single container - a feat that is not possible with bar coding systems. The technology's enhanced accuracy and security in data collection makes it an ideal data collection platform for the healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and retail sectors, for the following reasons:

No Line of Sight

• Less time for reading, resulting in faster processing
• Tag readable through non-metallic material, i.e. hardened plastic coatings, grease, dirt and paint
• Tag can be hidden or placed inside a container
• Tag orientation is less critical
• Greater resistance to scratches and physical abuse
• Longer read distances
• Information in tag is more secure

Decentralized Data Collection - Tag Dependent

• No database connect needed, hence less infrastructure cost
• Information on demand, hence no waiting for data

Easy Integration into Existing Processes

• High employee acceptance
• Reduction of human error
• Improved quality assurance
• Small surface area requirement

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Read/Write Operations

• Tags can be rewritten in real time as the items move through the supply chain
• Long life: reusable, rewritable

Simultaneous Identification (Anti-Collision)

• RFID systems can simultaneously capture data from and write onto many tags within antenna range
• Easy identification of the different data blocks

Rapid and Easy Reading

• Readers can capture up to 200 tags per second
• Label can be read while in motion
• Faster processing of items

Data Storage - Tag Dependent

• Store large amounts of data - up to 4 KB
• Greater accuracy in data retrieval
• Reduced data errors

Maintenance Free

• No maintenance needed for passive tags

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System Components

The main components of any RFID product are the tag "transponder" and a reader "transmitter". The tag is basically a small chip attached to an antenna, which may then be placed in an inlay for a paper type solution or a plastic enclosure for a more durable application. The Chip, although small in size, consists of a processor, memory and a transmitter. As mentioned earlier, the tag must be tuned into the same frequency as the reader.

The reader is the device that initiates the communication cycle with the tag. The reader will have an antenna attached to it. In most applications, the reader is connected to a system which hosts the middleware and application software. The reader is usually connected to a PC using a serial connection such as an RS232 port. Usually the system hosting the middle communicates with the application server through a wireless connection. An example of a wireless connection would be a WIFI 802.11 system.

Transponders can either be Read Only (R/O) that are preprogrammed with a unique identification; or they can be Read Write (R/W) for applications that require data to be stored in the transponder and can be updated dynamically. Another form of transponder is Write Once Read Many (WORM). This will allow for an identification number to be written to the transponder once. The information is stored in the memory, it cannot be changed but the transponder can be read many times.

Tag Attributes

Passive and Active

Within any one technology, there is a wide variety in tag performance reflecting semiconductor chip performance; tag antenna size and efficiency, and whether a battery is included in the tag. There are two broad classes of tags with respect to the source of energy used to power the tags: passive tags or those that receive their energy solely from the RF field supplied by the reader, or active tags that have a battery to boost the read range of the tag.

Read Range

In many cases, there is a sharp delineation between the read range of two classes of tags employing passive technology: those that have a relatively short read range and those that have a relatively long read range, especially at LF and HF. Like many radio systems, short-range RFID systems tend to be less expensive and relatively easy to design and build. Long-range RFID systems tend to be more expensive and difficult to build. Typically, the range performance of RFID systems is determined by the reader; the power of the signal it radiates, and the sensitivity of its receiver. In many applications, it is desirable to communicate with a tag when other similar tags are simultaneously visible to the reader. In the case of tracking containers, it is unlikely that two containers will need to be in the read space at the same time. In the case of product moving on a conveyer belt an important design feature is the ability to read and "check-out" multiple packages at the same time. The ability of the tag/reader system to talk unambiguously with one tag at a time is determined by the anti-collision algorithm used to identify each tag and establish a communication session with the tag.

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Tag/Reader Communication Protocols

How information is communicated to and from the tag has historically been determined by the original design of the semiconductor device. These protocols vary widely in the ways the carrier is modulated; the data is encoded; read/write/verify commands are structured; multiple tags are read without interfering with one another, and whether privacy/security services are provided. These varying protocols have relative advantages and disadvantages, depending upon the application being considered.

Standards

Over time, RFID manufacturers and users have typically concluded that while there are advantages to choosing from several communication protocols for any application; it is advantage to settling on one protocol or at most, a couple of protocols, for which multiple suppliers could offer chips and readers.

The appearance of these standards is relatively recent and reflects the work of industry bodies including the UCC and the EAN; the International Standard Organization (ISO), and national bodies like ANSI in the U.S. Many of these standards are new or are in the process of being defined and there is considerable uncertainty as to what their form will ultimately be.

Tag Operating Principles

Inductive Coupling

Low Frequency (LF) and High Frequency (HF) tags use an operating principle called Inductive coupling. Inductive coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit to another by means of mutual inductance between the two circuits. The amount of transferred energy is proportionate to the size of the transmitting and receiving antennas as well as the tag ability to operate at the resonance frequency.

Back Scatter

UHF RFID tags make use of a method of communication called backscatter. Backscatter technology reflects the reader's signal right back, modulating the signal to transmit data. This is the same technique used in radar technology. The term backscatter refers to the portion of the transmitted signal that is reflected back 180 degrees opposite the direction of the incident signal.

RFID Implementation

Implementing an RFID solution involves much more than just a tag and a reader, so it must be considered as a complete project to improve a wide range of operations over a considerable period of time. The evaluation of the investment should not only include the cost of all the different components, but also take into account both quantitative and qualitative benefits.

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Analysis of Requirements

RFID is not about replacing bar codes throughout the supply chain, you should analyze the requirements of the various stages of the process to better understand what kind of RFID solution you need.

System Design

Will your RFID system work better independently or be integrated into an existing system.

Technology Selection

Consider all technologies available and then select the technology that is best suited to your solution requirements: frequency range, read/write or read-only technology, range performance, environmental conditions and standards compliance.

Hardware Choice

You can trust our experience as UAE's Auto ID industry pioneer in assisting you to select the most appropriate hardware for your RFID solution, including the choice of printer, antenna, reader, controller and RFID tags.

Software Considerations

In partnership with many software solutions providers, we can select or develop software that will be integrated into your present enterprise package.

System Configuration

Let us support you in bringing together all the RFID system components and testing your system in the user environment.

System Adjustment

We will assist you in adjusting the RFID system according to the test results to optimize performance and worker acceptance.

RFID Solution Implementation

We will help you in bringing the RFID solution into service and supporting you to ensure you attain the desired results.

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Other Considerations

Electronic Product Code - EPC

EPCglobal is leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) to support the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in today's fast-moving, information rich trading networks. We are a member-driven organization comprised of leading firms and industries focused on creating global standards for the EPCglobal Network™. Our goal is increased visibility and efficiency throughout the supply chain and higher quality information flow between your company and its key trading partners.

International Organization for Standards - ISO

The Scope of this Standard is to describe the Reference Architecture for Radio Frequency Identification for Item Management and to establish the Parameters that shall be determined in any Standardized Air Interface Definition in the ISO 18000 series. The subsequent parts of this Standard providing specific values for Air Interface Definition Parameters shall then, once approved, provide the frequency specific values and value ranges from which compliance to (or non compliance with) this Standard can be established.

This Standard limits its scope to transactions and data exchanges across the air interface at Reference Point Delta. The means of generating and managing such transactions are outside the scope of this standard, as is the definition or specification of any supporting hardware, firmware, software or associated equipments.

This standard is an enabling standard, which supports and promotes several RFID implementations without making conclusions about the relative technical merits of any available option for any possible application.

European Telecommunications Standards Institute

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is an independent, non-profit organization, whose mission is to produce telecommunications standards for today and for the future.

Based in Sophia Antipolis (France), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is officially responsible for standardization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within Europe. These technologies include telecommunications, broadcasting and related areas such as intelligent transportation and medical electronics.

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