Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person. RFID tags contain antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver. Passive tags require no internal power source, whereas active tags require a power source.
This document attempts to explain RFID, which is one of a basket of AutoID technologies,in a business perspective and explores answers to the following questions:
1.0 Quick Introduction to AutoID & RFID:
The term “AutoIDâ€, (short for “Automatic Identificationâ€), is a method to :
- automatically identify/sense a product, person, animal, document, parcel or any object relevant in business / industry and
- get data about that object into a computer system, ideally at the point where a transaction occurs.
Examples are barcodes on groceries, magnetic strips on credit cards, employee access cards, handheld computers used in field services & communicating with enterprise computers, RFID tags on pallets, machinery, cars & other movable assets.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), which is one of the above, offers a quantum leap in capabilities, usage possibilities and benefits, hitherto not possible thru other AutoID options.
2.0 How is RFID Fundamentally Different ?
- Traditional barcodes were “read only†wherein the product code is used as a key to a database that resides on a computer, from where rest of the information is retrieved.
RFID can be “read-write†which means that the database information can be stored on the product, if required, enabling data to travel with the product, with the possibility of it being read and updated along the way (a portable dynamic database !)
- Other technologies are essentially “close contact and line of sight†(using lasers or swipes) wherein they need to be first human “reachable†and readable, before being read automatically.
RFID does not have that limitation allowing us to automate the reading of data from distances and without human intervention.
- Barcodes or magnetic strips are essentially used for identifying “one product at a timeâ€.
RFID being largely automated, offers the possibility of identifying multiple products at the same time and give us the ability to uniquely identify each unit, if required.
At the moment, deployment of RFID is more feasible at pallet, carton or container level, because of the relatively higher entry costs per tag/transponder and also because traditional applications were designed for handling one transaction at a time. These equations are changing fast and RFID adoption is expected to boom in the months and years to come.
3.0 Components:
A typical RFID scenario consists of:
- Tags or transponders, on a product, animal, pallet, carton, car etc.
- Readers or Interrogators, on a dock doorway, shelf, carried by operator, forklift-mounted etc.
- Antennas, mounted on tags & readers for efficient communication between the two.
- Middleware (to allow these to talk to enterprise applications & exchange data)
- Enterprise application software functionality
4.0 Current State of RFID Adoption in Industry:
- There is an understanding and appreciation of the potential of RFID amongst the CEO/CIO/CFO community.
- Price points (per tag) are relatively high inhibiting their ubiquitous use at item-level, as yet.
- Standards are under formation with EPCGlobal taking the lead.
- Inter-operability (between US & Europe, for example) still to be resolved due to differences in allowable radio frequency bandwidth.
- Leaders in every industry vertical are engaged in pilot projects and proof-of-concepts across the world.
- Commercial adoption is expected to boom 2006 onwards in several industry verticals.
We will discuss applications and benefits in Part II.
Sources & Resources:
Intermec Technologies
Symbol Technologies
RFID Journal
www.usingrfid.com
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