RFID | Applications
RFID use in supply chain logistics enhances delivery accuracy and accountability in the supply chain and logistics operations. Whether using passive tags in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry or Active tags for valuable durable goods, RFID is enabling visibility in the supply chain for improved efficiency.
Within the RFID asset management market there are two related segments: asset management and security. The asset management segment represents organizations responsible for the identification, management, access control, usage, inventory, movement and tracking of valuable assets. Assets such as tools, vehicles, weapons, computer equipment, or critical parts are tagged, and tracked in the course of normal operations. Example customer organizations include the DoD, airlines, and manufacturers.
The security segment represents organizations focused on the protection of assets, facilities, or people. In this segment, the assets tagged depend on the application, but examples range from tagging airline baggage, individual people, to valuables or weapons. Example customers include various government agencies, airports, and many enterprises with security concerns.
Technology Overview
RFID systems can provide an end-to-end solution for tracking assets. The main technology components of an RFID system are the hardware (tags and readers), and software (middleware, database, system, and applications). A radio frequency reader scans the tag and sends the information to the software system which analyses and stores the data (illustrated in Figure 1). Active tags containing their own battery power have typical ranges up to 300 yards. Passive tags, without their own power source, are less expensive and have typical ranges up to 10 yards. The development of these inexpensive tags has created a revolution in RFID and has made their wide-scale adoption in government and industry organizations feasible.
Figure 1 - Components of an RFID System
RFID tags are microchips attached to an antenna in a package. An RFID tag contains a unique serial number at a minimum, but commonly contains other information about a product. RFID tags can be passive, semi-passive or active. A passive tag is an RFID tag without a power source or transmitter. Radio waves from an RFID reader are collected from the RFID tag antenna, which powers up the microchip in the tag. The tag is then able to send back information stored in the chip to the reader. Active tags contain a battery and a transmitter to send information to an RFID reader rather than reflecting a signal. Semi-passive tags are similar to active RFID tags, but the battery is used only to run the RFID chip, not to broadcast a signal to a reader. Examples of RFID tags are illustrated in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2 – Assortment of RFID Tags
An RFID reader is a device used to communicate with RFID tags. The reader has one or more antennas, which emit radio waves and receive signals back from the tag. The reader is also sometimes called an interrogator because it "interrogates" the tag. Readers can range from large, permanently mounted devices referred to as fixed readers, or smaller, handheld units known as mobile readers. RFID systems require middleware to interface between RFID hardware and enterprise applications. Middleware, in the context of an RFID system, refers to software that is used to filter RFID data and pass on useful information to enterprise software applications for further processing.
A typical architecture for RFID solutions is shown in Figure 3:
Figure 3 – Typical RFID Architecture
Several approaches to RFID systems have developed within the RFID industry to address various challenges such as read range, materials properties, noise and signal interference, and data communication rates. From a hardware perspective, these approaches have proceeded along two principal dimensions: frequency of operation, and power sources. In addition, a wide variety of RFID tag designs, antenna designs, reader-tag protocols and management software have been developed.
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