RFID Technology What is it? (And why should you care?) RFID

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RFID Technology

• What is it?
• (And why should you care?)

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RFID What is it?

• Radio Frequency Identification
• Three parts to an RFID implementation
• Tag (chip and antenna)
• Reader
• Database software
• Tag holds unique data a serial number and/or
  other unique attributes of the item

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RFID Uses

• Retail Distribution
• Contactless Payment
• Keyless Entry
• Livestock Tagging
• Pharmaceuticals
• Logistics Assets (containers, trailers)
• Pet Identification

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Bar Codes on Steroids

• RADIO FREQUENCY identification (RFID) tags are
  like bar codes on steroids they're to
  traditional SKUs what Robocop was to your
  ordinary cop on the beat.
• - CIO Magazine

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Bar codes

• Bar codes are scanned by hand-held terminals or
  fixed scanners mounted at conveyors, in portals
  or in 270 deg./360 deg. tunnel configurations.
  Bar code scanners are used for scanning RFID tags
  in all business areas.When bar codes are
  scanned by hand-held terminals, data from the bar
  codes is processed by hand-held terminal
  applications.

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RFID Benefits

• More information
• Individual item data tracking
• Fast
• No contact
• No line of sight
• Miliseconds
• Simultaneous read of multiple items

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RFID Tag Attributes
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Tag types

• Passive tags use the reader field as a source of
  energy for the chip and for communication from
  and to the RFID reader. The available power from
  the reader field is reduced rapidly with
  distance, resulting in a limited communication
  distance of. Typical reading distances are 0-10
  cm for (125 KHz), 0-80 cm for (13,56 MHz), 0-5m
  for (860 Mhz 930 Mhz).
• Semi-Active (battery assisted backscatter) tags
  have built-in batteries and do not require energy
  from the reader field to power the chip. This
  allows them to function with much lower signal
  power levels, resulting in greater distances of
  up to 100 meters.
• Active tags are battery powered devices that have
  an active transmitter onboard. Unlike passive
  tags, active tags generate RF energy and apply it
  to the antenna. This autonomy from the reader
  means that they can communicate at distances of
  over several kilometers.

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Frequencies used

• RFID tags covers frequencies ranging from 125kHz,
  13,56 MHz, 433 MHz, 868-923 MHz and 2,45 GHz. The
  frequency of the tag is selected according to
  customer requirements.
• As a Lyngsoe Systems guideline, RFID tags with a
  low frequency (125kHz and 13,56 MHz) are used in
  enviroments with metal surroundings, where assets
  are moving at low speed and a low number of tags
  are scanned at the same time.
• RFID tags with a high frequency (433 MHz, 868-923
  MHz and 2,45 GHz) are used, where assets are
  moving at high speed and a high number of tags
  are scanned at the same time.

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Passive RFID Tags

• EXAMPLE Traditional tags used in retail
  security applications
• Tag contains antenna and a small data chip
• Tag is powered by the electromagnetic field
  generated in doorways, reflecting back a weak
  signal containing data

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Active Tags

• EXAMPLE military transportation assets
• Battery Powered tags
• Greater range 100m
• More information Kbytes
• Can integrate sensors
• Temperature, GPS
• More expensive
• Shorter life span

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RFID readers

• The RFID readers often replace manual scanning
  with handheld terminals, paper based work
  processes or manual data entry. The RFID readers
  are most suited for applications with controlled,
  automated work processes. The results is
  significant savings in manpower, increased
  scanning speed and increased productivity.RFID
  readers are used for automatic data capture and
  processing of RFID tags mounted on a large range
  of products and assets. RFID readers covering
  frequency range from 125kHz, 13,56 MHz, 433 MHz,
  868-923 MHz and 2,45 GHz

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Status Today

• Issue 1 RFID Mandate Madness
• But will suppliers make the right choices?

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Status Today

• Issue 2 Lack of worldwide tag, reader, data
  standards
• Companies may later have to scrap choices
• EPCglobal (www.epcglobalinc.org) trying to solve
• China a wild card

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Status Today

• Issue 3 Tag costs too high
• Goal is 5 tag cant afford 2 tag on 99 item
• Biggest limit on widespread business use

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Status Today

• Issue 4 Lack of Software
• What to do with all that data?
• Problem Petabytes
• Answer Middleware

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Status Today

• Issue 5 Privacy concerns
• Item level tagging
• Tagging the Euro http//www.eetimes.com/story/OEG
  20011219S0016
• Jackson http//www.prisonplanet.com/022904rfidtag
  sexplode.html
• http//www.rfid-weblog.com/archives/money_to_burn_
  debunking_another_rfid_myth.html
• Tagging people

Andrew Jacksons Exploding Eyeball Urban legend
Mark of the Beast Urban legend
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The Future

• "Imagine an Internet of things, where everyday
  objects, rooms, and machines are connected to one
  another and to the larger digital world.
• - Business 2.0

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Has your IT department tested and deployed RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification) technology?
Data InformationWeek survey of InformationWeek
500 executives
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EPC (Electronic Product Code)

• The creation of the EPC (electronic product code)
  coupled with lower tag costs, and the mandated
  adoption of RFID by Wal-Mart and Tesco for all
  their suppliers by 2005-6 has been the key
  accelerator driving RFID adoption.
• Furthermore, the European Parliament has
  announced legislation, which obliges all goods to
  be traceable throughout the supply chain by 2005.
  
• The use of RFID combined with the EPC promises to
  provide data about products never available
  before. Many items produced will eventually have
  their own unique ID numbers. All parts of the
  supply chain including manufactures, distributors
  and retailers will be able to have instant access
  to information about an individual product.
• RFID is not expected to replace barcodes simply
  because tags are still too expensive even though
  their prices have fallen to around 20 cents in
  volume versus 0.2 cents for a bar code label.
• Adoption is therefore likely to happen first at
  the Palette and Crate level, then as technology
  advances and costs reduce further, we can expect
  to see tags on more and more high value items.
• The wide adoption of RFID across the supply chain
  will bring significant benefits leading to
  reduced operational costs and hence increased
  profits.

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Examples of use

• www.lyngsoesystems.com
• Reference Lyngsoe Systems - Supply Chain
  Solutions - provides the following solutions
• Food Product Traceability
• Warehouse Management
• Asset Management
• Management Information
• Vehicle Management

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For More Information

• RFID Journal rfidjournal.com
• InformationWeek informationweek.com
• RFID Weblog rfid-weblog.com