What is RFID?
RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is a wireless system used to identify tags. These tags may be carried by people or animals or mounted on object or vehicles. They may even be embedded under the skin.
RFID tags are non-contact and non-line-of-sight. This means that you don't have to "swipe" your card for an RFID system to identify you.
Passive RFID vs. Active RFID
Passive RFID tags operate using power from the RFID transceiver. Passive tags are small and inexpensive, but do not have good range.
Active RFID tags are powered, usually by a battery. Active tags are larger and more expensive, but offer a much better identification range.
RFID tags store data, which is typically used for authentication. Passive tags typically store between 32 and 128 bits of data; Active tags can store up to 1MB of data.
Passive tags are Read-Only; Active tags are typically rewritable.
RFID Usage
Passive RFID tags are used in retail Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system to reduce shoplifting. These are the little white tags you find attached to clothing items and hidden in the pages of books. Most of the EAS systems are manufactured by Checkpoint Systems or Sensormatic.
Passive tags are also utilized for animal tracking and anywhere else where power is not available and tag cost is more critical than range.
RFID Frequencies
RFID systems operate across a wide range of frequencies. Lower frequency systems are less expensive; higher frequency systems offer increased range. For RFID purposes, 300-500Khz are considered low frequencies, 850-900MHz and 2.4GHz-2.5Ghz are considered frequencies.
RFID systems used to automatically pay highway tolls are high frequency systems.
Additional Reading on RFID
For more information, read Radio Frequency Identification - RFID: A basic primer.
The RFID Case Study Book is an excellent guide to real-world applications of RFID technology.
There is also a free RFID e-Learning Course which you may find interesting.
Books on RFID
 RFID Handbook : Fundamentals and Applications in Contactless Smart Cards and Identification |
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used in all areas of automatic data capture allowing contactless identification of objects using RF. With applications ranging from secure internet payment systems to industrial automation and access control, RFID technology solutions are receiving much attention in the research and development departments of large corporations. RFID is a major growth are in auto ID, allowing emergency vehicles to safely trip traffic signals, and providing the technology behind contactless smart cards, "autopiloting" cars, and production automation. Fully revised and updated to include all the latest information on industry standards and applications, this new edition provides a standard reference for people working with RFID technology. Expanded sections explain exactly how RFID systems work, and provide up-to-date information on the development of new tags such as the smart label.
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 RFID |
With a predicted $10-billion market over the next decade, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a booming new wireless technology with an eager new audience -- retailers. From global giant Wal-Mart down, RFID is being adapted to track inventories via microchip-tagged products. Popular technology writer Steven Shepard's RFID gives you an inside look at the entire arena, from the technology's staggering capabilities and potential, through insightful coverage of issues from vendors, implementation, and monitoring, to possible technical conflicts, market forecasts, and security.
A must-read for both technical types and retailers, this book's need-to-know contents include: Defining RFID; Underlying Technologies; Technological Competitors; Future RFID Applications; RFID/3G/Bluetooth Coexistence; Implementation; Potential Roadblocks; RFID Security; RFID Chips, Readers, and Applications Sets; Short- and Long-Term Forecasts |
 Guide to RFID | The book provides 80 well-organized and edited pages specially written to serve as a foundation book for the executive, the operations manager and the technical person. The first 25 pages (3 chapters) provide, in non-technical terms, RFID and its operating characters as well as general information about its positive ROI impact on information technology (IT) systems. The next 25 pages provide about 50 vignettes telling how RFID is solving business problems TODAY. The final 30 pages provide a level of detail, and glossary for technical minds so they can better understand the physical features and operational strengths and limitations of RFID technology as well as standards issues. |
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