RFID Technology Overview
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technological discipline providing a reliable and cost-effective method to wireless identify and detect tagged items. There are several technologies within this discipline, mainly "passive RFID" and "active RFID", allowing wireless reading items from a distance of a few centimeters to over 1000m. The right RFID technology for the mission derives from the operational need, and not vice verse.
RFID Can be found today in almost every industry, and is widely used in consumers applications as well:
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Security - access control, wander prevention, counterfeit, vehicle's immobilization | |
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Logistics - warehouse management, item/box/pallet level tracking | |
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Consumer applications - ticketing, Electronic toll collection, e-wallet
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Healthcare - pharmaceuticals tracking, high-value inventory management, asset-tracking | |
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Transportation - parking-lot management, gate control
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Industrial - process monitoring, quality-assurance, safety & maintenance
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Key RFID Capabilities
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RFID Advantages
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RFIF Is often compared to identification by means of barcode labels, especially due to the neglectable marginal cost of a single barcode label. The right approach is to relate to barcode & RFID as technologies that complete each other, and not compete each other, since RFID can deliver unmatched benefits, yet still cannot compete the low costs of barcoding.
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BARCODE
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RFID
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Requires open sight between the scanner and the label
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Wireless reading enables detection through objects and surfaces, so no open-sight is needed
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Label can become unreadable over time due to dirt and environmental conditions
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Transponders can be bought encapsulated in cases for standard to harsh environments
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Printed data cannot be changed
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Built in read/write memory enables storing information and dynamically changing it according to operational needs
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Basic barcodes can only be read 1 at a time, while data-matrix (2D) enabled simultaneous reading but requires special high-end equipment
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Simultaneous reading of multiple transponders is supported in all RFID technologies
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