Genesis Engineering, Inc. - RFID Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

RFID Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General FAQ

1. What is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)?
2. What does a complete RFID system consist of?
3. What makes up an RFID tag?
4. What do LF, HF, and UHF stand for?
5. Does RFID technology have any limitations?
6. How can RFID help me?

EPC FAQ

7. What is this EPC™ thing all about?
8. What is the EPC Network?
9. Will EPC RFID tags replace bar codes?
10. I have additional EPC questions. Where do I turn?

General FAQ Answers

1. What is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)?

RFID technology uses wireless radio communications to uniquely identify objects or people, and is one of the fastest growing automatic data collection technologies.

RFID creates an automatic way to collect information about a product, place, time or transaction quickly, easily and without human error. It provides a non-contact data link, without need for line of sight, for example articles inside a cardboard box, or concerns about harsh or dirty environments that restrict other auto ID technologies such as bar codes.

In addition, RFID is more than just an ID code, it can be used as a data carrier, with information being written and updated to the tag on the fly. Genesis has the programming ability to install RFID readers and tags into your material handling system and integrate them with your PC or PLC network.

2. What does a complete RFID system consist of?

Included in an RFID system are a number of components including tags, handheld or stationary readers, antennas, and system software. A reader is comprised of a transmitter, receiver, control module and a communication function, sometimes called a transceiver in radio terms, for it to link to a controlling PC or PLC.

Tags are used to identify objects, which can be uniquely programmed with information about the objects. A reader should have an attached antenna, which is used to transmit and receive the RF signal. Each reader is accompanied with software that allows the user to read and program tags. Serial (RS232 or RS422/485) or Ethernet are the typical communications methods, though others are available.

3. What makes up an RFID tag?

4 TI RFID inlay tags An RFID tag, or inlay as they are sometime referred to, is essentially a very small integrated circuit attached to an antenna (see right). Tags come in a variety of sizes and shapes, each unique to its own application. Some are battery powered (active), and some are battery-less (passive), meaning the reader antenna energizes the tag by radiating RF energy, which the tag then re-radiates back to the reader. Tags work at a wide variety of frequencies, depending on which standard the tag adheres to.

Tags can come be read only, write once, or fully writable. The writeable memory can be as little as 64 bits for passive tags and up to as much as 32 kB for active tags. This memory can be read or written very quickly, in some cases as fast as 200 tags/sec! Having some memory gives your process the ability to read or write any data to it that you wish. This includes test data, location data, or even the new EPC codes.

4. What do LF, HF, and UHF stand for?

They correspond to different frequency ranges of the RF spectrum. LF stand for Low Frequency (≈ 130 kHz), HF stands for High Frequency (≈ 13.54 MHz), and UHF stands for Ultra-High Frequency (≈ 910 MHz).

5. Does RFID technology have any limitations?

Yes! While radio frequency (RF) energy is ideal for non-line-of-sight communication, radio signals do NOT penetrate all materials, the most important of which is metal. This makes RFID tagging of certain products, such as containers of certain types of fluids, or metallic products much more difficult. Attention must be paid to the placement of the reader antenna and the tag in order to ensure a high rate of readability.

In addition, the orientation of the tag to the reader antenna can play a large role in the degree of readability in a process system. Consequently, the system integrator must take into account many variables when designing an RFID system. Environmental electrical noise (RFI) can reduce read range as well. Contact the engineers at Genesis to determine if RFID is the proper solution for you!

6. How can RFID help me?

RFID is a very flexible technology that, when implemented properly, can help you maintain better material handling control. It has many applications in tracking and warehouse management that could help you save money in your manufacturing process.

There are pitfalls to the technology as well, so RFID technology is not for everyone. There are many cases in which the application of RFID could prove to be more costly to design and implement than a standard bar code system. Whether or not RFID can help you is a judgment that the engineers and project managers at Genesis can help determine. Contact us today to discuss your RFID needs.

EPC FAQ Answers

7. What is this EPC™ thing all about?

The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is the next generation of product identification. Like the Universal Product Code (UPC) or bar code, the EPC is divided into numbers that identify the manufacturer, product, version and serial number. But, the EPC uses an extra set of digits to identify unique items. The EPC is the only information stored on an EPC RFID tag. This keeps the cost of the tag down and provides flexibility, since an infinite amount of dynamic data can be associated with the serial number in the web-based EPC database.

Large retail stores such as Wal-Mart® have thrown their weight behind the EPC, telling its top 100 suppliers they must be UHF RFID ready by 2005. While the EPC standard is still being finalized, the infrastructure is coming into place to enable the EPC in RFID tags.

8. What is the EPC Network?

The EPC Network is a set of technologies that enable immediate, automatic identification and sharing of information on items in the supply chain. In a nutshell, the EPC RFID tag is attached to a pallet, case, or item. Using a reader, a tag communicates its EPC number to a reader. The reader then passes the number to a computer or local application system, known as the Object Name Service (ONS). ONS tells the computer systems where to locate information on the network about the object carrying an EPC, such as when the item was produced. Physical Markup Language (PML) is used as a common language in the EPC Network to define data on physical objects. Savant is a software technology that acts as the central nervous system of the EPC Network. Savant manages and moves information in a way that does not overload existing corporate and public networks.

9. Will EPC RFID tags replace bar codes?

EPC RFID tags enable automatic, non-line-of-sight identification. RFID is an exciting technology that represents a potential new standard to uniquely identify products. But, its implementation will evolve over time with applications driven by market and consumer demand. We will be living in a world where bar codes and EPC tags co-exist for quite some time to come.

10. I have additional EPC questions. Where do I turn?

We recommend the following resources to further assist you in your RFID quest:

www.epcglobalinc.org
www.ti-rfid.com
www.matrics.com
www.alientechnology.com

And of course you can always contact us to further discuss your material handling and RFID questions.