What you need to know
Major RFID Technological breakthrough - TROLLEYSCAN DELIVERS FIRST COMMERCIAL VERSION OF RFID-radar
| Choosing the frequency - The most important decision to be made when choosing an RFID system is the operating frequency as many of the characterisitics you require are defined by the laws of physics. This is particularly true for passive RFID systems( no battery in the transponder) where the laws of physics and local regulations regultate how much one can squeeze out of the performance. For passive transponders the operating frequency choices generally are 125Khz (magnetic), 13.56 MHz (magnetic), 860Mhz to 956 MHz (UHF) (electric) and 2.45GHz ( electric) Magnetic coupled RFID transponder systems Electric field RFID transponder systems |
Types of RFID systems The first major catgeory of choice is between active and passive transponders. Active contain a battery to provide their energy, while passive extract energy from the energising field of the reader.Active and passive. For passive transponders a second category of choice is in the type of protocol, being either a Reader-talks-first(RTF) or a Tag-talks-first(TTF) protocol. RTF protocols generate much higher levels of interference compared to TTF protocols meaning fewer readers can operate in close proximity.Comparing protocols |
| Uses of RFID systems RFID systems are capable of providing "vision" to computer systems. This means they are found in applications where-ever information is to be gathered automatically for computer networks. RFID is the fourth leg of IT systems, after computers, networks and software. Applications are found in areas such as asset tracking, courier parcel tracking, tyre identification for hire cars, files and book monitoring in buildings, sports timing, logistics, laundry tagging for automatic processing in a centralised laundry, personnel access control, vehicle access control, toll roads, and even in labelling goods in a supermarket trolley. Typical uses of RFID Unusual applications of RFID Technology |
News releases Many companies issue Press Releases explaining major developments. Most of these developments detail inventions that are not immediately available but highlight was is likely to happen in the future.Many of these releases are listed allowing users to to follow current developments. News releases |
| Suppliers Whether you want to buy magnetic or electric technology, active or passive technology, systems or just components - you need to look at this listing of 104 Suppliers of RFID (104) transponders, components, technology and systems |
Trends RFID at present is a rapidly changing technology. Originally transponders were expensive to produce and had very short operating ranges. Recent developments allow cheap UHF transponders to be made that can operate at distances further than 10 meters, read up to 1000 transponders in a zone at a time, and can be produced at prices that make it economical to use them for use in applications that need low price labelling. In this sections we detail trends that are occuring in this industry.Current trends in RFID applications Future trends for RFID |
| RFID in retail Following a widely shown demonstration of RFID being used to read the contents of a supermarket trolley (cart) in South Africa in 1994, it was realised that the ultimate application of RFID will be the automated scanning of the supermarket trolley. Although this is now technically possible, the lack of production facilities to produce transponders in sufficient quantities means that this application is still many years away from reality. "Is it possible to scan a supermarket trolley using RFID?" by Mike Marsh Scanning systems for retail? |
Technical reports Tests of the accuracy of RFID-radar and the development of long range transponders The biggest and fastest item ever scanned with UHF RFID Recycling for Active Tags and batteries by Dave Miller Pushing the Range Boundaries in UHF Passive Tags by Mike Marsh RFID Coal Tracking Technology By Deryck Lauf A Modulating Retroreflector as a Passive Radar TransponderBy J.Thornton,D.J.Edwards. Transponder's sensitivity - a new way to specify UHF transponders? by Mike Marsh Dynamic Performance of Passive-Tag Inductive RFID Systems by Michael Beigel Range versus power and frequency for passive electric coupled tags by Mike Marsh Read range for Animal Transponders by S Farnham Microwave ID by Staffan Gunnarsson Performance of magnetic coupled Passive Injectable tags by Michael Beigel Battery Technology choices for RFID Tags by Sol Jacobs Process synchronisation using 2.45 GHz RFID by Staffan Gunnarsson Improved logistics with 2.45 GHz RFID by Staffan Gunnarsson |
| Parts of an RFID system What is a Transponder/What are RFID systems EAS systems Multiple article scanning Single bit, read only, read/write,smartcards and RFDC Designing RFID systems by Mike Marsh Communication issues for transponders |
Conferences Numerous conferences around the world are being organised which focus on RFID applications and EPC implimentation. |
| Editorial & Interviews The future of EPC Gen 2 - MD of Trolley Scan The manufacturing challenge - Where are all those transponders going to come from? Restrictive RFID power regulations and IT Compatibility between the US and Europe radio frequency regions for International trade Can RFID tags replace barcodes cost-effectively? |
Standards In the ideal world standards would be set before the invention was made. In the real world the enemy of standards is technological developments. At present RFID is in a phase of rapid development and standards that are now being written are unlikely to have a long life span as mans ingenuity to overcome the major production and application challenges is being tested. Transponder standards Radio frequency and regulatory issues RFID books |
| EPC The term EPC refers to the efforts of EPC Global to introduce RFID into supply chain management systems for the retail sector with stores such as Walmart, Tesco, Metro. Although there is a lot of interest and press hype about this application, in reality it has major challenges to overcome before such a project could become commercially viable. Challenges that need to be addressed are significant, like expanding the global manufacturing capacity for electronic circuits ONE MILLION fold; like developing standards that do not generate so much radio interfence when used that they interfere with all other readers in close proximity; and like developing parts that are cheap enough to be cost effective to use in this application. In addition at present there are patent infringement issues that hang over the projects. It is not likely that this project is going to make major inroads into this application area before 2010, despite all the press hype and the enthusiasm of the end users. The future of EPC Gen 2 - MD of Trolley Scan Comparing protocols,EPC issues VDC's 2005 market forecasts |
Newsletter This is a reference site that is continually being updated to cover significant trends in RFID technology. If you wish to be informed about updates periodically, fill in the registration form to be sent details by email. |
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