Introduction
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an easily unnoticed technology that has changed various industries throughout the last few decades. While most people may not be aware of the existence of RFID, this abbreviation is closely tied with such sectors as inventory management or supply chain tracking, security systems, and many others.
In this article, the reader will be taken through a general introduction of RFID technology as a novice’s guide to the technology. I will explain the basic working principle of RFID, some fundamental components of RFID, and last couple of areas of industries where organizations have incorporated RFID for enhancing their business.
What is RFID?
RFID is an abbreviation of Radio Frequency Identification. An RFID system consists of three key components:
- RFID tags –Also referred to as RFID transponders, RFID tags comprise of a chip and an antenna. Information for example in the form of serial number is burned into the chip. Tag antenna assists the chip to relay this data to an RFID reader. Tags can be active – when they include a battery and operate, passive – when they do not contain a battery, and battery-assisted passive.
- RFID Readers – Reader is an equipment that plays a role of providing radio signals in a limited area. When this RFID tag is within this electromagnetic field, it becomes able to pick an activation signal from the reader. This alarms the tag to broadcast back the data stored on its chip. This data is then interpreted by the reader and then sent to a computer system.
- Middleware Software – This connects a reader system to its relevant organisation’s information systems. It handle data received from multiple readers and the data is forward to different application systems such as inventory management.
How Do RFID Systems Work?
RFID is the technology that allows objects to be clearly identified and traced using radio waves contacts. Here is a simple example of how the components work together:
Daily, each product in a warehouse receives a passive RFID tag that is used to track its location in the warehouse. Each tag has a serial number and possibly information of some other kind.
They are ensure by RFID readers placed at the certain strategic places emit radio waves of a particular frequency in electromagnetic field that covers a few feet.
When tagged products on pallets enter into this zone, the tags only receive sufficient amount of RF energy to switch to awake mode and respond to the reader with their serial number.
Finally, this reader data is received by middleware; it processes and formats it for the WMS, the inventory database.
This type of product is visible by the WMS since these flow within the facility to be stored, picked and shipped out.
In sum, the reader transmits to the tags through radio signals that activates tags to respond with their information. This type of communication is real time, and does not need the participants to observe or even be in the vicinity of each other. The system offers visibility and tracking capability that are difficult to provide prior to the use of RFID.
This created the need to identify the key RFID components and concepts that would be useful in determining the requirements for a feasible RFID system.
There are a few other important RFID concepts to understand which relate to components discussed earlier:
Frequencies: Reader systems employ several unallocated spectrum bands that are particularly established for RFID use internationally. Some of the most familiar frequencies are low frequency (125-134 KHz), high frequency (13.56 MHz), UHF (868-928 MHz) and microwave (2.45 GHz & 5.8 GHz bands. In some way that usage different frequencies has its own benefits depending with the frequency being used.
Read Range: It means the largest distance that can be attained between a tag and a reader before they are unable to communicate. Sometimes it can be a few millimeters while at other times it can be over 30 feet based on factors such as the usage frequency, size of antennas among other issues. Longer read ranges make RFID installation more elastic in nature.
RFID Antennas: Readers and tags both incorporate tuned antennas tailored specifically to providing optimal function at the system fungtion. The antenna receives radio waves to power the chip and then transmits own waves back from the chip. As mentioned before readers usually have larger antennas and are designed for longer read range ability.
Standards: The air interface protocols, data contents and conformance processes among other things have been standardized on a global basis to foster compatibility of RFID components emanating from different manufacturers. There exists a number of standards organizations, though some of the most popular ones include ISO, EPCglobal and AIM Global.
Major Industries Using RFID
RFID implementation on the other hand still has a great prospect of expansion as its prices have reduced and technology has continued to improve. Today RFID can be applied in such areas as apparel and consumer products, manufacturing and industrial plants, hospitals and clinics. Here are a few prime examples:
Retail – Many big retail houses such as the Wal-Mart Stores and the Target mike stores have implementation of RFID, particularly at pallet and case levels with their first-tier suppliers. This makes it possible to achieve much tighter inventory management across complicated multiple tier supply systems. Scanner-based RFID also mitigates out-of-stock situations and provides more prominent visibility of sales data in omnichannel inventory fulfillment.
Manufacturing – RFID facilitate identification of assets found in manufacturing plants such as production machinery, spare parts, and material in the middle of the production line. This results to minimal fixed asset write offs and optimal production process less likely to have unsigned process bottlenecks.
Logistics–rfid container tagging enables shipping companies to identify the positioning of cargos conveyed through ports and container terminals. It also increases the efficiency of the supply chain and will further the processes of customs clearance.
Health care – Hospitals deploy RFID to locate important devices including wheel chairs and IV pumps and there consequences of losing important assets. Antistep tagging of more patients, employees, lab and blood bags also enhances safety and service delivery.
Why RFID is Considered a Game-Changing Technology
That said, let us explore the details of the factors indicating RFID as a revolution over the existing bar code-based identification means.
- Contactless Sensing: RFID readers are able to read the tags without direct alignment and from different ranges ranging from 0 inches to 30 feet. This low-contact, non-tethered approach unlocks revolutionary applications.
- Unique Identities: RFID tags have attached numbers which make the product item unique globally. Barcodes only provide information on the kind of product being dealt with. This results in an ability to have compliance check at item level, which has never been seen before.
- Read/Write Capability: For upstream or downstream track, information such as manufacture date, shipment details and so on, can be written to tag chips several times. This makes it easier to create highly analytical use cases that leverage previous data.
- Data Storage: Present RFID chips possess enormous data storage capabilities – several kilobytes at most. This enables storing of service records, maintenance logs and other sensor data on tags themselves.
- Ruggedness: Tags do not require any batteries and Passive RFID tags use tough packaging materials that let the tags perform for several years without any problems in highly demanding conditions such as mining and port industries.
- Process Automation: RFID readers properly positioned can also harness permanent information flow on the products movement, equipment utilization, vehicle traffic, etc. This results in better business decisions.
Therefore, RFID provides revolutionary opportunities to companies to provide new possibilities of management operational efficiency and SC performances as well as decision making based on item-level visibility.
The Future of RFID Technology
Even after decades of adoption, RFID technology continues to evolve with exciting new capabilities on the horizon:
- Internet of Things: Integration of sensors in RFID tags makes ordinary objects smart; and smart in the sense that they can monitor something like temperature, humidity, vibration and the likes in real time.
- Blockchain: The end-events in the logistics chain of custody associated with the use of RFID data can indeed be filed on distributed ledgers to confirm their genuineness and discourage forgery.
- Miniaturization: Interconnect θ0 PCB based printed RFID tag antenna have been shown down to the 0.15mm x 0.15mm size range meaning that tag could be incorporated into paper or banknotes.
- Increased Read Range: Some of the RFID systems that utilize the 5.8 GHz frequency range can deliver more than 30 ft read range that makes it ideal for large environment such as the warehouse, railways or ports.
Conclusion
This initial tutorial summarised that RFID technology provides contactless identification and tracking through radio-frequency signal between tags and readers. As a brief, we analysed the elements, the simple mode of operation and the key motivation factors in the retail, manufacturing, and logistics and health care industries.
RFID offers visibility and automation of data that has not been made possible before. In time, more advanced IoT sensors, blocks chains, nano technology, and higher frequency RFID systems are smarter, portability, and long range. The prospects are quite promising for such a groundbreaking invention!