BASICS OF RFID TECHNOLOGY

Pramod Bhat M Pavan Kumar P N

History of RFID
Invented in 1948 by Harry Stockman. Initial application was during World War II-The United

Kingdom used RFID devices to distinguish returning English airplanes from inbound German ones. RADAR was only able to signal the presence of a plane. Came into commercial use only in 1990s.

Components of RFID
An RFID tag is an object that can be stuck on or incorporated into a

product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves . Tags ( Chip + Antenna + Substrate ). Tag types -Active. -Passive. -Read only. -Write only . Frequency at which these tags are used -Between 125 to 134 kilohertz. -At 13.56 megahertz. -Between 868 to 956 megahertz. -At 2.45 gigahertz.

Components of RFID

Passive RFID Tags

Tag contains an antenna, and a small chip

that stores a small amount of data Tag can be programmed at manufacture or on installation Tag is powered by the high power electromagnetic field generated by the antennas usually in doorways The field allows the chip/antenna to reflect back an extremely weak signal containing the data. Collision Detection recognition of multiple tags in the read range is employed to separately read the individual tags

Active RFID Tags

Battery Powered Tags
Have much greater range 100m
Hold much more information

Kbytes Can integrate sensing technology

Temperature, GPS

Can signal at defined time Multiple tags can be recorded at

once

Active RFID v/s Passive RFID

Active RFID Tag Power Source Internal to tag Passive RFID Energy transferred using RF from reader No Only in field of reader Very High

Tag Battery Availability of power Required signal strength to Tag

Yes Continuous Very Low

Range
Multi-tag reading

Up to 100m
1000s of tags recognized up to 100mph Up to 128Kb or read/write with sophisticated search and access

Up to 3-5m, usually less

Few hundred within 3m of reader 128 bytes of read/write

Data Storage

Components of RFID
Interrogator (Antenna + Reader) : They are used to read

the tags and in certain cases even remotely writes to the tag. Middleware: Middleware is the needed interface between the existing company databases and information management software. Business Application Software: used to manage the collected data. Middleware provides a range of functions:
Data filtering System monitoring Multiple reader coordination

Electronic Product Code (EPC)

Each tag consists a unique code that facilitates

identification process known as EPC E.g. 613.23000.123456.123456789 (96 bits) Header- defines version of EPC (8 bits) EPC Manager- Describes product Manufacturer (24 bits) Object Class- Describes Product Type (24 bits) Serial Number- Unique ID for that product item (36 bits)

System Overview

How RFID Works

PC

Time DATA FLOW RFID-READER RF COUPLING

Up-to-date

RFID-TAG

Energy

PERSONALIZER (Application Device)

RFID system

Range and Speed of RFID

Frequency 125-150 kHz Regulation Basically unregulated ISM band, differing power levels and duty cycle Non-specific Short Range Devices (SRD), Location Systems ISM band (Region 2); increasing use in other regions, differing power levels and duty cycle ISM band, differing power levels and duty cycle Range 10 cm Data Speed Low Low to moderate Moderate Comments Animal identification and factory data collection systems Popular frequency for I.C. Cards (Smart Cards) Asset tracking for U.S. DoD (Pallets) EAN.UCC GTAG, MH10.8.4 (RTI), AIAG B-11 (Tires) IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth, CT, AIAG B-11

13.56 MHz

< 1m 1 100 m

433 MHz

860-930 MHz

25m

Moderate to high

2450 MHz

12m

High

Benefits of RFID
Read/Write

- Ability to add information directly to tags enables each unique asset to carry its own unique history Non-contact Reads - Ability to read tags at a distance, under a variety of environmental conditions, without physical manipulation of the asset Fast Read - Ability to simultaneously read large numbers (10001750 tags/sec) of items Automation - Requires less human intervention Authenticity - Each RFID chip is unique and can not be replicated

RFID v/s Barcode

RFID Forging is difficult Barcode Forging is easy Scanner not required. No need Scanner needs to see the bar to bring the tag near the code to read it reader RFID is comparatively fast Can read multiple tags Can read only one tag at a time

Relatively expensive as compared to Bar Codes (Reader 1000$, Tag 20 cents a piece) - EPC

Inexpensive - UPC

Can be reusable within factory Cannot be reused premises

Case Study - Gillette & Co:

Objective: To Track movement of product from Packaging

Center to Plants distribution center.

Previously->Using Bar Code, time taken=80 sec to 20 min

1999->With RFID it takes 20 seconds.

Gains->Gillette saves 20% in Operational Cost at each

Distribution Center.

Namma Metro

RFID Tokens Contactless RFID Smart Cards

RFID Radar

Identifying RFID transponders in its zone Measure the range and direction of those transponders from the reader antennas.

Advantages of RFID Radar

This technology brings conventional RFID and RTLS

technology closer together. This technology encourages the development of longer range transponder technology to allow operation out to 100 meters Allows solution of complex security situations, such as when a transponder crosses a fictitious boundary - like cattle moving out of a field or trolleys from a carpark. Allows single radars to monitor much larger zones than multiple RFID systems.

THANK YOU
Any Questions?