RFID Technology What is it? (And why should you care?)

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 RFID – What is it? Radio Frequency Identification Three parts to an RFID implementation: Tag (chip and antenna) Reader Database & software Tag holds unique data – a serial number and/or other unique attributes of the item

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 RFID Uses Retail & Distribution Contactless Payment Keyless Entry Livestock Tagging Pharmaceuticals Logistics Assets (containers, trailers) Pet Identification

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Bar Codes on Steroids “RADIO FREQUENCY identification (RFID) tags are like bar codes on steroids; they're to traditional SKUs what Robocop was to your ordinary cop on the beat.” - CIO Magazine

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 RFID Benefits More information Individual item data & tracking Fast No contact No line of sight Miliseconds Simultaneous read of multiple items

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 RFID Tag Attributes Active RFIDPassive RFID Tag Power Source Internal to tagEnergy transferred using RF from reader Tag Battery YesNo Required signal strength Very LowVery High Range Up to 100mUp to 3-5m, usually less Multi-tag reading 1000’s of tags recognized – up to 100mph Few hundred within 3m of reader Data Storage Up to 128 Kb or read/ write & search 128 bytes of read/write

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Passive RFID Tags EXAMPLE: “Traditional” tags used in retail security applications Tag contains antenna and a small data chip Tag is powered by the electromagnetic field generated in doorways, reflecting back a weak signal containing data

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Active Tags EXAMPLE: military; transportation assets Battery Powered tags Greater range – 100m More information – Kbytes Can integrate sensors Temperature, GPS More expensive Shorter life span

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Status Today Issue #1: RFID Mandate Madness But will suppliers make the right choices?

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Status Today Issue #2: Lack of worldwide tag, reader, data standards Companies may later have to scrap choices EPCglobal trying to solve China a wild card

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Status Today Issue #3: Tag costs too high Goal is 5¢ tag; can’t afford $2 tag on 99¢ item Biggest limit on widespread business use

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Status Today Issue #4: Lack of Software What to do with all that data? Problem: “Petabytes” Answer: “Middleware”

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 Status Today Issue #5: Privacy concerns Item level tagging Tagging people “Mark of the Beast” Urban legend “Andrew Jackson’s Exploding Eyeball” Urban legend

© Anita Campbell, October 2004 The Future "Imagine an Internet of things, where everyday objects, rooms, and machines are connected to one another and to the larger digital world.” - Business 2.0

For More Information RFID Journal rfidjournal.com InformationWeek informationweek.com RFID Weblog rfid-weblog.com Don’t Forget! “RFID in the Supply Chain” 19 November 2004 Martin Center