1. Lecture Notes #7 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
IE 419/519 Wireless Networks
Lecture Notes #7
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

2. RFID – Definition
Automated identification and data collection (AIDC) technology that enables businesses to wirelessly capture and move data using radio waves
A typical system consists of:
Tags with an embedded, unique identifier for the product or object being moved;
Readers designed to decode the data on the tag; and
Host system or server that processes and manages the abundance of information gathered

3. RFID – History
1940s
During World War II, the technology emerged as an identification of friend or foe (IFF) program, integrating RFID tags onto military aircraft
1960s
RFID technology was used to identify and monitor nuclear or other hazardous materials
1980s
RFID technology research began to explore cost, size reduction, power requirements and read ranges
It marks the beginning step to transform RFID into a more widely used technology

4. RFID – History
1990s
Proponents began developing tag and reader products using RFID technologies
Millions of RFID tags were sold into applications including container tracking, toll roads and entry access cards
The biggest push to adopt RFID came more recently, when both the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Wal-Mart® issued mandates requiring their suppliers to use EPC open standard RFID tagging on pallets, cases, containers and parts, by January 2005
Today's challenge is primarily in scaling this powerful technology for enterprise-level deployments across a variety of industries

5. RFID – System Architecture
Tag

6. RFID – Applicability
Used when labels may become dirty, damaged, or distance impedes proper reading
Advantages
Disadvantage

7. Electronic Product Code (EPC)
EPCglobal™ is a joint venture between
Uniform Code Council (UCC)
European Article Numbering (EAN) Association
Main organizational body involved in the standardization of EPC
EPC is widely used and accepted for RFID systems

8. EPC Numbering System

9. Classification of RFID Tags

10. EPC Tags EPC focus is on UHF passive tags Read-Only Read-Write
Tags that contain permanent data
Commonly referred to as Class 0 tags within the EPC standard
Read-Write
A standards-based EPC extension that allows Class 0 tags to be written in real time
Commonly referred to as Class 0+ tags within the EPC standard
Tags that can be written over by a reader
Often referred to as Class 1 tags within the EPC standard
Class 1, Generation 2
Gen 2 tags retain many of the Gen 1 features while offering key performance, capacity, security and RF efficiency advantages over Gen 1 tags

11. EPC Tags Motorola RFX3000 Gen 1 RFID Tag Inlays Motorola RFX6000 Gen 2
Alien Technology
Gen 2
RFID Tag Inlays

12. EPC Readers Can be portable (handheld) or fixed
Controls transmission/reception protocols
Interfaces with host computer
Three components
Control unit
RF module
Transmitting/receiving antenna
Motorola
XR400
Motorola
MC9090-G

13. EPC Readers
Just like EPC tags, EPC readers are also evolving. Key developments include:
Ability to read EPC Gen 1 and Gen 2 RFID tags
Easy firmware upgrades to accommodate the EPC standards of today and tomorrow
Use of dense-reader mode (DRM) to minimize inter-reader interference
Multiple antennae support to reduce the cost of deployment
Flexibility to support various types of deployments as portals and conveyor belts
Open protocol Ethernet communications to interface with the host computer system

14. RFID Applications
The emerging widespread adoption of RFID will result in enormous amounts of data
Some estimates range as high as 30 times the amount of data currently generated today
With RFID, the large number of potential “read” points in a simplified supply chain is significant
Successful implementation of RFID requires synchronization between

15. RFID Applications

16. RFID Applications
Bill of Lading
Material Tracking

17. RFID Applications