1. RFID Technology Lecture for week 5 Dhruba Sen

2. Radio Frequency Identification Device
RFID – What is it?
Radio Frequency Identification Device
Holds a small amount of unique data – a serial
number or other unique attributes
The data can be read from a distance – no contact
or even line of sight necessary(6m to 30m)
Enables items to be individually tracked from
manufacture to consumption
Many uses: Logistics, Military, Pets.
Article in Oregonian about differing RFID technology relating to pet ID
Logistics : the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation; the commercial activity of transporting goods to customers.
NFC is a branch of High-Frequency (HF) RFID, and both operate at the MHz frequency.
US military uses RFID to track and manage parachutes.

3. RFID – History Technology used in RFID’s was first developed in the
First used by Soviet’s in 1945 as an espionage tool
(passive, covert listening)
Similar technology, the IFF transponder, was used by
the British in WWII to identify airplanes as “friend or
foe”
A 1948 paper by Harry Stockman first explored the
vast potential for RFID technology
RFID “systems” did not appear until the 1960’s
IFF = Identification friend or foe

4. RFID Tag RFID Reader RFID System Components Transponder
Located on the object
RFID Reader
Transceiver
Can read and write data to Tag

5. Transponder Consists of microchip (tag) that stores data and antenna
Active transponders have on-tag batteries
Passive transponders obtain all power
from the RF interrogation signal of reader
Active and passive only communicate
when interrogated by transceiver

6. Transceiver Consists of an RF module, a control unit,
and a coupling element to interrogate
tags via RF communication
Also have secondary interface to
communicate with back-end systems
Reads tags located in an external
environment and are obscured from view

7. Data Processing Subsystem
Backend System
Connected via high-speed network
Computers used for business planning (ERP)
Database storage
Can be as simple as a reader attached to a cash register

8. RFID - Current Uses RFID’s are currently used for:
Inventory Monitoring
Library book and bookstore tracking
Departmental Store (Membership tracking)
Access Control
RFID Door-lock system for security purpose.
Payment Systems
Cell phones are including RFID tags built in
High-end VIP nightclubs
Commercially for truck and trailer tracking in shipping yards
Long range access control for vehicles
Entry gates
Electronic toll collection

9. RFID Implants
Before
After implant surgery

10. RFID – Potential Future Uses
RFID tags are often envisioned as a replacement for UPC barcodes in the future
Proposed to use RFID for point of sale store checkout to replace the cashier with an automatic system which needs no barcode scanning
Possibility of your refrigerator tracking what groceries you are out of, what has gone bad, etc. (eg. How old is the milk in the fridge?)
Sporting events have readers at the start and finish lines
Passports(e-passport)
UPC = Universal Product Code

11. Electronic Product Codes (EPC)
RFID and EPC Systems
Electronic Product Codes (EPC)
A code electronically recorded on an RFID tag
EPC is a 64-bit or 96-bit code
Intended to be an improvement on the UPC barcode system

13. RFID’s - Active vs. Passive
Active RFID
Passive RFID
Tag Power Source
Internal to tag
Energy transferred using RF from reader
Tag Battery
Yes No
Availability of power
Continuous
Only in field of reader
Required signal strength to read tag
Very Low
Very High
Range
Up to 100 meters
Up to 3-5m, usually less
Multi-tag reading
1000’s of tags recognized – speeds up to 100 miles/hour.
Few hundred within 3m of reader
Data Storage
Up to 1Mb of read/write with sophisticated search and access
128 bytes of read/write

14. 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/read at once
Used for higher value items
Shipping containers
Electronic assets
Cost between $20 and $40 per item
Life between 2 – 4 years

15. Passive RFID Tags
“Traditional” tags used in retail security applications
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
These passive tags form the basis of the Auto-ID designs, and, if manufactured in billions, will come down in price from $0.80 to $0.05 in the next 2 years.

16. Drawbacks of RFID Technology
Consumer privacy advocates often refer to RFIDs as “spychips”
RFIDs can be tracked by anyone with a high-gain antenna, potentially allowing the contents of a home to be scanned at a distance.
Could be used to track an individual’s movements without their knowledge
Information about an individual can be gleaned from an RFID even after its disposal
Three main privacy concerns in a retail scenario:
Purchaser of item may not be aware of its presence
Tag can be read at a distance without purchaser’s knowledge
May be possible to tie RFID to purchaser’s credit card and personal information

17. Regulation
Currently no global body governing RFID frequency allocation
In Europe, tags must be removed from packaging before disposal due to recycling disruptions and health regulations
There is limited or no regulation of RFID’s for the most part leading to more controversy

18. RFID technology is rapidly becoming more standardized, but problems do still exist
Regulation and education is necessary to quell some of the fears regarding RFID technology and it’s implications