Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) provides a very important platform for the identification of items, data capture and item management.

It embraces a range of data carrier technologies and associated products that facilitate the exchange of data between a carrier and a host information management system by means of a radio frequency link.

The AIDC (Automatic Identification Data Capture) industry is moving rapidly towards the use of RFID in a number of high-value and high-volume market segments.

The primary benefit of RFID tags over barcodes is their ease of use and reliability. RFID tags can be read or written at distances up to several feet, while in motion, regardless of dirt or smudges, and through intervening objects.

While in the case of a bar code the data is carried (encoded) in the symbol’s bars and spaces and read by means of a directional light beam the data in the RFID data carrier is contained within the a suitable electronically-accessible memory device and read by a far less directional electromagnetic source.

Some RFID devices are also characterized by a write capability, also serviced by the interacting field. Each has attributes that distinguish their advantages in particular applications. Perhaps most significant is the fact that many RFID tags can be read at once automatically, while barcodes have to be scanned manually, one by one.

RFID Components

An RFID tag consists of a microchip attached to an antenna. RFID tags are developed using a frequency according to the needs of the system including read range and the environment in which the tag will be read. Tags are either active (integrating a battery) or passive (having no battery). Passive tags derive the power to operate from the field generated by the reader.

An RFID reader, usually connected to a Personal Computer, serves the same purpose as a barcode scanner. It can also be battery-powered to allow mobile transactions with RFID tags. The RFID reader handles the communication between the Information System and the RFID tag.

An RFID antenna connected to the RFID reader can be of various size and structure, depending on the communication distance required for a given system’s performance. The antenna activates the RFID tag and transfers data by emitting wireless pulses.

An RFID station consists of an RFID reader and an antenna. It can read information stored into the RFID tag and also update this RFID tag with new information. It generally holds application software specifically designed for the required task. RFID stations may be mounted in arrays around transfer points in industrial processes to automatically track assets as they are moving through the process.