IE 419/519Wireless Networks

Lecture Notes #7Radio Frequency Identification

(RFID)

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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

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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

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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

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RFID – System Architecture

Tag

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RFID – Applicability Used when labels may become dirty,

damaged, or distance impedes proper reading

Advantages

Disadvantage

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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

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EPC Numbering System

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Classification of RFID Tags

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EPC Tags EPC focus is on UHF passive tags Read-Only

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

Read-Write 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

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EPC Tags

MotorolaRFX3000 Gen 1RFID Tag Inlays

MotorolaRFX6000 Gen 2RFID Tag Inlays

Alien TechnologyGen 2

RFID Tag Inlays

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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

MotorolaXR400

MotorolaMC9090-G

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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

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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

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RFID Applications

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RFID Applications

Bill of LadingMaterial Tracking

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RFID Applications