Identification and Control Equipment - RFID

Radio Frequency Identification ( RF TAG )

It is one of the most widely used identification system in the world right now. This is because RFID is very flexible as there are variable shapes and sizes to suit different purpose. RFID at least consist of 3 component, antenna, transceiver and a transponder. Antenna emits signal inorder to activate the transponder( RF TAG) to either write or read data on it.

Above is a simple example of how the RFID works. The antenna can be in different shapes and sizes also, they can be inserted on a door to monitor who or what is passing through the door or can even be attach to a traffic light to help in monitoring the traffic. As for the tags, as they are used for different purposes, there is no definite size for it, example are the animal tracking tags which can be as small as a pencil lead. Frequencies also affect the RFID, for lower frequency, they are mostly used for animal tracking and are of a lower cost and higher frequency is for traffice tracking whick require high speed , therefore, this is also more expensive. There are a few types of RFID available, and the most common categorization are passive and active.

Passive

This type of RFID tag do not require any power supply, meaning they operate without external source of power. However it does not mean that they really do not require power but instead, they obtain power generatedfrom the reader. These tags are much cheaper as compare to a active tag and they are lighter and have a longer lifetime. However they require a very strong powered reader inorder to transmit the power and the range of the passive tags are relatively shorter.

Active

Active tag works with an internal battery and the tag data can be rewritten or modified. The capacity of the tag( in megabyte) depend on the system application requirement which normally will be 1 MB of memory. Active tag provide longer reading range and do not require strong reader, however active tags are more expensive and had a limited operational lifetime of up to 10 years depending on the type of battery.

What is the difference between bar codes and RFID?

RFID
-Reader able to read multiple tag at the same time
-Does not need to be in line with the reader
-Able to read long range
-Will not be affected by stains on the RFID
-Radio waves reader
-Reduce human error

Bar code
-Cheap alternative
-No collision as only 1 code is being read at a time
-Optical reader
-Cut down on human error
-Adequate accessible range

We can see that RFID have some advantages over the traditional bar codes. Firstly, RFID can read multiple tag at the same time, this is to save time rather than bar code where you will need to scan the product 1 by 1. however to prevent the reader to read unwanted RFID nearby, the configuration of the system behind the reader must be properly adjusted. RFID can also read object even if they are passing through at a fast speed like those used for railroad tracking. The reading process is also better than that of bar codes. RFID does not require the product to be in line wih the reader to reads it because radio wave is being used. RFID also not affected by poor visual condition unlike bar code where a drop of water on the code may cause the bar code unable to be read. Range of the RFID is also much longer than bar codes. Both method of identification serves the main purpose, to help cut down on human errors. Though it seem RFID is much better than bar codes, in the next few years it is very unlikely to replaced bar code. This is because bar code is much cheaper compare to RFID and this is important to company trying to cut down cost.

Some uses of RFID