RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION DEVICE

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION DEVICE



ABSTRACT

Traditional methods for inventory and asset management are not well suited to today's evolving supply chain. And, the increasingly demanding logistics environments in the commercial and public sectors require solutions that can provide cost-effective automation to address their changing requirements. Bar codes, the currently dominant identification technology, have limited effectiveness due to a reliance on line-of-sight, which can be inefficient and labor-intensive. Additionally, bar codes have suspect durability, hampering reliable management. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) addresses these needs by providing fully automated, ubiquitous identification.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a powerful communications technology, utilizing low-cost transponders (ID tags) and high-powered receivers to provide automated identification for virtually any item. Widely adopted in commercial applications, RFID provides value in a number of applications including loss and theft control, location tracking, and instantaneous identification. RFID provides a simple, cost-effective method to incorporate immediate feedback and rapid indexing, increasing value in business processes. For automatic identification, inventory management and control, and overall business process improvement, RFID has proven to be a powerful solution in both public and private sector projects. However, like all emergent technologies, there exist challenges in addressing the needs unique to each organization and determining the optimal application of RFID.

This paper gives an introduction to RFID, its basic building blocks, the features and benefits of using RFID and the various applications and scenarios of RFID.

KEYWORDS: Identification,Tags,Transponders,Automated,Tracking, Indexing,





1.RFID - WHAT IS IT?

Ø Radio Frequency Identification (Device)
Ø It is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.
Ø An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person. RFID tags contain silicon chips and antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.
Ø Passive tags require no internal power source, whereas active tags require a power source.
Ø These tags can hold a small amount of unique data – a serial number or other unique attribute of the item.
Ø The data can be read from a distance – no contact or even line of sight necessary.
Ø It enables individual items – down to the proverbial “can of beans” to be individually tracked from manufacture to consumption.



2. RFID TAG ATTRIBUTES

The following table compares the attributes of active and passive tags:



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 Tag
Very Low
Very High
Range
Up to 100m
Up to 3-5m, usually less
Multi-tag reading
1000’s of tags recognized – up to 100mph
Few hundred within 3m of reader



3. RFID BUILDING BLOCKS

Ø Tags: There are a great many different types of tags but they all serve the same purpose. They are electrical devices, using some form of antenna to communicate. They are the item, which is used to identify something to an RFID tag reader.



Fig 1.An RFID tag used for electronic toll collection

Ø Tag Reader: A reader is just what it implies, a device that reads RFID tags. As with tags there are a great many different types with various capabilities.



Fig2. Tag Reader

Ø Antenna: RFID tag readers use an antenna to communicate to the RFID tag through the tag’s antenna. Some readers have integral antenna while other can have various types and sizes of antenna fitted to them.


Fig3.Antenna

Ø Host Application: The host application can be defined as something that tells the reader when to read RFID tags and then do something with the data that it receives.

Ø Savant - Servers/Software middleware to support readers, extract unique information from the read data, and communicate with External databases.

Ø Environment: The single greatest item you will have to deal with in implementing RFID is the environment. However this one can not be so simplified as the other components simply for the fact that it is the least understood, yet can have the greatest impact on the system, usually negatively. The environment can be defined as the physical (including unseen items such as radio and magnetic waves) items between and surrounding both the tags themselves and the area in which we are trying read tags. This would include the items that the tags would be placed upon as well.



4. RFID BASED SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM


Fig 4. Block diagram of an RFID based system





5. RFID FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The list of benefits and features afforded by an RFID system is quite impressive. They can include applications that remove human intervention completely, allowing for the changing of data in the field, operation where line of sight is not possible, and acquiring of information from multiple items at high speed, and the ability to identify items nested inside of packaging without opening the packaging.

Ø Read anywhere, anytime: Since RFID operates using radio frequency communications; there is no need for a direct line-of-sight between the tags and the reading equipment (the antenna). This means that items can be identified even when they cannot be seen or reached by an individual. It is no longer necessary to position an item to be scanned or to open containers to scan all of the contents, piece by piece. Additionally, tags and antenna systems are available that can allow read ranges as short as 2-3 inches or as wide as several hundred feet. RFID tags come in all shapes and sizes, some as small as a thread or a single grain of rice. And, the functional capability of the tags has little relevance to the size at all. In fact, much of the operation of the tag is reliant on the size of the antenna reading the tags. Furthermore, many RFID tags are powered only when in contact with the RF signal. There is no battery associated with the tag, therefore there is no overhead needed to replace batteries or provide a power source for the tags.

Ø Uniqueness: Each RFID tag is entirely unique, containing a serial number that identifies only that tag. When applied to an item, it creates a unique identifier for the item, providing much more visibility of the item within the supply chain. The tag can denote not only manufacturer and product name, but the unique identifier can associate the item with information like expiration dates or a comprehensive tracking history.

Ø Durability: RFID tags are available for application in a multitude of applications and environments. RFID tags are resistant to heat and moisture and can be located anywhere on an item, allowing for safe placement. And, particularly durable RFID tags can be purchased that are designed specifically for operation and use in harsh industrial environments.

Ø Read/Write capabilities: RFID tags can be used to simply associate an item with a unique serial number, beneficial to many applications, or they can be used to store item-specific data along with a unique identifier. And, the increasing data capacities of RFID tags mean that logistics data does not need to reside only in a centralized database. Relevant inventory and asset information can be stored with the items themselves, making it instantly available to those involved in the specific tasks of packing, shipping, and tracking the items.




6. RFID APPLICATIONS


Fig 6. RFID applications
Ø Supply Chain Automation: Supermarkets are tagging pallets, cases and other returnable transit items, such as plastic crates used for fresh foods. Tagging the crates gives total asset visibility and allows better management of the asset pool. The ability to write to the tag also allows the addition of information such as the contents of the crate, sell-by date and manufacturer. Linking this type of information to the store’s inventory management systems can ensure that goods are moved to the shelves in strict rotation and reduce spoilage and out-of-stocks.



Fig 7.Tagging pallets and crates using RFID tags


Ø Asset Tracking: RFID improves the tracking of assets both large and small so that they can be more quickly located and maintained. Once located that asset can benefit the company instead of ending up in the loss column. RFID can be used to track assets in offices, labs, warehouses, pallets and containers in the supply chain, books in libraries.




Fig 8.An example of asset tracking

Ø Manufacturing: Manufacturing is an old use of RFID, including parts and work in progress in car factories when unions permit. Steady growth continues with few constraints from technology other than the need for very low cost thin tags tolerant of water and metal and suitable for even low cost small parts. That is something like the unsolved problem of tagging Coke in the supermarket.


Fig 9.RFID bar code tracking systems


Ø Retail: Tracking store trolleys in supermarkets, active shelves. RFID can also be used to tracking individual products in a retail store. One example is potentially comparing cashier sales with product that is carried out of the store. Some cashiers do not ring up big-ticket items, and work with an accomplice to steal from the store. Now, if the product has not been sold recently, and it is carried out of the store, an alarm can be sounded, or the loss prevention team alerted.









Fig 10.Items being tracked by attaching RFID tags
Ø Tracking Students in School, Employees: One particularly unpopular use of RFID tags has been to track the location of students within a public school building. The RFID tag is embedded into an ID badge that the student is obligated to wear throughout the school day. Each classroom has sensors installed that detect the presence of each badge, allowing administrative staff and attendance workers to instantly track what room a particular student is located in. A RFID vendor donated the equipment in exchange for the opportunity to test the system in action. The news media was alerted by some parents who disliked the idea, and after a nation-wide uproar, the school administration discontinued the use of the technology in the school building. It is notable that some companies are planning on doing a similar project for tracking the location of their employees.








Fig11.Student ID tags embedded with a RFID transponder
Ø Warehouse: Real-time inventory by automated registration of items in a warehouse

Fig 12.Warehouseapplication of RFID
Ø Livestock: implanted RFID tags in animals for tracking and linking the animal to food, location. Electronic tags, with enhanced tracking capabilities, offer a higher read and retention rate as more accurate data is captured. What is more convenient, information can be easily read and captured by a wand or portal at an abattoir or sales barn

.

Fig 13.Animal tagged with RFID



Fig 14.The four component parts, identically numbered, come in a handy nest to provide national identification for each dairy animal.

Ø Pharmaceutical industry: The e-pedigree is a hot topic in the pharmaceutical industry. The origin of pharmaceuticals has to be verified on the item level. There is also need for anti-counterfeiting procedures. The utilization of RFID empowers safe and secure supply and administration of pharmaceuticals.





Fig 15. RFID in pharmaceutical applications
Ø Libraries and media management: RFID is used in many libraries to automate the issue and return of books, videos and CDs and to give real-time visibility for library inventory. Until recently, books and CDs have been identified using bar coded labels, each of which had to be read individually with a bar code reader. Inventory control and reconciliation has been a laborious and time-consuming operation. With RFID, books and CDs can be checked in and out automatically and inventory control can be automated using scanners on shelves or with their hand-held counterparts. The result is a reduction in the need for personnel and a much higher degree of accuracy in inventory management.

Fig 16.Implementation of RFID tags in libraries

RFID technology is being used in some libraries to replace barcode systems and electromagnetic security systems and eliminate repetitive staff functions. Some RFID applications are:
o Self check-out
o Automatic check-in
o Automated book sorting
o Shelf reading &Theft detection
Ø Garment tags: Incorporating RFID tags into garment labels or even into the garment itself can be a valuable tool for brand owners. A tag inserted at the garment manufacturing plant can identify its source. By using the tag’s unique identification number, the garment can be certified as authentic, which enables the identification and control of counterfeits. Grey market imports can be controlled through the use of source identity. The tags enable inventory visibility throughout the supply chain, reducing shrinkage and out-of-stocks, and the EAS function can reduce in-store theft. Finally, where warranty information is needed for after-sales service, the tag can be written to at the point of sale.


Fig17.RFID garment tags
Ø Baggage tagging: Many airlines have run RFID trials over the past few years to prove the efficacy of the systems employed in the air transport environment. Tests have shown first-read rates of over 99% with RF tags compared to less than 90% for bar code-only tags. The additional functionality offered by the re-write function on the IC allows information to be changed at different points in the airline system. This makes it possible to hold bags for security checking and release them for loading when checked, provided the RFID system is linked to the baggage reconciliation systems. Similarly, RFID is already being used to track passenger progress through airports, reducing the number of passengers arriving late at the gate and in so doing ensuring that planes leave on time.


Fig 18.RFID baggage tags
Ø Parcel and post: RFID is being used today in the postal environment to enable improved item tracking during the sorting and delivery processes. RFID doesn’t require a line of sight for information transfer, so it allows postal items to be routed without concerns over item orientation. Multiple items can be read as they pass through the RF field.


Fig19.Mobile printers allow mail carriers and delivery drivers to sell postage, issue delivery receipts, collect payments, and label parcel pick-ups.


7. CONCLUSION
RFID is a wonderful technology. It can provide great functionality. It can offer unique solutions that no other technology can provide. Be judicious in your use of it and you will be rewarded with successful implementations and all that accompany such successes. Blindly apply it, as a miracle like solution to all problems and failure will be an all to familiar term. As in all technical projects striving for the simplest approach and the least amount of effort that provides the greatest return will serve you well.


8. REFERENCES
1. www.rfidjournal.com
2. www.rfidgazette.org
3. www.rfidnews.org
4. www.wikepedia.org