RFID Basics

Keeping Pace With RFID
Presented By:
Lowry Computer Products
Today Webinar Outline
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INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS RFID
TERMINOLOGY
ADVANTAGES
HOW IT WORKS
HISTORY
WHAT HAS CHANGED
STANDARDS
TAGS
SECURITY
CHECKLIST
QUESTIONS
Introductions
Dan Reigelsperger
James Harkins
Director of Professional Services
Systems Engineer – RFID Specialists
[email protected]
[email protected]
Telephone: (317) 624-1234
Telephone: (309)-662-2056
Fax:
Fax: (309)-662-6874
(317) 624-1237
What is RFID?
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RFID
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RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION
uses a semiconductor (micro-chip) in a tag or
label to transmit stored data when the tag or label
is exposed to radio waves of the correct
frequency.
Terminology
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EIRP- EFFECTIVE ISOTROPIC RADIATED POWER
ISO- INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDS
IEC- INTERNATIONAL ELECTRO-TECHNICAL COMMISSION
JTC- JOINT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
AIM – AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION MANUFACTURERS
ANTENNA – A CONDUCTIVE STRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY
DESIGNED TO COUPLE OR RADIATE ELECTROMAGNETIC
ENERGY
Terminology – Cont …….
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Electromagnetic Energy- A PROCESS OF
TRANSFERRING MODULATED DATA OR ENERGY FROM ONE
SYSTEM COMPONENT TO ANOTHER
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Frequency- THE NUMBER OF CYCLES A PERIODIC
SIGNAL EXECUTES IN UNIT OF TIME
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Interrogation – THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING
WITH AND READING A TRANSPONDER(TAG)
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Multiple Reading – THE PROCESS OR CAPABILITY OF
A RADIO FRQUENCY IDENTIFICATION READER TO READ A
NUMBER OF TRANSPONDERS PRESENT WITHIN THE
SYSTEM’S INTERROGATION ZONE AT THE SAME TIME
Active vs. Passive
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Active (battery-assisted and true active)
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On-board battery power source
• Greater range but higher cost
• Requires less power from reader
• Finite Life
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Passive
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Powered by energy from reader (no internal battery)
• Smaller, lighter, less expensive
• Almost unlimited life
• Requires higher power from reader
Active vs. Passive
Antenna
Active
Passive
What Advantages Are There For RFID?
¾ Non-Line-of-sight nature
¾ Tags can be read through substances
- Snow
- Fog
- Ice
- Paint
- Crusted grime
What Advantages Are There For RFID? Cont...
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Potential tracking of inventory on retail
shelves and more efficient re-stocking
Automated reading and receipt of goods
at dock door
More reliable tracking of airline baggage
Tracking children in theme parks
Many more …………
How It Works
RF ENERGY FIELD
RECEIVING ANTENNA
TAG 1
TAG
TAG 21
TAG
TAG 31
What Happens to the Data
SERVER
RF ENERGY FIELD
CLIENT
RECEIVING ANTENNA
TAG 1
TAG
TAG 21
TAG
TAG 31
History of RFID
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DEVELOPED FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRY 20+
YEARS FOR MISSILE-TRACKING AND
TELEMETRY
SMALLER SIZE AND LOWER COST ALLOWED
USE IN 1980’S FOR ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL
USES
LARGE-SCALE IN EUROPE FOR ANIMAL
TAGGING
LARGE-SCALE USES IN THE U.S. FOR
PARKING/TOLL ROADS
What has Changed over Time?
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COST HAS DECREASED DUE TO
IMPROVEMENTS IN MICRO-CHIPS AND
COMPUTERS
SMALLER MIRO-CHIP LINE WIDTH SIZE
LOWERS POWER NEEDS AND SIZE OF THE
CHIP
COMPUTERS ARE FASTER/SMARTER: CAN
DO MORE COMPLEX SIGNAL PROCESSING
BETTER ANTENNAS ALLOW SMALLER TAGS
THAT CAN BE EMBEDDED IN LABELS AND
PRODUCTS
What has Changed Recently?
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LOWER-COST ANTENNA ON LABELS (PRINTED)
HIGHER FREQUENCY
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MEANS MORE DATA TRANSMITTED
MULTIPLE TAGS CAN BE READ IN SAME FIELD
DIMENSION
DEMAND FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING
APPLICATIONS TO SUPPORT E-COMMERCE
GLOBAL STANDARDS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT
Technical Standards
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
ISO/IEC 15963 Information Technology- AIDC Techniques - RFID for Item
Management- Unique Identification of RF Tag and Registration Authority to Manage
the Uniqueness
Introduction: ISO/IEC 15963 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information Technology- AIDC
Techniques - RFID for Item Management- Unique Identification of RF Tag and Registration Authority to Manage the
Uniqueness
• Part 1: Numbering system
• Part 2: Registration procedure and management guidance and rules
The present standard for unique identification of RFID Tag is defined to insure interoperability between RFID tag. This
standard permits addressing three main domains of the RFID system:
• The traceability of the Integrated Circuit itself for quality control in their manufacturing process
• The traceability of the RF tag during their manufacturing process and along their life in the applications where
they are used
• Anti-collision of multiple tags in the reader’s field of view
Scope: This International standard ISO/IEC 15963 specifies the numbering system for the identification of RF Tag, the
registration procedure and the use of it.
The numbering system provides to the automatic data capture application based on RFID tag a means to identify uniquely
an RF tag and to determine if the integrated circuit contents the necessary information to perform the application. This
number is encoded in the Integrated Circuit of the RFID Tag .
Technical Standards
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 4/SG 3
RFID for Item Management Air Interface (ISO 18000)
) ISO 18000-1 - Generic Parameters for Air Interface for
Global Interface
) ISO 18000-2 - Parameters for Air Interface <135 kHz
) ISO 18000-3 - Parameters for Air Interface at 13.56 MHz
) ISO 18000-4 - Parameters for Air Interface at 2.45 GHz
) ISO 18000-5 - Parameters for Air Interface at 5.8 GHz
) ISO 18000-6 - Parameters for Air Interface at 860-930 MHz*
) ISO 18000-7 - Parameters for Air Interface at 433.92 MHz**
*Proposed Name Change- UHF
**New Proposed Work Item
Frequencies
FREQUENCY
BAND
CHARACTERISTICS
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
LOW
SHORT TO MEDIUM READ
RANGE
INEXPENSIVE
LOW READ SPEED
ACCESS CONTROL
ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION
INVENTORY CONTROL
SHORT TO MEDIUM READ
RANGE
POTENTIALLY INEXPENSIVE
MEDIUM READING SPEED
ACCESS CONTROL
SMART CARDS
LONG READ RANGE
HIGH READING SPEED
LINE OF SIGHT REQUIRED
EXPENSIVE
RAILROAD CAR
MONITORING
TOLL COLLECTION
SYSTEMS
VEHICLE
IDENTIFICATION
100-500 KHz
HIGH
10-15MHz
850-950MHZ
ULTRA-HIGH
2.4-5.8 GHZ
Frequencies
¾ Low
¾100 KHz to 500 KHz
¾Short reading ranges
¾Lower system costs
Frequencies
¾ High
¾850 MHz to 950 MHz
¾Long read ranges
¾High reading speeds
Frequencies
¾ Ultra-high
¾2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz
Low Frequency Applications
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Security access
Animal identification
Asset tracking
High Frequency Applications
¾Smart Cards
¾Access Control
Ultra High Frequency Applications
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Railroads
Vehicle Identification
Transportation
RFID Ranges & Applications -Cont…
Frequency Range
Applications and Comments
Less than 135 kHz
Wide range of products and
applications: animal tagging, access
control, track and trace-ability.
Transponder systems operating in
this band need not be licensed in
many countries
1.95 MHz, 3.25 MHz, 4.75
MHz, 8.2 MHz
Electronic Article Surveillance
(EAS) systems used in retail stores
Approx. 13 MHz
13.56 MHz
EAS and Industrial, Scientific and
Medical (ISM) applications
RFID Ranges & Applications -Cont…
Approx. 27 MHz
ISM applications.
430-460 MHz
ISM applications specifically in
Europe and Africa.
902-916 MHz
ISM applications specifically in
North and South America. In the
U.S. there are many types of apps
with different priorities: railcar &
toll road. Band is divided into narrow
and wide band (spread spectrum)
sources.
918-926 MHz
In Australia, for transmitters with
EIRP less than 1 watt.
RFID Ranges & Applications (cont..)
2350 - 2450 MHz
An ISM band recognized in most
parts of the world. IEEE 802.11
recognizes this band as acceptable for
use with RF, spread-spectrum and
narrow band systems.
5400 – 6800 MHz
This band is allocated for future use.
FCC will provide a spectrum
allocation of 75 MHz in the 5.855.925 GHz band for Intelligent
Transportation Services. In France
the TIS system is based on the
proposed European pre-standard
(preENV) for vehicle to roadside
communications communicating with
the roadside via microwave beacons
operating at 5.8 GHz.
COMPONENTS OF AN RFID SYSTEM
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THE ANTENNA
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THE READER
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THE UNIT POWERS THE COIL OF WIRE KNOWN AS THE
ANTENNA, FILTERS AND POWERS THEM FOR
TRANSMISSION OVER DISTANCE
THE INTERFACE
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THIS IS A COIL OF WOUND COPPER WIRE DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY TO EMIT RFID SIGNAL
THE UNIT INTERFACES THE READER TO AN
INTELLIGENT DEVICE
THE TRANSPONDER (TAG)
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A MEMORY DEVICE, USUALLY EEPROM, PROGRAMMED
WITH A SERIES OF BITS
TAG COSTS BY APPLICATIONS
Tracked Object~ Asset Values
$100
$90
$80
$70
$60
$50
$40
$30
$20
$10
$0
Train/Trk
Car
Pallet
Box/Case
Item/Sku
Typical Interfaces
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SERIAL
TCP/IP
Handheld Readers
XP1850
XP1875
Network Interface Modules
¾Multiple
interface capability with industrial
networks
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DeviceNet
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Profibus
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Modbus Plus
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ControlNet
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EtherNet
¾Works
with wide range of existing
equipment - bar code readers, verifiers,
sensors and switches
Typical Serial RFID System Setup
Typical Handheld RFID Setup
Server
Hub
ACESS POINT
802.11b
802.11b
PDA
802.11b
RFID READER
PDA
RFID TAG
RFID READER
Antennas
There is a wide range of antennas to cover data
capture needs for the entire Supply Chain spectrum.
Manufacturing
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
reader
Manufacturing
¾ Ford
Razor
¾ Dell
Computer
¾ Int’l
Brake Assembly
Component
Fabrication
&
Final
Assembly
Windshield
Truck &
Engine
¾ Harley
Davidson
¾ Daimler-
Chrysler
Disc Drive
¾ Gillette
see article in Jan 13,
2003 Information Week
¾ Seagate
¾ Duracell
LOGISTICS
ABC Co. - Shipping and Receiving
reader
reader
Generic
reader
reader
LOGISTICS
Gen
Gen
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Gen
Gen
Gen
Gen
Gen
reader
reader
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Gen
Gen
reader
reader
Gen
Generic
Warehousing
reader
reader
reader
reader
Warehousing
Cigarettes
Camera
¾ Philip
Morris
¾ Wallace
Print Systems
Computers
Seating
News Print
¾ Visitor
Seating
¾ Atlanta
Journal
¾ Polaroid
Asset Tracking
reader
Retail
Retail City
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reader
reader
Criteria for Selecting Tag Type
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TAG COST
TAG READ RANGE - DISTANCE FROM TAG
TO READER
SINGLE VERSUS MUTIPLE READS
DATA REQUIRED
Tag Cost
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TAG COST MUST BE IN PROPORTION TO
ASSET
ie: Should Not Have a $25 tag on a $30 Pallet
Tag Range and Speed
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TAG READ RANGE DEPENDS ON ANTENNA
POWER
LOW COST TAGS TODAY USUALLY HAVE
SHORT READ RANGES
Single Tag vs. Multiple Tag Reads
(anticollision)
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READING MUTIPLE ITEMS IS MORE
COMPLEX
EXAMPLE: READING MUTIPLE ITEMS
(TAGS)
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ON A PALLET
IN A GROCERY CART
IN A LAUNDRY BIN
KEY DECISION: HOW MANY ITEMS
NEED TO BE READ IN WHAT TIME
FRAME
Tags
Metal Tag
¾ Designed
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to work with metals
Read distances vary with tag and
manufacturer
¾ Low
cost in volume
Security
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The tags can be set to have a security bit turned on
in reserved memory block on the tag
The tags can be used at only certain frequencies
The tags have only certain read and write bits on the
tag
Security to protect the read-write options
z Password protected
Data Requirements
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KEY DECISION: DOES THE DATA
RESIDE ON THE TAG OR IN A
CENTRAL DATA BASE WITH THE TAG
AS A POINTER
DATA STANDARDS & DATA
ACCURACY – How Much?
What Can Go Wrong?
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RFID SYSTEMS CAN BE HARD TO DEBUG
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GOOD RFID ENGINEERS ARE HARD TO FIND
UNKOWN RF SOURCES
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WELDING MACHINES
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ROTATING ELECTRICAL MACHINERY
RF EMISSIONS IN AIRPORTS AND HOSPITALS
Common RFID Strategies
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Read only
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Pass/Fail
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Presence-senses the tag triggers Read/Write
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Block Read/Write specific memory allocation
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Scattered read turn on all readers, can you find?
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Mixed Read/Write with Read Only
KEY SCANNING ISSUES
ISSUES/PROBLEMS
TAG
1.
METAL/STEEL
2.
DISTANCE
3.
SPEED
4.
OTHER RFID
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RFID CHECKLIST
RFID Checklist
RFID Installations - Checklist
¾ Frequency
¾ Memory
¾ Temperatures
¾ Read Only vs. Read/Write
¾ Active vs. Passive
¾ Read/Write Range
¾ Mounting Methodology
¾ Disposable vs. Reusable Tags
¾ Line Speeds
¾ PLCs or PC
¾ Network Type, Connectivity, and
Limitations
¾ Target Number of TAGS for Pricing
¾ Number of Read Stations
¾ Required On-site support
Installation Checklist:
¾ Know your application requirements.
¾ Know the benefits you expect to achieve.
¾ Select experienced integrators.
¾ Develop list of environmental concerns:
metal, monitor emissions.
¾ Train in-house personnel, regardless of
data capture experience.
¾ Rely on integrator to assist programmers
and electricians.
Criteria for selecting a tag supplier
and integrator
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KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNOLOGY
MANY TECHNOLOGIES ABILITIES TO
SCALE AND SUPPORT
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ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
SUPPORT
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TECH SUPPORT
TRAINING
DOCUMENTATION
Questions
Keeping Pace with RFID
Thank you for allowing
Lowry to present today.