Whitepaper

Common RFID
Implementation Issues:
10 Considerations for Deployment

Introduction

Early RFID implementations were fundamentally driven by

external mandates, but along with significant technological
improvements, more readily available component options,
cost reductions,
and shared lessons
learned, the technology
has proven its value
in driving significant
operational efficiencies,
and RFID has gained a
broader adoption.
Today, industries are
looking beyond the
realm of compliance, as they seek competitive advantages
and integrate RFID much earlier into their production
processes. Innovative companies are expanding the use
of RFID in their supply chain, logistics and asset tracking
operations. As a result, they are achieving demonstrable
improvements in supply chain visibility, forecast accuracy,
reduced out-of-stock situations and reduced counterfeiting.

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10 Considerations for Deployment

Table of Contents
Introduction 1

1. Develop the use case. 2

2. Choose the tag. 4

3. Optimize tag placement and orientation. 7

4. Configure the reader for the application. 8

5. Be environmentally RF responsible 9

6. Be cautious with system alterations. 10

7. Understand multipath and reflections. 10

8. Choose the antenna best suited to the application. 11

9. Independently adjustable RF power levels. 12

10. Choose read points wisely. 13

Many organizations encounter similar challenges as they embark on their individual

RFID journeys. Leveraging industry lessons learned can assist in building your technical
knowledgebase and help you appreciate the realistic expectations and physical limitations of
the technology. By following industry best practices, you can overcome these hurdles, save
valuable time, and more quickly reap the benefits of a successful initial implementation.
This whitepaper identifies a few common RFID implementation issues and presents practical
lessons learned, based on Alien Technology®’s deep expertise, developed from numerous
production deployments across many industries.

1. Develop the use case.

Start by defining the business objectives and
metrics for success for your RFID project.
What is the use case for RFID in your
organization? Is the intent to track product
movement from supply through distribution?
Perhaps the application involves locating the
right equipment at the right time? Do you wish
to track materials in production and through
manufacturing process so you can deliver

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finished products to customers sooner and at a lower defect rate? Or is your application
targeted at containment, addressing market diversion, or even alleviating counterfeits? In
developing the use case, you will identify the processes involved and determine which assets
should be tagged, such as individual items, cases and/or pallets.
Conduct a site survey as part of your planning phase. A site survey
will identify issues related to RF communications and potential
electromagnetic interference in your facility, so you can design your
RFID system accordingly. A site survey will help identify existing in-band
RF sources that may present co-existence challenges, such as vintage
915MHz wireless access points and wireless alarms or monitoring
systems. A proper site survey is also instrumental in mapping out the
antenna RF coverage, power and network architecture.
A site survey is vital to identify equipment requirements and as a vehicle
to optimize component placement. Based upon your objectives, you can
determine the most appropriate programming and read zones. The site survey is also a good
point to determine the amount and content of data that you need in the tag. Some customers
are comfortable with simply a short random number and a link to a central data base. Many
customers need a fully programmed ID that has back-up both locally and to the network. Look
at your data needs closely and globally.
Programming tags can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but are generally categorized in
the following high-level buckets: 1) “slap-‘n-ship”, where desktop printers/label programmers
dispense labels for manual application, typically at the end of the process. This is not the
recommended solution, as it introduces significant variability in the tag placement process
(see the tag placement discussion in #3, “Optimize Tag Placement and Orientation”), requires
some degree of personnel training, and generally does not facilitate RFID visibility until the
final stages of the production process. 2) Label applicators placed at the front end of the
packaging line provide a more controlled tag placement, which alleviates variability, potentially
enhances tag performance, provides visibility throughout the manufacturing process, and
offers scalability.
Be cognizant of the tag commissioning (programming/application)
location. Seek locations with inherent case isolation, such as the case
erect/fill station, and if correctly deployed, you can take advantage
of existing equipment, such as reject stations (where the cases
are checked for case weight and proper tag ID, otherwise they are
rejected). Be aware that some products may be imposed to further
tag commissioning location restrictions if they are subjected to metal
detection processes, as is often the case for such items as adhesive
bandages.
Once you have identified your reader pinch points, you will be better
positioned to determine the type, and quantity of RFID components,
including applicators, handheld readers, fixed conveyor readers,
integrated reader/antenna assemblies, turntable readers, and portals.

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2. Choose the tag.

Your use case will help define the tag performance
criteria and ultimately drive the tag selection process, but
with so many tag options to chose from, the selection
process may be daunting. Ultimately, the choice often
boils down to 1) cost, 2) size and 3) performance.
Fortunately, technological and production trends have
afforded solutions which fundamentally meet all three
requirements. But differentiations remain, though more
subtle than in the past.
Considerations for passive tags include:
Tag price.
Tag prices have been reduced very significantly over the past few
years, primarily because of technology improvements, production
efficiencies, standardization, and most importantly, volume.
Previously, tags were often optimized for various material types
and SKUs (stock keeping units), which often resulted in a plethora
of custom tags. Needless to say, in addition to development and
production ramp-up costs, this approach was not economically viable
and tag designs were vulnerable to obsolescence, depending upon
their particular volumes. But today, with tags available in smaller
footprints, providing better performance and substantially less
affected by the materials for which they are applied, the industry has responded in a more
narrowly focused tag offering and customers benefit from volume. Your tag selection should
initiate with a classic, mainstream tag offering, which will allow you to reap the benefits of
volume production.
Tag size.
Consider the geometry of the tag that’s appropriate for the asset. Different assets require
different size and type tags, based on physical restrictions and material properties. As a rule
of thumb, smaller tags are less sensitive, resulting in lower read range properties, but for
applicable use cases, this is not an impediment and it is often a desired feature. For instance,
for item-level, and pharmaceutical applications, tag geometries are often restricted by the
product, but by the same token, long range is generally not desired.
Today, the majority of the available UHF tags are rather
narrow, and typically slightly less than 4 inches long, which
provides a viable option for standard 2x4-inch label stock.
But a portion of the market requires labels confined to 3
inches in length. In many of these case-level applications,
range remains paramount. Newer, more sensitive RFID silicon and efficient tag antenna
developments now facilitate these yet smaller, high performance requirements.

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Consider applications where tag orientation is of concern (more about

this topic in Issue #3, “Optimize Tag Placement and Orientation”).
Some tag offerings provide yet smaller geometries (e.g., 2x2 inch)
whereby the symmetry facilitates a vertically oriented RF-field
(the nominal preference) on narrow height form factors, such as
conventional corrugate trays.
Don’t assume that smaller tag geometries result in
lower cost. Consider high volume, general purpose
mainstream options first, and then migrate to high-end or custom options if
necessary.
Tag performance requirements.
Consider the performance requirements, defined by your use case. Some challenging
applications, such as tagged vehicles in tollway applications, require very long read distances.
Here, larger tags with high sensitivity and high
backscatter properties are best suited. Standard
high volume tag offerings typically address
applications where the requirements may remain
somewhat stringent, but are confined to more
reasonable read ranges (such as for a dock egress).
Beyond read range requirements, consider the material for which the tag is applied. More
demanding applications, such as those requiring relatively long read distances of aqueous
materials within cases on a pallet, may confine tag selection to only the most sensitive,
highest performance tag options.
For certain challenging applications where the material properties have a tendency to alter
the resonant tag antenna properties (e.g., potentially detuning the antenna, resulting in a
frequency shift and hence lowering performance), a suggestion is to use a world tag with a
relatively flat frequency response and broad bandwidth. World tags typically encompass a very
wide frequency band, from 860MHz to 960MHz, which generally results in less performance
degradation as result of challenging material application. Using world tags is critically important
if your product is likely to be read in environments where different reader frequencies will be
used. Quite often, world tags are needed for items
of export so that guaranteed reads can take place in
both the country of origin and at the point of sale.
Again, today’s mainstream tag offerings address the more common use-cases, including case
reads on conveyance systems, and placard tags on pallets.

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Label application technique.

Pilots often initiate with manual “slap-‘n-ship” tag commissioning
techniques. This process is generalized by use of a desktop RFID
label printer/programmer in which the tag is manually applied to
the product. Caution should be exercised with this process. It is
true that the initial capital investment is low, but this is often at
the expense of non-repetitive, non-optimized and actually high-
labor processing costs. It also generally takes place at the end of
the packaging process, and offers very little, if any, internal ROI
potential through the manufacturing assembly. By contrast, an
automated label applicator may result in a higher
initial capital investment, but the benefits can be significant, including reduced
labor and training, more accurate and repetitive tag placement, which often
results in higher performance and more consistent reads. Using an automated
label applicator also offers a scalable solution that will likely be required anyway
as volumes increase.
Product and packaging characteristics.
Properties of the tagged materials and packaging can impact tag performance. It’s important to
understand the general characteristics of the material under consideration. Aqueous products,
such as water-based drinks, liquid detergents, green wood, moist wipes and cosmetics, can
be very challenging due to the physical properties of water, which absorbs the available RF
energy (like a sponge) and robs it from the tag. Metals and metallized/foil-lined packaging are
especially interesting. Tagged properly, the product properties may actually enhance the tag’s
performance. However, improperly tagged, the results may be dismal.
As if that were not enough, there are those products that have
both absorptive and conductive properties. Such applications
need special consideration. Spacers are generally used to isolate
the tag from the material (as with most products containing
metal). A key identifier is the color black. Sometimes carbon or
graphite-impregnated plastics, which are typically used for the
black coloring, can seriously impede the tag performance. ESD
plastic boxes are a prime example (e.g., static resistant materials
designed to protect sensitive electronics). Plastic totes used in
the electronics industry often have these characteristics.
Consider near field vs. far field.
All antennas emit a magnetic field and an electric field component, but typically one field
is emphasized while the other is minimized. Generally
speaking, magnetic fields are considered “near field” as
their RF radiation field falls off more rapidly (e.g., inversely
proportional to the distance cubed) than their “far field”
(electric field) counterparts which decay more slowly (e.g.,
inversely proportional to the distance squared).

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Near fields are typically used in applications where short read distances are desired,
such as with smart cards or access control where 1 to 4 inch read ranges are acceptable.
Magnetic fields are typically associated with inductively coupled loop antennas, which are
traditionally not affected by aqueous materials. As a rule of thumb, the read range is limited to
approximately 1 wavelength. (At UHF frequencies, 1 wavelength is approximately 13 inches.)
Far fields (aka E-Fields) are typically used for longer range applications, such
as reading cases or pallets through a conveyor or dock portal, but they are
not precluded from reading tags in very close proximity. E-fields can be
easily reduced by attenuating (decreasing) power (much like a dimmer for an
incandescent light). Recent technology advancements have demonstrated the
feasibility of achieving read distances up to 1 or 2 meters with some standard
UHF tags on, or in some cases, in aqueous materials.
Some have been led to believe that inductively coupled
loop reader antennas and near-field magnetic loop tag antennas are
required to read tags on aqueous materials, or for short, confined read
ranges where singulation is required. This can be confusing. Near-field
antennas in short range applications are probably best described as
“close-coupled” antennas, which means that the electric far-field is
simply confined to a very short, controlled read zone. Fortunately for
those wishing to minimize their tag variety inventory, tags exist today
which couple well to both near-field and far-field signals, and system designs facilitate both
“close-coupled” and distant read requirements.

3. Optimize tag placement and orientation.

Tagging is not black magic, but technique helps. Ideal
RFID tag placement is not the same as for bar code
labels, which are traditionally placed in the lower
section of a case.
Movement helps alleviate RF “nulls” or dead spots.
Much like a cell phone whereby an RF dead spot may
result at a particular location, dead spots typically are
not as noticeable while the phone is in motion. It’s
generally easiest to read a tag when there is direct
line of sight between the tag and the reader antenna (this is referred to as the “near-side”),
but unlike bar codes, line of sight is not necessarily a requirement. RFID performance benefits
from air gaps, generally at the top of a typical case, furthest from the conveyor metal, and
above aqueous material. If you are tagging products with foil or metal, you can sometimes
take advantage of the reflective or waveguide properties and actually channel the RF
“through” the product to enhance the tag’s performance.
Tag orientation also impacts read range. Whenever possible, try to vertically orient dipole tag
antennas. Horizontal orientations are prone to miss-reads due to “perpendicular” or “cross”-
presentation.

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Avoid placing tags symmetrically on cases (for example,

avoid the center of the case) to help alleviate “shadowing”
or “shading” at the pallet level, which occurs when cases
are adjacent to one another. Shadowing occurs when
multiple tags are placed very close to one another and the
tag antennas “hide” or detune each other, thereby reducing
the chance of reading “buried” tags by minimizing their
chance to be activated. So in general, tags placed too close
to one another can detrimentally affect performance. But
here too, new technological advancements in certain RFID
tag silicon and tag antenna designs have greatly alleviated this problem.

4. Configure the reader for the application.

The EPC Gen 2 protocol offers many opportunities for
optimizing performance for any given application. Like
a high-end camera, some readers offer predefined
configurations (like automatic mode on a camera), and
some facilitate fine tuning (like manual mode) for the
application.
For general applications,
it’s typically acceptable to use the pre-defined or default
configurations. You may wish to fine tune some parameters
to enhance performance, but exercise care – without a
solid understanding of their contributions, altering some
parameters could adversely impact performance. Ensure you
are well acquainted with the command attributes – advanced
training is strongly advisable.
The reader you choose can be quite important. While
many of the more recent vintage of readers work well,
there can be significant performance and / or feature
gaps between various makes and models. Seek the advice of reputable reader vendors,
value added resellers, or service providers with a solid implementation history for additional
recommendations.
Don’t rely simply on “read rates” for quantitative benchmarking. Gen 2 settings are often
optimized to minimize repetitive tag reads, and focus their attention on acquiring unique tag
reads. This means that once a tag is read, it is placed in an “accounted” state (known as the
B-State). Benchmarking read rates in your own environment will provide you with the most
accurate measure.

Q
Filtering tags can also minimize network data traffic and downstream
decisions. Use of “added” or “removed” tag filters is an excellent way of
making the system more efficient.
Some readers allow the user to tailor the EPC “Q” (Query) such that it
initiates with the anticipated slot count, or is bound to an upper limit. This

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can be helpful if the anticipated tag Modulation Speed Noise Immunity

inventory is well defined, but it is also
FM Wicked Fast Noise Prone
advisable to use the reader’s auto-
Q adjustment feature if available. M2 Fast Good
This helps alleviate tag contention, M4 Medium Better
resulting in much more efficient tag M8 Slow Best
inventories.
Proper “Session” selection can also enhance performance. For larger
tag populations, Sessions 2 and 3 may prove beneficial. For lower tag
populations where redundant tag reads are required, Session 0 may be best
suited, because it facilitates higher repetitive reads. Session 1 is a good, all-
around choice.
In applications where tag read speed is paramount and where RF
interference is minimal, choose reader modulation settings that use FM
modulation with relatively short Tari values and high link frequencies. By
contrast, in dense reader applications choose reader modulation settings which use higher
Miller modulation schemes with relatively longer Tari values and lower link frequencies. For
standard applications, choose reader options in between the two options – typically the default
option is best suited for general applications.

5. Be environmentally RF responsible
Help reduce RF pollution by taking advantage of reader triggering options. Some readers
facilitate autonomous modes of operation, facilitating automatic acquisitions only when
necessary (vs. continuously on). Use of photoelectric eyes or motion detectors is a good
practice, as it reduces potential RF interference
between adjacent readers or with nearby in-band
appliances. It also helps alleviate inadvertent reads.
During the site survey, look for potential interference
sources, such as wireless alarm systems,
environmental monitors such as baby monitors, and
vintage wireless access points. Readers are generally
not impacted by this interference but it’s important to
make sure that your RFID system is a good citizen and
does not adversely affect the performance of other
wireless devices. Conduct a baseline test without RF
and assess the differential impact with RF enabled.
For densely populated reader environments, select a reader that offers Dense Reader Mode
and ensure that all readers in the vicinity are set accordingly. This can have a very significant,
favorable impact on the system performance.

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6. Be cautious with system alterations.

RFID vendor offerings are often optimized and certified for compliance as a “system.”
Be cautious about deviating from the reader manufacturer’s recommended settings or
complementary components.
Readers are compliant with designated cables, antennas
and reader settings. Most systems use 6dBi antennas.
dBi units characterize Linearly Polarized antenna “gain.”
dBic units characterize Circularly Polarized antenna “gain”
and take axial ratios into consideration. Note that dBic
ratings are typically 3dB higher than dBi ratings. Be aware
of alternate antennas with higher than the recommended
gains. Be aware that use of any antenna not explicitly listed as compliant by the reader
manufacturer technically violates regulatory compliance and such deviations are the liability of
the installer.
Long RF cable extensions can result in power losses, which reduce the available RF transmit
power available to the antenna. When necessary, use low-loss cables if power losses are not
acceptable.
Where systems are designed to use designated cable lengths (such as 6 meter integrated
antenna cables), be cautious about using alternate antennas with shorter cables, as this can
increase RF power above compliant levels if the RF power is not adjusted appropriately.
Be advised that power meters are generally thermally responsive, and the complexities of
modulated reader output signals are not easily measured, as the RF output includes various
constant wave, modulated signals, and null periods in each inventory cycle, and this often
results in an averaged output. Again, it’s often best to follow the manufacturers suggested
system configurations.

7. Understand multipath and reflections.

In the same way that you may experience interference
listening to your car radio when approaching a stoplight
in a large city, multipath signals can interfere with
your RF reception. The reception is cancelled due to
a “bounced” secondary (reflected) signal that is often
out of phase with the primary incident signal. Just as
you may move your vehicle a few feet to eliminate
interference with a car radio, you can adjust the tag and
antenna position, type, and orientation to improve performance (or adversely affect it).
Think of antennas as being halogen lamps, emitting an approximate 65 degree beam width.
Think of metal surfaces as being mirrors which reflect the incident signals. Out-of-phase
reflections can cause nulls as they cancel the incident signal. This effect is generally more
pronounced with horizontally oriented tags.
A thorough site survey and environmental analysis can help identify troublesome areas. In
extreme situations, lowering power, adjusting antenna orientations or adding absorptive
material can help rectify the situation.

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8. Choose the antenna best suited to the application.

Walls, buildings, floors and the surrounding environment
will impact the antenna performance, as the antenna
serves to focus and direct the RF energy. Common
varieties include circularly polarized antennas, linearly
polarized antennas, Yagi antennas and close coupled
antennas.
Circularly polarized antennas are
the most popular, as they are the
most accommodating for various
tag orientations. These antennas are often used where tag orientations
cannot be controlled. Often, its RF penetration strength is approximately
3 dB less (half the power) in any given axis over that of a linearly
polarized antenna if comparing the linear gain (e.g., 6dBi) to the same
magnitude circular gain (e.g., 6dBic). Axial ratios come into consideration,
but assuming a high performance circular antenna with an axial ratio of 1
was under consideration, a 6dBic circular gain would effectively result in
a 3dBi linear gain.
Linearly polarized antennas focus the electric field in one axis. Because
of this focused energy, the RF penetration is typically stronger in that
axis than that of a circularly polarized antenna. This is an excellent
choice for challenging applications but they must be used where tag
orientation is controlled. For instance, linearly polarized antennas are
typically used for tollway applications and reading tough cases within a
pallet in a manufacturing site.
Yagi antennas, not readily offered by most reader manufacturers, are
less common in RFID implementations. Yagi antennas offer a very
focused and intense RF beam which generally results in narrower
widths, but longer read distances. Their gains typically exceed those
tested by most reader manufacturers, so exercise care to lower power or apply for site
licenses if this is under consideration. Yagi antennas typically require professional installation.
“Close-coupled” antennas may be required for high density applications where tags are in
close proximity and where conventional singulation techniques are not appropriate. “Close-
coupled” antennas offer low gain and concentrate their energy close to the vicinity of the
antenna. Examples include high density labels on a roll within an RFID desktop reader/writer
printer, on an in-line label applicator, testing or programming individual labels on an RFID roll or
singulation of small products on a conveyor.

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9. Independently adjustable RF power levels.

Some applications require the ability to determine the relative distance from the antenna.
Sometimes this task can be achieved easily by using readers that offer independent RF power
adjustment for each antenna port.
Consider an application where you must determine whether the tag is 5, 15 or 25 feet from the
antenna. After characterizing the system, you may find the following meet your objectives:

› Set Port 1 to operate at full power (e.g., 30 dBm).

Assume that this will read all tags up to 30 feet.

› Set Port 2 to operate at a reduced power level (e.g., 25 dBm).

Assume that this will read all tags up to 20 feet.

› Set Port 3 to operate at a further reduced power level (e.g., 21 dBm).

Assume this will read all tags up to 10 feet.

Now, using simple math, you can determine the relative position of the assets. Those read by
(Port 3) were within 10 feet of the antenna. Those read by (Port 2 – Port 3) were within 10 to 20
feet. And those read by (Port 3 – Port 2) were 30 feet and beyond.

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10. Choose read points wisely.

Your use case will determine the read requirements and opportunities. A thorough
understanding of the process and some creative solutions can often overcome a
challenging use case.
For instance, case tags are generally easily read on
conveyors but it may be challenging to read them within
a pallet. Typically, cases are read and aggregated as a
pallet is assembled. But it can be more challenging to
read all of the cases within a pallet, especially if reading
through portals.
In this instance, installing a reader on a stretch wrap
turntable provides an excellent opportunity to read as
many cases as possible as the pallet is rotated about the reader field. Consider
an integrated reader/antenna combination for this application whereby the
reader is attached to the stretch wrap dispense head. The read opportunities are
dramatically enhanced as the stretch
wrap is dispensed, the turntable rotates,
and the dispense head is elevated and lowered. For
most pallets, stretch wrappers are an integral process
just prior to shipment, and so this can be easily
integrated into the process.

We hope these considerations are found to be fruitful for your deployment.

Alien Technology
18220 Butterfield Blvd.
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
866-RFID NOW
www.alientechnology.com

Copyright © 2007 Alien Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is
provided “AS IS” and ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMIATATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT,
ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE
HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID. This document may not be copied, reproduced, stored in
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Corporation.
Alien, Alien Technology, the Alien logo, Squiggle, the Squiggle logo, Nanoblock, FSA, and
Gen 2 Ready are trademarks or registered trademarks of Alien Technology Corporation in the
United States and other countries. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the
trademarks of their respective owners.

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