Radio Frequency

Identification
Dr. Ravirajsinh Vaghela
Outline
❏ RFID
❏ History
❏ Radio Frequency Identification- Intro
❏ Types of RFID
❏ Components of RFID
RFID
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless technology that uses radio
waves to identify and track objects, people, or animals.

RFID systems are made up of two parts:

a tag and a reader.

The tag is attached to the item being tracked, and the reader emits radio waves to
communicate with the tag.
Who was the first person to use the technology, and for
what purpose?
Well, RFID technology is relatively old. It dates back to World War II. During this
period, the British, Japanese, American, and German armies were all using radar
to identify enemies’ planes approaching their territories.

However, there was a challenge since nobody could differentiate their planes from
those of enemies.

It was not until the Germans realized that if pilots rolled their planes when
approaching the radar, they would send different signals. These unique signals
would mean that the aircraft was under a German pilot. This technique became
the first passive RFID system.
AIF
The British also made an Active Identify Friend/Foe (AIF) system – this became
the first active RFID system. The soldiers fixed a transmitter on the planes. This
chip/ transmitter would send signals back to the radar identifying the aircraft as
either friendly or dangerous.
RFID….
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a fast-developing technology, providing
wireless identification and tracking capability by using radio waves to identify and
track tags.

In theory, it works similarly to barcodes, however, there is no direct scanning

needed for RFID tags, plus there is no need for line-of-sight to a reader - opening
up the possibilities of how it can be used. Currently, radio frequency identification
(RFID) technology is used in numerous sectors like supply chain, transportation,
agriculture, manufacturing, and could have a great impact on many more.
Introduction of RFID
With the rapid decrease in the cost of RFID tags, the use of RFID systems has
become widespread and the RFID market is estimated to be worth $13.4 billion by
2022. As of today, many applications take advantage of RFID systems such as
credit cards, collecting tolls, granting access to vehicles in gated communities,
tracking library items, animal tracking, tracking goods moving through the supply
chain, and many more.
How Does RFID Work?
RFID systems mainly consist of two components - readers and tags:

An RFID reader is a device composed of one or more antennas transmitting radio

waves and receiving signals from the RFID tag.

RFID tags transmit their identity and additional information to nearby readers using
radio waves.
Process
The RFID tracking process is pretty straightforward, irrespective of how you
deploy your RFID system. Generally, the RFID tracking process consists of the
following four steps.

1. The RFID tag stores the data.

2. The antenna then recognises the nearby RFID tag's signal.
3. The RFID reader, connected wirelessly to the antenna, receives the data
stored on the RFID tag.
4. The reader then sends the data to a tracking database which stores and
evaluates it.
What is an RFID Reader?
An RFID reader (also known as an interrogator) is a device used to gather
information from an RFID tag in order to track individual objects.
The reader comprises a radio transmitter and receiver.
Upon powering, the reader continuously transmits radio frequency signals.
When there is an RFID tag within the reader's range, it energises the tag and
gathers information.
The reader uses this information to identify the object.
Readers are generally categorised as either fixed or mobile
Types of RFID Readers
Fixed Readers: These readers are mounted in particular locations and are mainly used for
tracking items as they move from one place to another. Fixed readers provide comfort and
consistency by automatically tracking tag movements without the need for human involvement,
like at a loading dock. They’re commonly used for inventory or asset management.

Mobile Readers: These readers are mainly hand-held and can be used for scanning individual
items. These readers offer a lot of flexibility and are widely used in the retail sector. For example,
retail staff can count inventory in real-time using handheld mobile RFID readers.
What is an RFID tag?
RFID tags are a vital component of any traceability system. These tags are small
devices containing a chip and an antenna that use radio waves to receive, store
and send data to nearby readers. Simply put, RFID tags are labels that can store
various data such as serial numbers, short descriptions, or even pages of
information.
.
A tag can store your name, employment number, fingerprints, and any other
data useful for identification. Additionally, a tag can store data regarding an
asset’s location, the last day of service, and any additional information that
would be useful in asset tracking and inventory management.
what’s inside an RFID label?
The following three RFID components come together to form what we'd call an
'RFID inlay,' a super slim piece of technology that can be inserted into garments,
stickers, or labels.
Microchip
RFID chips are tiny electronic devices usually made of silicon.

- They have a small amount of memory, which is used to encode

the chip with unique product information. The chip’s memory also
stores information like purchase history and the product’s An Integrated Circuit (IC)/ RFID Chip.
movements through the supply chain.

- The most common RFID chips are ‘passive,’ which means they This is the part of the tag that stores data. Each IC
don’t have a power source. They activate when scanned by a
‘reader’ (like a handheld scanner) which sends a small amount of has four memory banks – User, EPC, TID, and
energy through the chip via the antenna.
Reserved.
Antenna
RFID antennas are the distinctive coiled or looped section of the inlay.

- Antennas are usually made of conductive materials like copper or aluminum. They can also be printed onto
your label or inlay using conductive ink.

- Radio waves activate the antenna from a reader (AKA scanner). It responds by pinging the chip's info back
to the reader.

- Without the antenna, the RFID chip has no power, and its stored info can’t be accessed or updated.

RFID antennas are responsible for converting the signals released by an interrogator into waves later
picked by RFID tags.

Antenna Gain. The RFID tags’ efficacy to generate enough waves to be detected by tags is called the
antenna’s gain. The higher the antenna gain, the more powerful the antenna.

Antenna Polarity. This refers to the ability of the RFID antenna to send radio waves either vertically or
horizontally. An antenna can be horizontally linear, vertically linear, or circularly polarized. A circularly
polarized one sends waves that continually rotate between the horizontal and the vertical planes.
A RFID tag consist …
A tag consist of two main elements, including:
An Antenna. This is a section that receives and transmits signals. When the tag moves
within the RFID reader’s read range, the antenna will detect the signals and send back
the data.

The RFID tag can be embedded in different materials, including cards, wristbands,
employee badges, and key fobs.
Substrate
- ‘Substrate’ is just a fancy name for the material the antenna and chip are
mounted on. It provides a surface and structure for the RFID chip and antenna.

- RFID inlay substrates can be paper, plastic, or fabric. The substrate you choose
depends on the use case and what you want the inlay to do.

- The two most common RFID inlay substrates are PET and PVC because they’re
so durable and flexible.
Types of RFID Tags

Generally, there are three main classifications of RFID tags. These are:

1. Active tags
2. Passive tags
3. Semi-passive (or battery-assisted) tags
Active Tags:
Active tags consist of a transmitter and a power source, mainly a battery. They actively send a
continuous signal.

These tags are usually equipped with sensors that can measure and transmit temperature, light,
humidity, and vibration data for the attached objects.

In addition, these tags have the widest reading range that can extend up to 100m.

As a result, active tags are usually larger and more expensive than passive tags.

They are often used to track significantly large assets such as cargo containers.

Active tags are of two types:

Transponders - They only wake up and send data upon receiving a radio signal from the reader.

Beacons - They transmit signals at set intervals.

Passive Tags:

Passive tags remain asleep until they receive a radio signal from the reader.
The tag then uses this radio signal from the reader to turn on and reflect back the
energy to the reader.
Thus, the reading range is comparatively shorter than the active tags, typically
less than 10m.
In addition, since these tags do not need a transmitter or power source and need
only an antenna and a tag chip, they are smaller, cheaper, more flexible and
easier to manufacture than the active tags.
The most common application of passive tags is the item-level tracking of
pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
Semi-passive (or battery-assisted) RFID tags:

There is the emergence of a third type of RFID tag, a hybrid type known as
semi-passive (or battery-assisted) RFID tags.

These tags consist of a power source, usually a battery, in a passive tag

configuration. What this means is the battery turns on the chip and can reflect
back the energy to the reader, but they do not have a transmitter.

As a result, their reading range is higher than the passive tags. However, they are
more expensive and have a limited life when compared with passive tags. These
tags are suitable for applications where extra features like environment monitoring
are required and tagged items are within the range of the reader.
Common Operating Frequencies of RFID Systems
Frequency Reading Range Data speed Common uses

Low Frequency (30—300kHz) 1-10 cm Low Animal tracking, automobile inventory

High Frequency (3-30MHz) 10 cm—1 m Low to Contactless payment, shelf inventories

moderate

Ultra-high Frequency (300 MHz -3Ghz ) Up to 12 m Moderate Supply chain management, defence applications
RFID Applications
RFID Application
Inventory Management: Businesses can gain instant insight into their inventory. It reduces the need for human input,
providing highly accurate and reliable inventory records.

Asset Tracking: Allows businesses to track and monitor assets and equipment down to item level. Automating asset
tracking in this way prevents issues with human error.

Warehouse Management: Businesses can instantly identify products in their warehouse. It can also help automate
item receipt and delivery records.

Supply Chain Management: Supply chain managers can access real-time information about the movement of goods,
ensuring safe passage from manufacturer to consumer.

Healthcare: Helps healthcare professionals track newborns and vulnerable patients. Plus it can help ensure the right
patient receives the right medication at the right time.

Animal Traceability: RFID tags can help track animal movements, particularly beneficial for finding lost pets and/or for
wildlife programmes.

Counterfeit prevention: Helps to prevent the consumption of counterfeit goods. Tiny tags - like labels - can be added
to products to distinguish real from fake.
RFID Application
Access Control: RFID access control tags enable security by restricting access to only pre-approved persons.

Retail Sector: RFID systems help reduce human errors in stock-taking, reduce the number of products stolen or lost and reduce
time/cost spent manually counting inventory.

Library Systems: Libraries can track inventory, storing product information, and providing security from theft, plus checking books
in and out can be performed quickly and efficiently.

Kiosks: Many kiosks, such as DVD rental kiosks, use RFID technology to manage resources or communicate with users.

Toll Road Payments: Many highway toll systems collect tolls from passing cars using RFID technology. The toll is deducted
automatically from the prepaid card when a vehicle passes through.
What is an RFID credit card and how does it work?

An RFID credit card is equipped with radio frequency identification technology.

This allows your credit card to communicate with a payment terminal using a radio
frequency instead of a magnetic strip.

RFID technology allows you to simply tap or wave your credit card near a card
reader or ATM. Using this technology to make purchases gives you the ability to
complete transactions within seconds. Plus, your card never has to leave your
hand, minimizing contact with the card terminal and the likelihood of leaving your
card in the reader.
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Collecting tolls RFID
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How FASTag Works?

FASTag
Tracking library items
animal tracking

animal tracking

Livestock Tracking with RFID Ear Tags

tracking goods moving through the supply chain
Cloth store management using RFID
RFID Fixed Assets Management | RFID Industrial Solutions

RFID Fixed Asset Management