What is RFID?
What are the advantages of RFID?
How can RFID benefit my company?
What does complete RFID system consist of?
What is RFID?
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology uses wireless radio communications to uniquely identify objects or people, and is one of the fastest growing automatic data collection (ADC) technologies.
RFID creates an automatic way to collect information about a product, place, time or transaction quickly, easily and without human error. It provides a contactless data link, without need for line of sight, for example articles inside a cardboard box, or concerns about harsh or dirty environments that restrict other auto ID technologies such as bar codes.
In addition, RFID is more than just an ID code, it can be used as a data carrier, with information being written and updated to the tag on the fly.
What are the advantages of RFID?
The primary benefits of RFID are:
- Elimination of clerical errors in recording data
- Faster data collection
- Reduction in labor and paperwork required to process data
The advantages of RFID over other ID technologies (such as barcode and magnetic stripe) include:
- Reliable operation in a harsh environment (in wet, dusty, dirty conditions, corrosive environment and in applications where vibrations and shocks take place)
- Non-contact operation
- Freedom from line-of-sight constraints (transponders can be read irrespective of orientation, through paint, even through non-ferrous solids)
How can RFID benefit my company?
- Making it easier to automate the process
- Improving the management of tracked objects and ultimately customer satisfaction
- Lowering operation cost through the use of automation with smart RFID technology
- Determining the location of tagged objects in real time.
- Enabling the introduction of new customer services.
- Authenticating your products, protecting your brand name and know-how
- Improving security systems and preventing from theft through the use of RFID access/security application
- Promoting enterprise-wide innovation
- Demonstrating industry leadership
What does complete RFID system consist of?
RFID system consists of a number of components including tags, handheld or stationary readers, antennas, and system software. A reader comprises of a transmitter, receiver, control module and communication functions, sometimes called a transceiver in radio terms for it to link to a controlling PC.
The transponders or tags are used to identify objects, which can be uniquely programmed with information about the objects. Readers should have an attached antenna, which is used to transmit and receive the radio frequency signal. Each reader is accompanied with PC compatible software that allows the user to read and program tags.