The higher the level of customization or the more specialized the tag, the more expensive it will be in comparison to typical off-the-shelf tags. Readers, also called interrogators, are devices that transmit and receive radio waves in order to communicate with RFID tags. Fixed readers stay in one location and are typically mounted on walls, on desks, into portals, or other stationary locations.
A common subset of fixed readers is integrated readers. An integrated RFID reader is a reader with a built-in antenna that typically includes one additional antenna port for the connection of an optional external antenna as well. Integrated readers are usually aesthetically pleasing and designed to be used for indoor applications without a high traffic of tagged items.
Mobile readers are handheld devices that allow for flexibility when reading RFID tags while still being able to communicate with a host computer or smart device. There are two primary categories of Mobile RFID readers — readers with an onboard computer, called Mobile Computing Devices, and readers that use a Bluetooth or Auxiliary connection to a smart device or tablet, called Sleds.
Fixed RFID Readers typically have external antenna ports that can connect anywhere from one additional antenna to up to eight different antennas. With the addition of a multiplexer, some readers can connect to up to 32 RFID antennas.
The number of antennas connected to one reader depends on the area of coverage required for the RFID application. Some desktop applications, like checking files in and out, only need a small area of coverage, so one antenna works well.
Other applications with a larger area of coverage, such as a finish line in a race timing application typically require multiple antennas to create the necessary coverage zone. The most common way to categorize readers is to classify them as either fixed or mobile. Other ways to differentiate between RFID readers include categories like connectivity, available utilities, features, processing capabilities, power options, antenna ports, etc. A reader will usually be the most expensive component in an RFID system.
USB readers generally have short read ranges and are used for desktop applications. Handheld readers and fixed readers vary greatly in pricing depending on features and functionality offered. To put it simply, the higher the gain, the more powerful, and further-reaching RF field an antenna will have. If the RF field is a horizontal plane, is it described as horizontally linear, and the same principle applies to an RFID antenna that creates a vertical plane.
If these do not match up, for instance, a vertical linearly-polarized antenna and a tag with a horizontal linearly-polarized antenna, the read range will be severely reduced. A circularly-polarized antenna transmits waves that continually rotate between horizontal and vertical planes in order to give an application enhanced flexibility by allowing for RFID tags to be read in multiple orientations. Even though antennas are grouped by a few different factors, the most common groupings for RFID Antennas are polarity circular vs linear and ruggedness indoor vs.
These antennas are specialized for applications such as race timing and must be rugged enough to survive and perform well while people, bikes, or even go-carts run over them. Development Kits are recommended as the best way to start using RFID technology because it allows people to jump right into the technology and start testing their application.
An SDK contains documentation about the reader, as well as API access and code samples, so that a software developer can begin writing software for the application. Without the cable, the reader cannot power and send signals to the tags via the antenna. When determining the right connectors for either end of the cable, first look at the connectors on the RFID reader and the antenna. The cable length and thickness also called insulation rating will vary depending on your specific solution.
One way to combat that power loss it to use a higher insulation rating. The longer the length of the cable, the better insulated the cable needs to be in order to maximize efficiency and reduce the amount of power lost along the length of the cable.
Of note, as the insulation rating increases, the cable will be thicker and more rigid, which will make it more difficult to bend and work with when turning corners or running through conduit.
Enterprise Mobility. Supply Chain Solutions. Managed Print Services. Repair Services. Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on linkedin. Share on email. Share on whatsapp. What is RFID technology, exactly? How does RFID work? What are the benefits of using RFID? In November , President George Bush signed a bill for the standardization of pet microchips and a national database of pet owner information [source: RFID Journal ].
Even though the FDA approved the implantation of RFID microchips in animals and humans in , research from as far back as shows that these implants can cause cancerous tumors in lab rats and mice [source: Washington Post ].
Specifically, the implants caused sarcomas, which affect body tissue. No studies have proven yet that cancer can form in animals other than lab rats and mice, and it's still too early to tell what effects the chips can have on humans. No negative health effects have been linked to the radio waves emanating from RFID chips. Despite this evidence, or lack thereof, other disadvantages of human chipping may outweigh its advantages.
VeriChip Corp. The company makes microchips with unique identification numbers that link to a VeriChip medical database. The VeriChip database contains emergency contact information and medical histories. Patients with serious medical issues like Alzheimer's are ideal candidates for the VeriChip.
In addition to a one-time implantation fee, VeriChip charges annual fees based on how much information you want in the database -- you can choose to have just your name and contact information or your full medical history. Also, doctors might not scan every patient to check for a chip, so depending on the hospital or doctor, your VeriChip could prove useless.
If an unauthorized person tries to remove a baby from the hospital, an alarm is sounded at the nurses' station and at exit doors. You can read more about successful infant abduction prevention on the VeriChip Web site. In the next section, we'll hear what RFID critics have to say about tracking devices in our modern world.
Under this system, sensors attached to a crib sound an alert if they detect that the baby has stopped breathing, potentially saving young lives. As with many new technologies, people fear what they don't understand. In the case of RFID, consumers have many fears, some of which may be justified. This debate may be one of the few in which you'll find the American Civil Liberties Union and Christian Coalition on the same side.
Human chipping has seemingly higher stakes than merchandise tagging, and RFID critics are concerned that human chipping may one day become mandatory. When the company CityWatcher. Other employees declined the implants, and their positions with the company were unaffected. Some believe that human chipping is foretelling a biblical prophecy from the Book of Revelation, interpreting the chip as the "Mark of the Beast. While we can choose whether or not to put RFID chips in ourselves or our pets, we have little control over tags being placed on commercial products that we buy.
They describe how RFID tags could be used to gauge your spending habits and bank account to determine how much you should be charged for the products you buy. This may sound paranoid, but hackers have proven that some RFID tags can be tampered with, including disabling their anti-theft features and changing the price that corresponds to their product. Better encryption is needed to ensure that hackers can't pick up RFID frequencies with super-sensitive antennae. What's more, some critics say that relying on RFID as the primary means of security could make human security checkpoints lazy and ineffective.
If security guards rely solely on the RFID anti-theft devices in merchandise and RFID technology of government-issued identification to screen for criminals or terrorists, they might miss the criminal activity happening right in front of their eyes. In October , California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill making it unlawful for any employer to force an employee to be chipped. Sign up for our Newsletter!
Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. High-Tech Gadgets. Reinventing the Bar Code " ". Bar codes like this one are found on almost every product we purchase. In order to keep up with inventories, companies must scan each bar code on every box of a particular product. Going through the checkout line involves the same process of scanning each bar code on each item.
Bar code is a read-only technology, meaning that it cannot send out any information. RFID tags like these used to be made only for tracking luggage and large parcels. The tag's antenna receives electromagnetic energy from an RFID reader's antenna.
Using power from its internal battery or power harvested from the reader's electromagnetic field, the tag sends radio waves back to the reader. The reader picks up the tag's radio waves and interprets the frequencies as meaningful data. Talking Tags When the RFID industry is able to lower the price of tags, it will lead to a ubiquitous network of smart packages that track every phase of the supply chain. At the grocery store, you buy a carton of milk.
The milk containers will have an RFID tag that stores the milk's expiration date and price. When you lift the milk from the shelf, the shelf may display the milk's specific expiration date, or the information could be wirelessly sent to your personal digital assistant or cell phone. As you exit the store, you pass through doors with an embedded tag reader. This reader tabulates the cost of all the items in your shopping cart and sends the grocery bill to your bank, which deducts the amount from your account.
Product manufacturers know that you've bought their product, and the store's computers know exactly how many of each product need to be reordered.
Once you get home, you put your milk in the refrigerator , which is also equipped with a tag reader. This smart refrigerator is capable of tracking all of the groceries stored in it. It can track the foods you use and how often you restock your refrigerator, and can let you know when that milk and other foods spoil. Products are also tracked when they are thrown into a trash can or recycle bin.
At this point, your refrigerator could add milk to your grocery list, or you could program the fridge to order these items automatically. Based on the products you buy, your grocery store gets to know your unique preferences.
Instead of receiving generic newsletters with weekly grocery specials, you might receive one created just for you. If you have two school-age children and a puppy, your grocery store can use customer-specific marketing by sending you coupons for items like juice boxes and dog food. Chase's Blink technology uses an RFID chip embedded in the card to process transactions with the mere wave of the hand. Eavesdropping: when someone reads the frequencies emitted from the RFID chip as it is scanned by an official reader.
For protection against skimming, the e-passport contains a metallic anti-skimming device. This device is a radio shield inserted between the passport's cover and first page.
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