What is RFID?

RFID or Radio-Frequency IDentification is a generic term that refers to a small electronic device that consist of a small chip and an antenna that transmits the identity (in the form of a unique serial number) of an object or person wirelessly, using radio waves. The chip typically is capable of carrying 2 kilobytes of data.

Automated data collection technologies include bar codes, optical character readers and magnetic strips. These auto-ID technologies have been used to reduce the amount of time and labor needed to input data manually and to eliminate the inefficiency and errors produced by manual data entry via keyboard.

RFID Benefits

An important advantage of RFID devices over the others mentioned above is that the RFID device does not need to be positioned precisely relative to the scanner. We're all familiar with the difficulty that store checkout clerks sometimes have in making sure that a magnetic strip or barcode is properly read.

Some auto-ID technologies, such as bar code systems, often require a person to manually scan a label or tag to capture the data. RFID readers can simultaneously read and write to hundreds of tags within their read field and transmit the data to a computer system —without needing a person to be involved.

RFID - How it Works

To retrieve the data stored on an RFID tag, you need a reader. A typical reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the tag. The reader then passes the information in digital form to a computer system. Information about a product or shipment—date of manufacture, destination and sell-by date—can be written to an RFID tag.

Types of RFID

RFID tags come in three general varieties:

• Passive
• Active
• Semi-passive (also known as battery-assisted)

Passive tags require no internal power source, thus being purely passive or active devices only when a reader is nearby to power them, whereas semi-passive and active tags require a power source, usually a small battery.