| OCR, OMR, ICR, Barcode, RFID,Dividend Warrants,Gift Cheques Printing,Airway Bills,ATM Mailers,Barcode Printing,Binding,Blind embossing,Business forms,Carbonless Sets,Charge Slips,Cheques Books Printing,Closed pouches,Collating,Competitive Exams Sheets Scanning,CRM Software,Customer Specified Check Digit,Cut Sheets,Hitech Print Systems Limited |
 |
| | Select Section | |
|
 |
|
|
|
RFID Solutions : HITECH PRINT SYSTEM
Introduction
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a generic term that is used to describe a system that transmits the identity (in the form of a unique serial number) of an object or person wirelessly, using radio waves. It's grouped under the broad category of automatic identification technologies.
RFID is in use all around us. If you have ever chipped your pet with an ID tag, used EZ Pass through a toll booth, or paid for gas using Speed Pass, you've used RFID. In addition, RFID is increasingly used with biometric technologies for securit.
Unlike ubiquitous UPC bar-code technology, RFID technology does not require contact or line of sight for communication. RFID data can be read through the human body, clothing and non-metallic materials.
Components
A basic RFID system consists of three components:
| » |
An antenna or coil |
| » |
A transceiver (with decoder) |
| » |
A transponder (RF tag) electronically programmed with unique information |
| » |
The antenna emits radio signals to activate the tag and to read and write data to it. |
| » |
The reader emits radio waves in ranges of anywhere from one inch to 100 feet or more, depending upon its power output and the radio frequency used. When an RFID tag passes through the electromagnetic zone, it detects the reader's activation signal. |
| » |
The reader decodes the data encoded in the tag's integrated circuit (silicon chip) and the data is passed to the host computer for processing. |
The purpose of an RFID system is to enable data to be transmitted by a portable device, called a tag, which is read by an RFID reader and processed according to the needs of a particular application. The data transmitted by the tag may provide identification or location information, or specifics about the product tagged, such as price, color, date of purchase, etc. RFID technology has been used by thousands of companies for a decade or more. . RFID quickly gained attention because of its ability to track moving objects. As the technology is refined, more pervasive - and invasive - uses for RFID tags are in the works.
A typical RFID tag consists of a microchip attached to a radio antenna mounted on a substrate. The chip can store as much as 2 kilobytes of data.
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.
Active, Semi-passive and Passive RFID Tags
Active, semi-passive and passive RFID tags are making RFID technology more accessible and prominent in our world. These tags are less expensive to produce, and they can be made small enough to fit on almost any product.
Active and semi-passive RFID tags use internal batteries to power their circuits. An active tag also uses its battery to broadcast radio waves to a reader, whereas a semi-passive tag relies on the reader to supply its power for broadcasting. Because these tags contain more hardware than passive RFID tags, they are more expensive. Active and semi-passive tags are reserved for costly items that are read over greater distances -- they broadcast high frequencies from 850 to 950 MHz that can be read 100 feet or more away. If it is necessary to read the tags from even farther away, additional batteries can boost a tag's range to over 300 feet (100 meters) [source: RFID Journal]
Passive RFID tags rely entirely on the reader as their power source. These tags are read up to 20 feet away, and they have lower production costs, meaning that they can be applied to less expensive merchandise. These tags are manufactured to be disposable, along with the disposable consumer goods on which they are placed. Whereas a railway car would have an active RFID tag, a bottle of shampoo would have a passive tag.
Another factor that influences the cost of RFID tags is data storage. There are three storage types: read-write, read-only and WORM (write once, read many). A read-write tag's data can be added to or overwritten. Read-only tags cannot be added to or overwritten -- they contain only the data that is stored in them when they were made. WORM tags can have additional data (like another serial number) added once, but they cannot be overwritten.
|
|
 |
Current and Potential Uses of RFID
Asset Tracking
It's no surprise that asset tracking is one of the most common uses of RFID. Companies can put RFID tags on assets that are lost or stolen often, that are underutilized or that are just hard to locate at the time they are needed. Just about every type of RFID system is used for asset management. NYK Logistics, a third-party logistics provider based in Secaucus, N.J., needed to track containers at its Long Beach, Calif., distribution center. It chose a real-time locating system that uses active RFID beacons to locate container to within 10 feet.
Manufacturing
RFID has been used in manufacturing plants for more than a decade. It's used to track parts and work in process and to reduce defects, increase throughput and manage the production of different versions of the same product.
Supply Chain Management
RFID technology has been used in closed loop supply chains or to automate parts of the supply chain within a company's control for years.
As standards emerge, companies are increasingly turning to RFID to track shipments among supply chain partners.
Retailing
Retailers such as Best Buy, Metro, Target, Tesco and Wal-Mart are in the forefront of RFID adoption. These retailers are currently focused on improving supply chain efficiency and making sure product is on the shelf when customers want to buy it.
Payment Systems
RFID is all the rage in the supply chain world, but the technology is also catching on as a convenient payment mechanism. One of the most popular uses of RFID today is to pay for road tolls without stopping. These active systems have caught on in many countries, and quick service restaurants are experimenting with using the same active RFID tags to pay for meals at drive-through windows.
Security and Access Control
RFID has long been used as an electronic key to control who has access to office buildings or areas within office buildings. The first access control systems used low-frequency RFID tags. Recently, vendors have introduced 13.56 MHz systems that offer longer read range. The advantage of RFID is it is convenient (an employee can hold up a badge to unlock a door, rather than looking for a key or swiping a magnetic stripe card) and because there is no contact between the card and reader, there is less wear and tear, and therefore less maintenance.
As RFID technology evolves and becomes less expensive and more robust, it's likely that companies and RFID vendors will develop many new applications to solve common and unique business problems.
Unique Features of Our RFID solution:
A Lifecycle Approach
We provide assistance throughout the lifecycle of your RFID solution
Planning and Assessment
We help you gain a clear understanding of how RFID technology can be applied in your environment to meet your business objectives.
Analysis and Design
Leveraging our experience implementing RFID solutions around the world, we can help ensure your RFID solution is architected specifically for your business, processes and environment.
Implementation
Our team utilizes best practices that minimize the impact on your productivity during implementation, enabling you to realize the benefits of your RFID system sooner.
Maintenance and Support
Customer Services programs are designed to ensure maximum uptime and a low total cost of ownership.
For more information
To learn more about how you can incorporate RFID Advanced Services into your RFID solution, please speak with our RFID Implementation team.
|
|
|
|