RFID TECHNOLOGY

1: INTRODUCTION
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a general term that is used to describe a
system that transmits the identity (in the form of a unique serial number) of an object
wirelessly, using radio waves.

RFID is evolving as a major technology enabler for tracking goods and assets
around the world. A great deal of attention is being paid to RFID by the IT industry,
media and analysts.

RFID has many applications outside of the retail supply chain including many
familiar ones such as vehicle security, commuter tags and security badges for access
control into buildings.

RFID is the reading of physical tags on single products, cases, pallets, or re-
usable containers which emit radio signals to be picked up by reader devices.

These devices and software must be supported by a sophisticated software

architecture that enables the collection and distribution of location-based information in
near real time.

Tags contain a unique identification number called an Electronic Product Code

(EPC), and potentially additional information of interest to manufacturers, healthcare
organizations, military organizations, logistics providers and retailers, or others that need
to track the physical location of goods or equipment.

All information stored on RFID tags accompanies items as they travel through a
supply chain or other business process.

All information on RFID tags, such as product attributes, physical dimensions,

prices or laundering requirements, can be scanned wirelessly by a reader at high speed
and from a distance of several meters.

2:History

During World War II the British, understandably, desired to be able to distinguish

between their own returning aircraft and those of the enemy since the coast of occupied
France was less than 25 miles away.

1|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
A system was developed whereby a transponder was placed on Allied aircraft so
that by giving the appropriate response to an interrogating signal, a "friendly" aircraft
could automatically be distinguished from a "foe".

This was the IFF or Identify: Friend or Foe system upon which present day
commercial and private aviation traffic control is still based. It was the first obvious use
of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

In the late 60's or early 70's the need for security and safety surrounding the use
of nuclear materials drove further development of RFID "tagging" of equipment and
personnel. Around 1977 the technology which had been developed in government labs for
these applications was transferred to the public sector by Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratories (LASL) resulting in two companies forming to explore possible civilian
uses. These companies were Amtech(now part of Transcore) in New Mexico and
Identronix Research in Santa Cruz, California.

Table 1:History of RFID

3: RFID Really means

RFID is the reading of physical tags on single products, cases, pallets, or re-usable
containers which emit radio signals to be picked up by reader devices. These devices and
software must be supported by a sophisticated software architecture that enables the
collection and distribution of location-based information in near real time.

Tags contain a unique identification number called an Electronic Product Code

(EPC), and potentially additional information of interest to manufacturers, healthcare
2|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
organizations, military organizations, logistics providers and retailers, or others that need
to track the physical location of goods or equipment.

All information stored on RFID tags accompanies items as they travel through a
supply chain or other business process. All information on RFID tags, such as product
attributes, physical dimensions, prices or laundering requirements, can be scanned
wirelessly by a reader at high speed and from a distance of several meters.

4: RFID Component parts are

Ethernet
RFID
Reader

RFID Tag RF Ante nna Network Works tation

Figure 4.a: Typical System of RFID

4.1: Tag or Transponder

An RFID tag is a tiny radio device that is also referred to as a transponder, smart
tag, smart label or radio barcode. The tag comprises of a simple silicon microchip
(typically less than half a millimeter in size) attached to a small flat aerial and mounted on
a substrate.

The whole device can then be encapsulated in different materials (such as plastic)
dependent upon its intended usage. The finished tag can be attached to an object, typically
an item, box or pallet and read remotely to ascertain its identity, position or state. For an
active tag there will also be a Battery.

3|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

Figure 4.1.a: A variety of RFID Tags

4.1.1: RFID tags are further broken down into two categories

4.1.1.1: Active RFID Tags

Active RFID Tags are battery powered. They broadcast a signal to the reader and
can transmit over the greatest distances (100+ meters). Typically they can cost £5 - £20 or
more and are used to track high value goods like vehicles and large containers of goods.
Shipboard containers are a good example of an active RFID tag application.

4.1.1.2: Passive RFID Tags

Passive RFID Tags do not contain a battery. Instead, they draw their power
from the radio wave transmitted by the reader. The reader transmits a low power radio
signal through its antenna to the tag, which in turn receives it through its own antenna
to power the integrated circuit (chip).
The tag will briefly converse with the reader for verification and the exchange of data.
As a result, passive tags can transmit information over shorter distances (typically
3 meters or less) than active tags. They have a smaller memory capacity and are
considerably lower in cost (less than £1) making them ideal for tracking lower cost items.

4.1.2: There are two basic types of chips available on RFID tags, Read-
Only and Read-Write
4|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

4.1.2.1: Read only chips

Read only chips are programmed with unique information stored on them during
the manufacturing process – often referred to as a ‘number plate’ application. The
information on read-only chips can not be changed.

4.1.2.2: Read-Write chips

Read-Write chips, the user can add information to the tag or write over existing
information when the tag is within range of the reader. Read-Write chips are more
expensive that Read Only chips.
Applications for these may include field service maintenance or ‘item attendant
data’ where a maintenance record associated with a mechanical component is stored and
updated on a tag attached to the component. Another method used is something called a
"WORM" chip (Write Once Read Many). It can be written once and then becomes "Read
Only" afterwards.

4.2: Reader or Interrogator

The reader, sometimes called an interrogator or scanner, sends and receives RF data
to and from the tag via antennas. A reader may have multiple antennas that are
responsible for sending and receiving radio waves.

Figure 4.2.a: Examples of a Reader with Associated Electronics

4.3: Host Computer

5|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
The data acquired by the readers is then passed to a host computer, which may run
specialist RFID software or middleware to filter the data and route it to the correct
application, to be processed into useful information . The way this set of parts works is
best describe in Figure4.3a.

Figure 4.3.a: Basic operation of RFID

4.4: Antennas and Radio

The RFID physical layer consists of the actual radios and antennas used to couple
the reader to the tag so that information can be transferred between the two. Radio energy
is measured by two fundamental characteristics: the frequencies at which it oscillates and
the strength or power of those oscillations.

Commercial FM broadcast stations in the United States transmit with energy at a

frequency between 88MHz and 108MHz, or 1 million isolations per second. The AM
spectrum, by contrast, transmits at 500,000 to 1,500,000 oscillations per second, or
between 500KHz and 1500KHz. Microwave ovens cook with RF energy that vibrates 2.4
billion times each second, which is 2.4GHz.

Most RFID systems use the so-called unlicensed spectrum, which is a specific part
of the spectrum set aside for use without a radio license. Popular bands are the low-
frequency (LF) band at 125–134.2KHz, the high-frequency band at 13.56MHz, the
ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) band at 915MHz (in North America; varies in other regions),
and the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band at 2.4GHz.

6|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
The names of the LF, HF, and UHF bands reflect the history of radio’s
development. Radio systems first transmitted at the lower frequencies and moved to the
higher frequencies only as technology advanced.
For this reason, lower frequency radio gear was traditionally cheaper than equipment that
operated at higher frequencies. Today, however, the difference in radio prices more often
reflects market sizes, the cost of patents and other licenses, and the result of subsidies or
cross-marketing agreements from equipment manufacturers. Radio energy moves in
waves, and each radio wave has not only a frequency but also a wavelength.
The wavelength is like the distance between two wave crests on the ocean. With
radio energy, the wavelength of a radio wave multiplied by its frequency is equal to the
speed of light 3 lack meters per second (roughly equal to 186,000 miles per second).The
size of waves for each of the unlicensed bands is presented in Table 2.3.

Building proximity cards, automobile immobilizer chips, and implantable RFID

ampoules tend to operate in the LF band.
The FDA has adopted the HF band for RFID systems used for prescription drugs.
The EPC system operates in the HF and UHF bands, although early deployments are
favouring the UHF band. When analyzing the energy that is radiated from an antenna,
electrical engineers divide the field into two parts: the near field, which is the part of
radiation that is within a small number of wavelengths of the antenna, and the far field,
which is the energy that is radiated beyond the near field.
Because the wavelength of LF and HF devices tends to be much larger than the
ranges at which RFID systems typically operate, these systems operate in the near field,
while UFH and ISM systems operate in the far field. As with most radio systems, the
larger the antenna on the reader and the tag, the better an RFID system will work because
7|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
large antennas are generally more efficient at transmitting and receiving radio power than
are small antennas. Thus, a large antenna on the reader means that more power can be
sent to the RFID tag and more of the tag’s emitted energy can be collected and analyzed.
A large antenna on the tag means that more of the power can be collected and used to
power the chip. Likewise, a large antenna on the chip means that more power can be
transmitted back to the reader.

4.5: The Network

Most RFID tags transmit a number and nothing more. So what does a typical
reader do with a typical 96-bit number like 79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543,950,335.
In most cases, the reader sends it to a computer. What the computer does with the
RFID code depends on the application. With an access-control system, the computer
might look to see if the RFID number is present on a list of numbers that’s allowed access
to a particular door or location. If the number is present, the computer might energize a
solenoid that would unlock the door.
In the case of the Mobil Speed pass system, the tag’s serial number and its
response to the random challenge that was generated by the reader are sent over Mobiles
payment network. If the challenge response matches the token, Mobil’s computers
approve the user of the customer’s credit-card number to complete the transaction. With
the EPC, the serial number will be sent to a network of computers that make up the
Object Name Service (ONS), a large distributed database that will track a variety of
pieces of information about objects that have been assigned EPC codes.
The database consists of both central “root” servers and distributed servers at each
company that creates products labelled with EPC tags. Given any EPC code, the root
servers would tell a computer which company’s servers to go to, and then the company’s
servers would explain what the EPC code means.
The overall design of the ONS is similar to that of another distributed database,
the Domain Name System (DNS), which maps Internet hostnames to Internet Protocol
(IP) addresses. In fact, VeriSign, the company that has the contract to run the global DNS,
was also awarded the contract by EPC global to run the ONS.

8|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
5: The EPC Code
The objective of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) is to provide unique
identification of physical objects. The EPC will be used to address and access individual
objects from the computer network, much as the Internet Protocol (IP) Address allows
computers to identify, organize and communicate with one another.

Figure 5.a: Electronic Product Code

Eg. 613.23000.123456.123456789 (96 bits)

1.Header – defines data type (8 bits)
2.EPC Manager – describes originator of EPC (Product manufacturer)(34 bits)
3.Object Class - Could describe the product type (20 Bits)
4.Serial Number – Unique ID for that product item (34 Bits)

6: RFID systems
RFID systems are closely related to the smart cards described above. Like smart
card systems, data is stored on an electronic data-carrying device — the transponder.
However, unlike the smart card, the power supply to the data-carrying device and the data
exchange between the data-carrying device and the reader are achieved without the use of
galvanic contacts, using instead magnetic or electromagnetic fields. The underlying
technical procedure is drawn from the fields of radio and radar engineering. The
abbreviation RFID stands for radio frequency identification, i.e., information carried by
radio waves. Due to the numerous advantages of RFID systems compared with other
identification systems, RFID systems are now beginning to conquer new mass markets.

9|Page
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

Figure 6.a: RFID System

7: DESCRIPTION OF THE RFID SYSTEM

RFID involves detecting and identifying a tagged object through the data it
transmits. This requires a tag (transponder), a reader (interrogator) and antennae
(coupling devices) located at each end of the system.

The reader is typically connected to a host computer or other device that has the
necessary intelligence to further process the tag data and take action.

The host computer is often a part of a larger network of computers in a business

enterprise and, in some cases, is connected to the Internet.One key element of operation
in RFID is data transfer.

It occurs with the connection between a tag and a reader, also known as coupling,
through the antennae on either end.The coupling in most RFID systems is either
electromagnetic (backscatter) or magnetic (inductive). The method used in a particular
implementation depends on the application requirements, such as the cost, size, speed,
and read range and accuracy.

For example, inductively coupled RFID systems typically have a short range,
measured in inches. These types of systems are used mostly in applications, such as
access control, where short range is advantageous.In this case a tag only unlocks an
RFID-enabled door lock when it is moved within close range of the reader, not when
people who may be carrying a tag in their wallet or purse are walking past the reader in a
hallway in front of the door.

The element that enables the tag and reader communication is the antenna. The tag
and the reader each has its own antenna.Another important element in an RFID system is
10 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
the frequency of operation between the tag and the reader. Specific frequency selection is
driven by application requirements such as speed, accuracy, and environmental
conditions, with standards and regulations that govern specific applications.

For example, RFID applications for animal tagging have been operating in the 135
kHz frequency band, based on longstanding regulations and accepted standards.Although
hardware components are responsible for identifying and capturing data, software
components of an RFID application are responsible for managing and manipulating the
data transmitted between the tag and the reader and between the reader and the host
computer.The typical RFID system diagram is shown below.

Figure 7a: Description of the RFID System

8: Different Types of RFID

Now we need to be aware of the next complication to the so far simple description
about what RFID. This is that there are different sorts of Tags available in the market.
This typing of tags can also be done in a number of different ways. These different typing
approaches.

11 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
Active or passive Other Classifications

Passive (no battery)

Smaller, Lighter Data storage (Programming)

Shorter range (<3m) Read Only

Smaller data storage Write once

Lower cost Read/write

Active (with battery) Frequencies

Larger, Heavier Low –135 kHz

Longer range (up to 100m) VHF –13.5 MHz

Larger data storage UHF –860MHz

Higher cost Microwave –2.4 GHz

There are several versions of RFID that operate at different radio frequencies. The choice
of frequency is dependent on the business requirements and read environment – it is not a
technology where ‘one size fits all’ applications.

Three primary frequency bands are being used for RFID:

 Low Frequency (125/134KHz) – Most commonly used for access control, animal
tracking and asset tracking.

 High -Frequency (13.56 MHz) – Used where medium data rate and read ranges
up to about 1.5 meters are acceptable. This frequency also has the advantage of
not being susceptible to interference from the presence of water or metals.

 Ultra High-Frequency (850 MHz to 950 MHz) – offer the longest read ranges of
up to approximately 3 meters and high reading speeds.

12 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

Figure 8.a:RFID Frequencies Electromagnetic Spectrum

9: Technology considerations
RFID presents a number of technology challenges. First, organizations must
manage vast quantities of data generated by reading tags on individual pallets, cartons or
high-value items. In addition, they must implement a fully-integrated software
architecture that enables this data to be analyzed and made available to internal and
external systems in near real time.

10: Additional Challenges

Additional challenges include:

 Configuration and management of reader devices – where organizations

deploy a large number of readers, the process can be simplified with highly
automated tools for set-up, configuration and batch management.

 Tremendous data volumes – Each RFID tag is scanned several times per second
and many facilities will be scanning hundreds of products simultaneously.

13 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
 Information maintenance and look-up – Each time a tag is scanned its key
attributes must be looked up in a corresponding database in near real time.

 Ownership and partner data integration – In complex environments, such as

the supply chain, supporting infrastructure must protect data owned by different
business partners.

 Standards and architecture interoperability – Systems must be compliant with

EPC global standards for defining product attributes and exchanging data.

11: Microsoft and RFID standards

Microsoft is playing a key role in the development of RFID standards globally. It
has been an active member of the EAN UCC working groups, collaborating with
organizations such as GCI, CIES, UDEX and others to play a key role in defining
standards for data synchronization.

In April 2004 the company joined EPC global, supporting the organization’s goal
to make EPC the global standard for immediate, automatic and accurate identification of
any item anywhere in the world. In February 2005, the company joined the NFC
standards group.

As well as joining these standards bodies, Microsoft announced the formation of a

new Microsoft RFID Council. The group will look at how industry can use RFID
technology to identify objects of interest and then track them through a business process
of interest.

12: Industries using RFID in Managements of information

The company and all of its suppliers use RFID to share location and other
information about the various bicycle parts and subassemblies. This enables vendor
managed inventory (VMI) for bicycle components.

For example, a tire company supplies the bicycle manufacturer with an in-
house stock of tires. Using VMI, this supplier takes responsibility for stock levels at the
bicycle manufacturer, which never has to place an order. Each tire contains an RFID tag
that holds product information such as the item and batch number, enabling automated

14 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
ordering when stocks run low. Both companies always know how many tires are available
in the warehouse and react to requirements in real-time.

12.1: Scheduling of assembly orders

Once the bicycle manufacturer has an order of frames ready, it ships them to a
paint shop on RFID-tagged pallets containing the production order number and
destination. The paint shop is equipped with readers that register specific orders when
they are delivered. These are then routed to the correct workstations, paint booths or
powder coating facilities.

When the frames have been painted, the system updates tags on the pallets with
‘production order complete’ status and are then shipped back to the manufacturer. When
the goods leave the paint shop, the manufacturer is informed when the goods will return.
If there were any problems, this information is entered onto the tag, allowing the
manufacturer to take appropriate actions.

RFID readers at the manufacturer recognize the goods when they return from the
paint shop. The system automatically notifies the final assembly facility and the order
begins.

Distribution A wholesaler manages the distribution of the manufacturer’s bicycles

to retailers of all sizes all over the world. This company works with a distributor to
deliver a container of bicycles to a retailer. The lorry driver unloads the pallets of goods
into the warehouse. As the pallets move from the truck into the warehouse, they pass an
RFID reader. This reader picks up the information about the items received and displays
them on a screen next to the doors so the driver can see what has been unloaded. Once all
the goods are unloaded the trucker confirms that the order is correct and the retailer and
distributor systems are updated in real time.

12.2: Picking
Picking at the warehouse is done on an order-by-order basis and the goods are
shipped to stores on pallets. The pallets carry RFID tags which store the pick list for the
order. Because the warehouse handles fulfillment of many sporting goods manufacturers
to a number of outlets, the list may contain other items as well as the bicycles.

As new orders are released in the warehouse they are written to the tag on an
empty pallet. The next available forklift operator picks up the next empty pallet. The
15 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
reader on the forklift reads the pick list from the tag on the pallet and displays it on the
operator’s screen. The operator drives to the first location to pick the required items. The
system monitors the goods collected, verifies that they are correct and deducts them from
the pick list. If incorrect goods are collected a warning is triggered. Once the order is
complete the operator brings the pallet to the packing area.

For example, the tire manufacturer had a short run of bad tires, the bicycle
manufacturer may need to recall them. In this case, the system would notify the operator
when a bike is on the recall list. The operator then takes any recalls to a special section of
the warehouse, where they are automatically removed from inventory and put on a pallet
for return shipment.

13: RFID Business Benefits

Use of RFID technology can increase business productivity and reduce associated
costs. To ensure that companies benefit from the advantages RFID provides it is
important to understand how to adopt this technology. By analyzing current practices and
procedures 8 main areas of benefit can be identified. These are:

 Improved Productivity and Cost Avoidance

 Decreased Cycle Time and Taking Costs Out
 Reduced Rework
 Reduced Business Risk & Control of Assets
 Improved Security and Service
 Improved Utilization of Resources
 Increased Revenues
 Exception Management

Improved Productivity and Cost Avoidance:

Identifying items by RFID involves less work than using barcode scanning and
other less automated ways. This leads to greater process effectiveness in many tasks such
as receiving and putting away, picking and shipping goods where the time required and
cost of identifying items by RFID is substantially less than other methods.

16 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
Decreased Cycle Time and Taking Costs Out:

RFID scanning is not a serial process, like traditional Barcode scanning, so the
business can perform identical tasks much more quickly. This means processes moving
goods through a supply chain are more efficient leading to a reduction in the need for
larger inventories.

Reduced Rework:

As RFID scanning has a greater first time pass accuracy this reduces the number
of errors that are generated and retries needed.

Reduced Business Risk & Control of Assets:

RFID tagging enables better audit and asset control. The ability to track and trace
items better means assets can be located more easily. The opportunity for enhanced data
collection leads to increased accuracy of record keeping and improved asset maintenance.
Regulatory compliance can be achieved more effectively.

Improved Security and Service:

Being able to validate information relating to an item enables increased security.

This individual identification contributes to more effective access control, reductions in
shrinkage and other losses and the ability to provide fast and efficient services at the point
of need. Ability to authenticate information can prevent activities like counterfeiting and
fraud.

Improved Utilizations of Resources:

Information obtained by RFID scanning can be used to improve planning.

Processes can be improved, time can be saved, and assets can be utilized better.

Increased Revenues:

By eliminating uncertainty companies will suffer less “out of stock” situations and
obtain greater item availability, reducing lost sales and increasing choice leading to more
sales.

17 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
Exception Management:
RFID enables processes and procedures to be measured better. Until a process can
be measured accurately it often can’t be improved. Decisions that are based on limited,
inaccurate, out-of-date information are often poor decisions. The contribution information
captured by RFID offers to IT applications will allow managers in companies to be
alerted when compensatory business decisions need to be taken.

14: COMPARING TO BAR CODE READER

Rather than using light to collect or read a number from a bar code, radio waves
are used to read a number from the RFID tag. RFID therefore does not need line-of-sight
to operate. Using radio means that the tag no longer has to be visible on the object to
which it is attached; the tag can be hidden inside the item or box that is to be identified
and still be read.

As the item is passed by the reader it will be read automatically, thus giving a
potentially large saving in labor costs or substantial increase in throughput of scanned
items.

Another feature of RFID is the ability to read many tags together at once.
It is not necessary to present each tag to the reader separately (as is required for
barcodes), instead all tags within the range of the reader can be read almost
simultaneously as they pass the reader.
Again, there is a huge savings potential in not having to manually present the reader to
each item to be identified.
Furthermore, data can also be written to the tag, a feature not possible with
barcodes. This latter feature has tremendous implications for IT systems and the potential
benefits of RFID.

18 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

Table 3: COMPARING TO BAR CODE READER

15: The real benefits of RFID can be summarized as

 Line of sight not required
 Durability
 Range
 Data volume
 Multiple read –Speed
 Read/Write –Update

16: Applications for RFID

Applications fall into two principal categories: firstly, short range applications where the
reader and tag must be in close proximity (such as in access control) and secondly,
medium to long application, where the distance may be greater (such as reading across a
distribution centre dock door). A sample of applications is shown below:

 Access control for people :There are many areas where RFID tags are carried by
people to allow them to gain access to facilities or services:
o Secure access to work place
o Safety access to dangerous/secure equipment
o Access to a computer or vehicle
o Access to travel on trains/buses
o Access to leisure facilities
19 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
 Access control for vehicles:
o Secure access on site
o Road tolling
o Instant payment for fuel
 Manufacturing automation:
o Control of flexible manufacturing processes by recognising items being
built on a production line (mass customization enabler)
o Labeling key components for later recycling
 Logistics and distribution:
o Tracking parcels from shipment to end customer
o Tracking goods from manufacture through to retail
 Retail:
o Supply chain management
o Stock taking
o Reducing loss through shrinkage
o Reverse logistics
o Product availability
 Maintenance:
o Plant & Equipment
o Fixed assets
o Patients
 Product security:

o Tamper evidence
o Product authentication
o Anti-counterfeiting

20 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY

17: RFID Summary

18: Conclusion
RFID offers new levels of visibility for companies that want to track physical
items between locations. In the retail supply chain, goods tagged at the point of
manufacture can now be traced from the factory to the shop floor, providing a real time
view of inventory for all supply chain partners.

Awareness of RFID technology and the benefits it delivers is increasing across the
industry in both the UK and globally. By playing a key role in developing the
infrastructure required for RFID, Microsoft is contributing to the momentum of mass
deployment.

The fully-integrated Microsoft architecture for RFID embraces a vision for

increased operational efficiency and reduced costs. It enables the exchange of RFID-
related data in near real time across disparate systems and corporate boundaries. It also
supports standards for global data synchronization and interoperability with EPC, which
is a prerequisite for global adoption of RFID.

Microsoft is playing a leadership role in RFID, data alignment and traceability

through participation in a number of industry initiatives and involvement in the
21 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
development of standards for RFID. Our RFID Council is also contributing to the
development of the technology by helping organizations track items more effectively.

Through a network of world-class partners, including ISVs, hardware vendors and

systems integrators, Microsoft is delivering RFID solutions that add value to businesses
and enable fast returns on technology investments.

22 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
RFID TECHNOLOGY
19: References

1. Roberti. Mark, 2007. What is RFID? [online]. Available from:

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1339/1/129/. [March 17th 2007].

2. Roberti. Mark, 2007. The History of RFID Technology? [online]. Available from:
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1338/1/129/. [March 17th 2007].

3. Roberti. Mark, 2007. The Basics of RFID Technology? [online]. Available from:
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1337/1/129/. [March 17th 2007].

4. Landt, J. 2005. The History of RFID. IEEE POTENTIALS. 0278-6648. 8-12.

5. Weinstein, R., 2005. RFID: A Technical Overview and Its Application to the
Enterprise. IT Pro. 1520-9202. 27-33.

6. Roussos, G., 2006. Enabling RFID in Retail. The 31st IEEE Conference on Local
Computer Networks, Tampa, Florida – November 14-17, 2006. IEEE Computer Society.
25-30.

7. Phillips, T., Karygiannis, T., Kuhn, R., 2005. Security Standards for the RFID Market.
Emerging Standards. IEEE Computer Society. 1540-7993. 85-89.

8. Lee, H., Kim, J., 2006. Privacy threats and issues in mobile RFID. Proceedings of the
First International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security. Vienna, Austria –
April 20-22, 2006. IEEE Computer Society.

9. Zhao, Y.Z., Gan, O.P., 2006. Distributed Design of RFID Network for Large-Scale
RFID Deployment. International IEEE Conference on Industrial Informatics. Singapore –
August 16-18, 2006. IEEE. 44-49.

10. EPC™ Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols. Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID

Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz–960 MHz Version 1.0.9[online].Available
from:http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/Class_1_Generation_2_UHF_Air_Interface_
Protocol_Standard_Version_1.0.9.pdf

23 | P a g e
DEPT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION