Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an old concept that has been garnering a lot of press recently. Possibly the first application of RFID technology arguably occurred during World War II when the British Air Force used it to identify returning airplanes as friend or foe. Others view the development of the devices by the Russian Government in 1945 for espionage purposes as its first use. Although, the first commercial applications of the technology were deployed in the early 1970’s … it has taken 30 years of development in a number of technologies to bring the system to the point of having practical application in the 21st century.

Current RFID applications

Today, RFID is used in diverse application including building and parking access control, fleet tracking such as GM’s Onstar® offering, supply chain management, hospital patient monitoring systems, inventory control, Point of Sale systems such as MOBIL’s Speedpass®, beer keg tracking, automobile key lock and anti-theft systems, airline baggage handling, electronic toll payment systems, remote data collections, cattle tracking, and pet identification.

RFID systems are in use where non-invasive, at a distance monitoring of mobile entities is required … whether human, animal, or object. RFID offers a cost effective solution for tracking high value items in a hands-free environment where line of site to the objects does not exist. If you would like RBC cable to help you identify applications where RFID technology can improve your bottom, please contact us.

How does RFID work

RFID technology consists of transceiver with a transponder (tag) consisting of an antennae and computer chip. The transceiver is usually linked to a computer based processing systems which allows external actions to be taken based on having just read a tag. Using magnetic or electric fields, the transceiver activates the tag which transmits data back to the transceiver. Tags can be passive or active depending on whether they derive their power from the signal or carry an internal power supply. They carry data (usually a 96 bit code) which can be read/write or read-only. Current costs for tags range from $0.40 to $1.00 depending on the sophistication of the RDID chip and operate at varying frequencies. Low-frequency RFID systems (125 KHz to 134 KHz) have short transmission ranges (generally less than six feet). High-frequency RFID systems (868 MHz to 956 MHz and 2.45 GHz) offer longer transmission ranges (more than 90 feet).. Tags can be as small as .4 mm on a side. This size RFID tag allows it to be embedded in items or adhered to the outside through labels.

Advantages of RFID

The cost of tags currently exceeds those of UPC (Universal Product Code) labels (under 5 cents) but there are a number of advantages such that retailing giants like Wal-Mart and the U. S. Department of Defence are now requiring that pallets and materials be identified using RFID technologies. Depending on the application, there are a number of advantages to the use of RFID tags such as::

Monitoring of moving objects at a distance
Complete hands free access control
Wireless communications with backend processing systems
Tracking of objects within containers and pallets between and within facilities without having to unpack the container.
Reduced costs and time for check-in and check-out as objects enter and leave a facility
Secures restricted areas for only authorized objects
Reduced errors is processing
Reduced overall cost of operations

Future Vision of RFID

RFID technology is envisioned to eventually replace the UPC with an EPC (Electronic Product Code) as tag prices fall. With the capability to tract individual objects from manufacture, distribution, sales, use, and finally disposal, it has the potential to dramatically change the supply management and inventory process currently in place today. Consumers will no longer have to wait in lines to pay for goods, and purchase amounts will be automatically deducted from buyers accounts without having to “swipe” a credit card. Ultimately even home appliances such as refrigerators might be equipped with RFID transceiver technology and will be able to prepare shopping lists and groceries are consumed. As RFID is more widely deployed it has the potential to reduce misplaced inventory, fraud, and theft while increasing consumer convenience.

RBC Can Help

If you are contemplating deploying an RFID system for building or parking lot access, inventory control, or restricted access areas, contact us. We can determine your best RFID technology, assess its value, and install a solution. Why trust your installation to anyone other than RBC Cable Technologies.