5 Questions for RFID Based Digital Asset Management
5 Questions for RFID Based Digital Asset Management 5 Questions for RFID Based Digital Asset Management 1. What is RFID Asset Tagging? Any physical asset is exactly that, an asset. Asset tagging will help you to track your assets, for a number of reasons: * To ensure loss is minimised* To ensure maximum use is made of your assets* To manage repair / maintenance of assets* To manage PAT testing schedules* Saving money, by understanding your assets better your make better use of them and save money against waste and loss RFID is part of many asset management systems and forms the link between the asset itself and the database that stores the required information for that asset. But the system itself allows you to maximise the usage of your assets. 2. How Does RFID Work? There are a number of types of RFID tags using slightly different technology within them to communicate with a reader. An RFID tag will usually contain an aerial and a microchip. Some will contain a battery but most will not. All RFID uses radio frequency to communicate, some operate on High Frequency some on Ultra High Frequency. The main difference is the distance the signal can travel, UHF travels further than HF as a rule of thumb. There are also both powered and passive RFID tags, put simply, powered tags have a battery and can send a signal further, passive has no battery and generates charge from the radio signal it receives from the reader, its signal is not as strong and therefore doesn’t travel as far. 3. What Are My Options? There are many systems on the market today, most systems, will use RFID instead of a barcode, though this is not a necessity it has a number of key benefits. Firstly, the ability to read multiple items quickly and simply. A recent retail application of RFID showed a more accurate read was achieved than a manual barcode scan process. Secondly, the speed of the data capture with the RFID system was less than 5% of the time taken in a manual process. 4. What Are the Different Types of RFID? The two most widely used RFID types are Active and Passive. Active RFID tags are self-powered, allowing the tag to have a larger communication distance and more memory capabilities. Passive RFID tags are powered by an electromagnet signal that is transmitted from the reader, making them a slightly cheaper option than active RFID. Passive RFID works by using the signal from the reader to charge the tags capacitor, supplying the power needed to communicate. The simplest way to break RFID down however is by the frequency in which they operate. These are low frequency, high frequency and ultra-high frequency. The RFID tags radio waves act differently depending on these frequencies. LOW FREQUENCY Low Frequency RFID penetrates most materials, from water to body tissue, making it ideal for animal identification. Tags can also be easily applied to any non- metallic items and will provide a short-read range of around 10cm. LF RFID does mean a relatively low data transfer rate, so slower communication and it can be affected by electrical noise in an industrial environment. HIGH FREQUENCY High frequency RFID is not as effective as low frequency in the presence of water and body tissue but should not be affected by electrical noise in an industrial environment. Making this type of RFID system more popular in ticketing and data transfer applications. HF RFID has a higher data transfer rate and this increase in speed allows for the reader to communicate with multiple tags at one time. A HF reader can read more than 50 tags per second with read range of between 10cm and 1m. ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY Ultra-high frequency is perfect for supply chain markets where a longer read range is required. UHF RFID has a read range as long as 12m, a faster data rate than LF and HF RFID and its performance remains high even in difficult environments. On paper RFID is really quite simple, but its capabilities are huge and it’s becoming a powerful tool for all industries. Before implementing RFID a good understanding of the technology is advised in order to find a process that has the most benefit and return on investment (ROI) for you. This article gave you a basic understanding of what RFID is and how RFID works but please get in touch if you want to further discuss the benefits of RFID for your business. Benefits to RFID Asset Tagging1. Sales crowth2. Quick, precise identification for inventory3. Data source4. Live accurate database5. Faster distribution6. Reduced labour in logistics mangement7. Improved read accuracy8. Multiple items at once 5. Who Will Perform The Asset Tagging Procedure? Your first instinct is probably to use your own staff to perform the task, that would be the natural conclusion. Please don’t, or if you do, make sure that the asset data being input is closely monitored. Managing the quality of the tagging process is essential, it is better using a commercial solution company. CONTACT US
5 types of RFID read range you should know
5 types of RFID read range you should know RFID, short for radio-frequency identification, uses electromagnetic frequencies to communicate between RFID readers and RFID tags. RFID readers, transmit signals to read and write data on RFID tags. There are both active and passive tags. Active tags utilize batteries to boost their power output. There are five major frequency ranges that RFID systems operate at. RFID comes in many different forms. It works at different frequencies, in different applications, and with different characteristics. The physical tag read range is determined by the individual RFID reader and antenna power, the material and thickness of material the tag is coated or covered with, the type of antenna the tag uses, the material the tag is attached to and more! While a specification may show a theoretical RFID tag read range of 5 meters (ideal conditions) it may be as little as 1 meter if the tag is attached to an object that is sitting on a metal surface surrounded by water and electromagnetic waves (not ideal conditions)! Frequency Specific Details 125 kHz. and 134.2kHz. Low-Frequency (LF) Passive RFID Tags – usually 5-10 cm, use a high-powered RFID reader which can have a read range of up to 80cm. 13.56 MHz. High-Frequency (HF) Passive RFID Tags – maximum read range of 1 meter – usually under 10 cm. In the 13.56 MHz band, there are two main standards, ISO14443 and ISO15693, ISO14443 identification close but low-price confidentiality, often as a public transport card, access card to use. ISO15693’s greatest advantage is its recognition efficiency, through a high-power reader to identify the distance can be extended to more than 1.5 meters, because of the good wavelength penetration in dealing with dense label when superior to ultra-high-frequency reading effect. The maximum reading distance of ISO / IEC 14443 is 10cm. The maximum reading distance of ISO / IEC 15693 is 1m. 433 MHz Ultra High Frequency Active RFID Tags – up to 500 meter read range. 860 ~ 960 MHz. Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Passive RFID Tags – maximum read distance of 15 meters – an average distance of 5 meters. A passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) handheld reader has a range of about 3 meters with a high-performance reader model and high antenna gain. The read distance of RFID mainly depends on the reader power (module performance), antenna size (antenna gain), tag size, and working environment. 45 GHz. Super High Frequency Active RFID Tags – up to 100 meter read range. There are several different modulations for 2.45 GHz. and you can also have real time location information from these active tags. FREQUENCY RANGE APPLICATIONS Low-frequency 125 – 134.2 kHz up to 80mm Pet and ranch animal identification; car keylocks; factory data collection High-frequency 13.56 MHz up to 1 meter Library book identification; smart cards; NFC; transit tickets Ultra-high frequency (UHF) 433 MHz up to 100 meters (with active tags) Container identification with active tags Ultra-high frequency (UHF) 860 – 930 MHz up to 15 meters Supply chain tracking: item identification; apparel; healthcare; Microwave: 2.45 – 5.8 GHz up to 100 meters Highway toll collection; vehicle fleet identification CONTACT US
How to implement RFID technology in your cases
How to implement RFID technology in your cases You want to implement an RFID technology into your process or business? Do you know which technology you want to use? There are a few different options that are available. Do you know what they are? Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. Signaling between the reader and the tag is done in several different incompatible ways, depending on the frequency band used by the tag. There are two ways to transmit RF signal between the RFID reader and tag, one is inductance coupling, the other is electromagnetic backscattering. Different frequency, the working principle is also different. RF frequency Low Frequency(LF) High Frequency(HF) Ultra high frequency (UHF) Microwave 125kHz – 135kHz 13.56MHz 840-960MHz 2.45GHz Working Principle inductance coupling inductance coupling electromagnetic backscattering electromagnetic backscattering Range < 60cm < 1m 1-10m 1 ~ 15m Characteristics Without any interference Short-range read, multi-tag identification Interference by working environment, Comprehensive performance is the most outstanding Characteristics similar to UHF, subject to environmental impact Tag Type Passive Passive Passive Active Typical Application Animal Identification factory data collection Smart cards memory cards microprocessor cards Access control Retail Transportation and logistics Freeways toll Data Speed Low speed High speed Environmental Dullness Sensitive Ablility to read near metal Better Worst Low Frequency (LF) 125kHz – 135kHz Generally, the frequency band of low frequency is 10Khz-1MHz, the most commonly used operating frequency is 125kHz and 135kHz. The tags of this frequency band are passive, through the inductive coupling mode for energy supply and data transmission, that is transformer coupling between the coil of reader and the coil of inductor. Working Features: Reading distance < 1m, the storage capacity is 125-512 bits; The operating frequency of Ti is 134.2 Khz and the wavelength is about 2500m; Data transfer rate is slow; Operating frequency not subject to radio frequency control; In addition to the impact of metal materials, low-frequency can pass through any object without dropping the reading distance; Standards ISO/IEC 18000-2, ISO/IEC11784, ISO/IEC11785, DIN 30745 Application Animal identification, human implantation, tree monitoring, car anti-theft keyless door system, marathon running system, hotel door lock system, access control and safety management system, etc. Low-frequency systems and read-write devices are more mature, and read-write devices are cheap. However, due to its low resonance rate, the label needs to make a large inductance winding inductance, and often need to package off-chip resonant capacitor, so the cost of its label is higher than other frequency bands. Hight Frequency (HF) 13.56MHz The high frequency band is 13.56 Mhz, with a wavelength of approximately 22 M. Although the magnetic field region of the frequency drops rapidly, it is able to produce a relatively uniform read-write region. High Frequency label products are the most extensive, with higher transmission speed and distance, but the cost is also more expensive than low frequency label. These HF tags typically have a good amount of memory and come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes. These tags are good for applications where read distances are close, a maximum of ~1.5 meters. The other positive factor for this is the frequency range and technology are recognized globally. Working Features: Data transmission is fast, the typical value is 106Kbit / s; Storage Capacity: 128 bits -8K; Support password security or microprocessor; It is most used in RFID application; In addition to the impact of metal materials, can pass through any object, but the reading distance drops. Standards ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 14443 A, ISO/IEC 14443 B Application Passport, E-visa, ID card, driver’s license, bus card and other identification applications, high-frequency applications mainly for library management, gas cylinder management, clothing production line and logistics system management, hotel lock management, conference staff access system, medical logistics system, intelligent shelf management. NFC Near Field Communication typically uses a smartphone or tablet that has NFC capabilities. Read ranges are typically ~1.6 inches or closer. NFC devices are used in contactless payment systems, similar to those used in credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards and allow mobile payment to replace/supplement these systems. This is sometimes referred to as NFC/CTLS (Contactless) or CTLS NFC. NFC is used for social networking, for sharing contacts, photos, videos or files. NFC-enabled devices can act as electronic identity documents and keycards. NFC offers a low-speed connection with simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections 3 Ultra high frequency (UHF) 840 ~ 960MHz The common operating frequency of UHF is 860-928MHz, but the global standard varies. UHF systems transmit energy through an electric field. The energy of the electric field does not drop very quickly, but the area being read is not well defined. The reading distance of this band is quite far, range up to about 10m. At the same time, the Inlay is relatively inexpensive because it be made in etching or printing. The application system of liquid goods in UHF still not mature, disturbed by the human body, and the price of reading and writing equipment are more expensive, also a high cost for the application maintenance cost, but it is widely used. Working Features: Long reading range, fast transmit speed; Multi-tag identification; Mainly suitable for 3-10m of application accasions; The primary frequency band for Internet of things; The radio waves can not transmit through matter such as water, dust, fog, etc; Standards ISO/IEC 18000-6C, ISO/IEC 18000-6B Application Retail, Government, Entertainment & hospitality, Manufacturing, Transportation, Healthcare, Commericial services, access control, sports, waste management, etc. Working Environment Effects: air humidity, air particles, wall blocking, metal Goods impact: moisture content, goods placement Microwave (MW) 433MHz 2.45GHz, 5.8GHz Microwaves are used in frequency bands above 1Ghz, with common operating frequencies of 2.45Ghz and 5.8Ghz. Microwave band is similar in characteristics to applications and ultra-high bands, with long read distances, but more sensitive to the environment. Working Features: Active tag; Can be used in complex environments such as tunnels and mountains; Label stabness and fireability Long transfer
