Smart RFID Technology

Infinite Possibilities – Smart RFID Technology

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless & contactless usage of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags / cards. RFID uses automatic identification technology whereby digital data encoded in an RFID tag or "smart card" is captured by an RFID reader using radio waves. RFID is analogous to bar code technology but uses radio waves to capture data from tags, instead of optically scanning bar codes on a label.

RFID tags and cards consist of an integrated circuit (IC) attached to an antenna—typically a small coil of wires—plus some protective packaging (like a plastic card or shell). Tags also sometimes are called "transponders," and sometimes they are called "inlays”. RFID tags are either "passive" (no battery) or "active" (self-powered by a battery). Tags also can be read-only (stored data can be read but not changed), read/write (stored data can be altered or rewritten), or a combination, in which some data is permanently stored while other memory is left accessible for later encoding and updates

RFID technology is widely used in many industries. Example, an RFID tag attached to an automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line. Pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses.

Smart tags and smart cards go beyond simple tag functionality by combining human-readable information and bar code technology with RFID. Smart cards have the flexibility of on-demand printing. A read/write smart card / tag also can be programmed and reprogrammed in use, following initial coding during the label production process.

An RFID or a Smart RFID reader (now more typically referred to as an RFID interrogator) is basically a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver, controlled by a microprocessor or digital signal processor. The reader, using an attached antenna, captures data from tags, then passes the data to a software application for processing. These readers can be affixed in a stationary position (for example, beside a conveyor belt in a factory or dock doors in a warehouse), or made portable (integrated into a mobile computer that also might be used for scanning bar codes), or even embedded in electronic equipment such as print-on-demand label printers.

The basic operation principle of smart tags / cards remains the same: 
• Data­ stored within an RFID tag's microchip waits to be read. 
• The tag's antenna receives electromagnetic energy from an RFID reader. 
• Using power from its internal battery or power garnered from the reader's electromagnetic field, the tag sends radio waves back to the reader. 
• The reader picks up the tag's radio waves and construes the frequencies as meaningful data.

Passive smart label RFID systems offer unique capabilities as an automatic data capture system in that they: 
• Provide real-time, wireless transmission of data without any human intervention 
• Do not require line-of-site scanners for functioning 
• Allow stored data to be altered during sorting or allow workflow process information to be captured along with data 
• Work effectively flawlessly even in harsh environs with extreme dirt, dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures.