RFID

GROUP 11
T N VATSA + VINAYAK R + VISHAL JAIN + GAUTAM + SHISHIR
64 42 19 24 56
 RFID – What is it?
• Radio Frequency Identification Device

• Holds a small amount of unique data – a serial number or other

unique attribute of the item

• The data can be read from a distance – no contact or even line

of sight necessary

• Enables individual items – down to the proverbial “can of

beans” to be individually tracked from manufacture to
consumption!
 History of RFID

• Invented in 1948 by Harry Stockman

• Initial application was way back in WW2 by US army

• Came into use only in 1990s

 RFID Tag Attributes
Active RFID Passive RFID
Tag Power Source Internal to tag Energy transferred using
RF from reader

Tag Battery Yes No

Availability of power Continuous Only in field of reader

Required signal strength Very Low Very High

to Tag
Range Up to 100m Up to 3-5m, usually less

Multi-tag reading 1000’s of tags recognized Few hundred within 3m of

– up to 100mph reader

Data Storage Up to 128Kb or read/write 128 bytes of read/write

with sophisticated search
and access
 Passive RFID Tags
• “Traditional” tags used in retail security applications
– Tag contains an antenna, and a small chip that
stores a small amount of data

– Tag can be programmed at manufacture or on

installation

– Tag is powered by the high power electromagnetic

field generated by the antennas – usually in
doorways

– The field allows the chip/antenna to reflect back an

extremely weak signal containing the data

– Collision Detection – recognition of multiple tags in

the read range – is employed to separately read
the individual tags

• These passive tags form the basis of the Auto-ID

designs, and, if manufactured in billions, will come
down in price from $0.80 to $0.05 in the next 2 years.
 Active Tags
• Battery Powered tags
– Have much greater range – 100m
– Hold much more information – Kbytes
– Can integrate sensing technology
• Temperature, GPS
– Can signal at defined time
– Multiple tags can be recorded at once
• Used for higher value items
– Shipping containers
– Babies
– Electronic assets
• Cost between $20 and $40 per item
• Life between 2 – 4 years
Comparison of RFID Vs Bar Code
RFID Barcode
Counterfeiting is difficult Counterfeiting is easy

Scanner not required. No Scanner needs to see the

need to bring the tag near bar code to read it
the reader

RFID is comparatively fast

Can read multiple tags Can read only one tag at a

time
Relatively expensive as
compared to Bar Codes
(Reader 1000$, Tag 20
cents a piece)
Can be reusable within Cannot be reused
factory premises
 Auto-ID Organization
• Non-profit organization supported by major software, consulting, tag
and reader manufacturers and by MIT, Cambridge University and
Adelaide University

• All research and solutions are public domain

• Developed vision of global approach to automatic ID of every product

• Developed standards for tags and readers

• Developed high level designs that will bring tag cost toward 5c and
readers to $100

• Developed – with SUN – Savant software to act as mediation between

readers and a global network of “name servers” and databases –
available as open source
 EPC Network – Building Blocks
Tags Data carrier – the ID number – Unique EPC Code – is
programmed into the Tag

Tag Connected to chip in Tag – could be wire or printed using

Antenna conductive ink

Reader Coil included in plastic or similar case – usually 12 – 18

Antenna inches square
Reader Data capture device – interrogates the tag and retrieves the
data from all tags in the receiving area. Can be fixed or
portable

Savant Servers/Software to support readers, extract unique

information from the read data, and communicate with
External databases
ONS Object Name Service – similar to DNS in the Internet – knows
the appropriate database holding full information about the
product the tag is attached to
 EPC Code
• E.g. 613.23000.123456.123456789 (96 bits)

• Header – defines data type (8 bits)

• EPC Manager – describes originator of EPC (Product

manufacturer) (34 bits)

• Object Class - Could describe the product type (20 Bits)

• Serial Number – Unique ID for that product item (34 Bits)

Supply Chain – Global Vision
 Potential RFID ROI for Retailers

• Reduced on-hand inventory and less use of “safety stock”

• Increased sales through reduced out-of- stocks

•Increased stock visibility and availability at point of

shipment (>50%)

•Reduced transportation cost and shipping volumes

•More accurate forecasts and stock replenishment

•Reduced shrink and theft in the supply chain

 Potential RFID Benefits for
Consumers
• Better in-stock - product on the shelf when you want it
• Improved Product Selection

• Product Freshness for Dated Goods

• Easier Identification on Recalls

 Case Study

Gillete & Co:

• Objective: To Track movement of product from Packaging Center

to Plant’s distribution center.

• Previously->Using Bar Code, time taken=80 sec to 20 min

• 1999->With RFID it takes 20 secs

• Gains->Gillette saves 20% in Operational Cost at each

Distribution Center.
 Initiatives from India Inc
• Patni Computer Systems Lab – Implemented Animal Tracking System

• Wipro Technologies - Member of the Electronic Product Code (EPC)

- Setting up a lab to study RFID
- Working on pilot projects

• Infosys Technologies – RFID consulting on logistics player in the RFID

space.

• Intellicon - pilot project for BEL Bangalore tags installed on employee

buses.
- Buses inside the BEL campus were tracked with the aim of gauging
employee punctuality.
 Indian Scenario
• RFID will be used to track exported goods

• Retail segment worth $330 Billion is potential target

• Wal-Mart suppliers have adopted this technology

• Pantaloon, Madura Garments and Ashok Leyland use RFID

• RFID business expected to reach $600 million by 2009 up from

$140 million
 Way Forward…
• Large Retail companies – Tracking Goods

• Hospitals & Nursing Homes – Patient Tagging

• Airports – Baggage Tracking

• Security Applications – Smart Cards

• RFID Readers could also WRITE onto Tags

• RFID Sensors to sense temperature, movement, radiation, food

quality…
 Constraints
• Cost

• Battery life

• Active RFID life – 2 to 4 years

• Extreme weather

• Privacy concerns

• Security concerns
 Phased Approach towards RFID
• Effort - software development, application integration and building the
capability to ‘act’ on the additional data from value chain

• Identify business functions

• Pilot in a controlled environment

• Key metrics

• Larger scale field trial