Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Features and Functionality of RFID

Including application specific ISO specifications

Presented by: Chris Lavin Sarah Clark Spencer Prows

What is RFID?


 

RFID is a technology, whose origins are found in the WWII era, that incorporates electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the RF portion of the EM spectrum to uniquely identify an object, animal or person. It is also gaining increasing use in industry as an alternative to the bar code. Requires a transceiver, antenna, and transponder Can operate in Passive or Active Modes

Source: http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/gDefinition/0,294236,sid40_gci805987,00.html

What is RFID?
 RF

signals transmitted by the transceiver activates the transponder, which transmits data back to the transceiver.
 Transponder

is powered by EM waves emitted by the

transceiver
 Various

frequencies are used depending on the application  Requires no line-of-sight (like bar-codes) line-ofbarSource: http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/gDefinition/0,294236,sid40_gci805987,00.html

RFID Applications
 

Tracking Books in Libraries Inventory Tracking

 Walmart

required it of their top 100 vendors

   

Authorized building access (Prox Cards) Passports (US passports recently) AmEx Blue credit card Prison inmates (embedded)

RFID Applications
    

For toll booths (or any pay for entry system) Airport Baggage ID Car keys, wireless entry and ignition Animals Hospital Patients
 Instant

history tracking

RFID Shortfalls


Cost
  

Transceiver ~ $1000 RFID Tags $0.20 each Not competitive with cost of barcode

UHF signals problematic near metal and water  Reader Collisions




Can be overcome using TDMA Required some engineering of tag transmit timing

Tag Collisions


Security Concerns

RFID Standards and Specifications

Application specific ISO standards

RFID Standards


Tracking Animals
  

ISO 11784 Specifies the structure of the ID code ISO 11785 Specifies how transponder is activated ISO 14223/1 Specifies RF code for advanced transponders ISO 15693 Specifies modulation and coding schemes ISO 14443 Specifies modulation and coding schemes ISO 18000 series

  

Credit Cards


Passports and proximity cards



General Frequency bands



Standard RFID Operating Frequencies



ISO 18000-2 18000<135 KHz ISO 18000-3 18000



13.56 MHZ 2.45 GHz 860860-960 MHz 433 MHZ (active)

ISO 18000-4 18000

ISO 18000-6 18000

ISO 18000-7 18000

Standard RFID Operating Frequencies

ISO 18000-2 ~ 135 kHz ISO 18000-3 ~ 13.56 MHz ISO 18000-7 ~ 433 MHz ISO 18000-6 ~ 800-960 MHz ISO 18000-4 ~ 2.45 GHz

ISO 18000-2 18000    

Operates at >135 KHz Inductive Unaffected by presence of water Short range (a few centimeters) Fairly costly because of coil in transponder

ISO 18000-3 18000       

Operates at 13.56 MHz Inductive Lower cost ~ 35 cents Thin flexible form factor ( smart label ) Read / write capable Unaffected by water (but has to be tuned to item) Mid range, 70 125 cms Two flavors:
 

Mode 1 Standard ISO 15693 data rate (26 kb/s) Mode 2 High speed interface (848 kb/s)

ISO 18000-4 18000  

Operates at 2.45 GHz Propagating Dual Mode



Passive Backscatter


Passive tag currently out of fashion Long range in active version (100 m+)

Active High data rate



   

Affected by water (signal absorbedmicrowave) Read / write capable Moderate cost Small antenna

ISO 18000-6 A/B 18000        

Operates between 860 960 MHz Propagating Long range 2-5 meters 2Low cost High data rates Frequency agile Read / write capable Relatively large antenna The future for mass application RFID

ISO 18000-7 18000      

Operates at 433 MHz Active Long range - many meters High cost High data rates Read / write capable Manifest tags- DoD tags-