Radio Frequency Identification

From wsuwiki

1 Description
2 History
3 RFID Today
4 References

Description

Radio Frequency Identification also known as RFID is an Information System that employs the RF band of the Electromagnetic Spectrum to track assets for there owners. RFID systems use RFID tags and readers to accomplish this. RFID tags are sometimes mistaken for magnetic security devices that stores use to deter shoplifters. While they both employ the Electromagnetic Spectrum, RFID tags are much more complicated than magnetic security devises that are basically just a strip of magnetic tape. RFID tags are made up of; first a microchip that transceives as well as storing its information and secondly a antenna that allows it to transmit and receives its information. [1] They generally transmit using either 13.56 MHz or 915 MHz to transmit data. [2] The basic kind can be mass produce and are relatively cheap to make, costing around 5 cents a piece. There are three different types of RFID tags.[3]

-Active RFID tags: This type of tag contain a battery and transmits its information without being acted upon.

-Passive RFID tags: This type of tag has to have a external source induce a charge in to them in order to have there information transmitted

-Battery assisted passive: This type has is a combination of the first two. Like the active type It contains a battery, but it unlike the active type it is not always transmitting. And like passive type it waits to be acted upon to transmits and when it is it use its battery to transmit its information. Because it uses and saves its own power it can have a greater range.

History

RFID can trace its roots back to World War II and the use of radar. The first radars were effective at letting you know that you have incoming aircraft. This was important because it would get ground crews a heads up while planes were still miles out. The issue with radar was that it does not distinguish between your aircraft or your enemies aircraft. so ground crews didn't know if they should prepare for the returning of there aircraft or prepare for attack.[4]

The German pilots discovered that if once they were within radar rang, while returning to base that if they rolled their aircraft it would change their radar profile. Effectively allowing ground crews know that they were friends and not foes. This is basically a form of a passive RFID system. [5]

The first active form of an RFID was used on RAF planes in the form of the first IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) system. It used a transponder on the plane that would transmit once it was acted upon by the ground radar. It would then transmit to a radar tower to let them know that it was a friendly. This is essentially what an Active RFID tag does. Another version would just reflect back the signal to show that they were a friend, much like a Passive RFID tag does.[6]

The first true U.S. RFID patent was claimed by Mario W. Cardullo on January 23, 1973. The patent was for a tag that had memory that could be rewritten. Also that year a passive system was patented by Charles Walton. His system used was used for the wireless unlock specially made doors with out the need for a key.[7]

During the 70's the U.S. Government, by way of the Los Alamos National Laboratory developed tracking system that was meant to track Nuclear materials, such as nuclear warheads. This technology was later used in toll bridge systems that are still in use today. The Department of Agriculture also commissioned the Los Alamos Lab to put research in to developing a RFID system to be use in the tracking of cattle.[8]

RFID Today

Like in the past the DOD today uses RFID to track More than just warheads. The DOD and other companies have branched out with their use of RFID they use it to track all sorts of assets. [9] They can be employed in many different industries for a plethora of (and yes i really know what a "Plethora") different uses. Form retail to manufacturing to health care to defense, RFID tags can be used to store information about the products they are attached to for the purposes of inventory, shipping, and retail. Their chips can be programed with anything and everything that the user want to load on them, such as the product’s price, to where its located in the store and in the warehouse, to its dimensions so that it can be stored in the most efficient manner. As well as its data each tag has its own reference number that they broadcast. This is handy in a wearhouse that could have thousands of different tags in use. Its reference number can help a user to distinguish it and pick up its unique signal. [10]

Despite a draw down with in the past few years do to implementation cost, Retail Giant Wall-Mart has been the world leader in the use of RFID Systems. From the time Wall-Mart buys from its suppliers to the time it goes out the door in a consumers shopping cart Wall-Mart's RFID system is hard at work. The moment a pallet of widget comes in the door at one of there store it is entered into there RFIDS so that the moment it is purchased it tells the system to inform the inventory manager to order more. And in some regions there system goes as far as there regional distributor so that the stores managerial staff doesn't even bother ordering. the system recognizes when a product is low and reorders it keeping the store stocked at all time and leaving the staff with thier only shipping job, that of processing received shipments.

For more information on the history and modern day developments of RFID go to http://www.rfidjournal.com/