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RFID Consultants - Part of the RSW Associates™ Package
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| At RFIDConsultants.com™ our RSW Associates™ are experienced in the integrated use of RFID, Sensors, and Wireless (RSW) technologies in many vertical industries. We can work with you to design and implement a system that will meet all of your needs! |
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| Model of a polymer flexible RFID tag from PolyIC. |
RFID Tag Technologies - 101 |
Radio frequency identification (RFID) products use three basic technologies: active, passive, and semi-passive.
Active RFID tags use a battery to power the microchip’s circuitry and transmit signals to readers. Typically, active tags are used when read distances of 100 ft. or more are required. Because they have their own power source, active tags can also support add on circuits such as sensors for monitoring environmental conditions.
Passive RFID tags do not include a self-contained battery. Instead, they draw power transmitted by a reader. Passive tags have a shorter read range, usually from several inches up to about 20 feet. Passive tags are lower in cost than active tags, but are more limited in advanced functionality. .
Semi-passive, or battery assisted passive (BAP), tags have characteristics of both passive and active technologies. They use a smaller battery to power the microchip’s circuitry, but do not transmit a signal like an active tag. Instead the battery power is used to increase the sensitivity of the tag’s microchip to improve read rate.and /or perform add on functions such as monitoring and logging temperature, motion, light, etc. Data collected in the extended memory of these hybrid tags can be retrieved by a reader at a later date and transmitted back to a computer system for analysis. Semi-passive tags occupy a price/performance postion in between passive and active tags. |
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RFID - Background |
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Technology can be traced back to World War II when it was used to distinguish friendly from enemy aircraft. Over time RFID technologies have become more sophisticated and are now produced using many different frequencies and standards. RFID products use low, high, ultra-high and microwave frequencies to store, send, and retrieve data about monitored products or devices. Each frequency has its own unique characteristics and fit for different applications in varying vertical industries.
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| Some RFID Microchips are not much larger than a grain of rice! |
Regardless of tag technology, each RFID tag contains a unique serial number. In some cases additional information may also be stored in the tag’s memory, such as a customer’s account number, an item description, or manufacturing history.
RFID tags and their associated readers, antennas and other operating components, differ in terms of performance specifications such as frequency range, memory, read rate, detection range, and acceptable operating environment, so selecting RFID products requires an expert analysis of these special features. For example, frequency range determines the applications for which RFID products are suitable. Memory determines the amount of data that tags can store. Detection range is the distance at which readers can communicate with tags.
As you might expect, the possible combinations for the utilization of different types of RFID tags – and RFID related equipment – are virtually endless. Determining what products you require to best suit your needs within your industry or business, and how they can be best integrated with your systems, is a complex task requiring expert help. |
| For access to global, hands on, experts in RFID Consulting and related technologies, please contact RFIDConsultants.com™. Get your FREE* 30 minute consultation. Click here to get on the "Fast track" |
*FREE 30 minute consultation will be made available to qualified applicants providing complete details of their proposed projects and who have passed a pre-qualification screening with standards determined solely by RFIDConsultants.com™. RFIDConsultants.com™ reserves the right to award free consultations at their sole discretion. |
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