RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is a term that will become increasingly well known as usage of the new technology becomes pervasive. There is no question that the tiny chips, which enable tracking of physical goods from the assembly line to warehouse to retail outlet to check stand will replace the barcodes previously used for that purpose. Some RFID chips are tiny, they are nearly indistinguishable from dust in many cases
Passive systemThere are two broad categories of RFID systems, passive and active systems. Passive RFID tags do not have a transmitter and they reflect back energy (radio waves) coming from reader antenna. Active tags could draw energy from the sun or other sources and broadcast a signal to transmit the information stored on the microchip.
Active System
WEEK 2
About Wal Mart Stores...
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and a number of its suppliers are using a Dallas distribution center as the starting point for a technology that's targeted to one day replace the bar code.
The radio frequency information, or RFID, tags provide automatic tracking of pallets and cases of goods. Wal-Mart will have more than 100 suppliers using the tags by January2009.
The tags are on the top line of Wal-Mart's technology budget according to souces.
The RFID tags contain a chip that is imparted with information. In a backshop retail environment, the tags will contain the details of what is in a case or on a pallet of goods. Rather than have a worker with a handheld scanner logging in barcodes, the system will let a computer system use a radio signal to log the goods as they arrive at the loading dock.
The tags can also be used in the manufacturing process, which can help suppliers become more efficient, and the tags will help companies on both ends know where their products are at all times.
Wal-Mart says the tags will help reduce theft and counterfeiting, the latter particularly affecting prescription medicines.
Wal Mart was the largest company in the Fortune 500 list in 2007 and 2008 and eventually was overtook by Exxon Mobil in 2009.
Fortune 500 is is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect.
About Electronic Product Code (EPC) ....
The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a family of coding schemes created as an eventual successor to the barcode. The EPC was created as a low-cost method of tracking goods using RFID technology. It is designed to meet the needs of various industries, while guaranteeing uniqueness for all EPC-compliant tags. EPC tags were designed to identify each item manufactured, as opposed to just the manufacturer and class of products, as bar codes do today. The EPC accommodates existing coding schemes and defines new schemes where necessary.
The EPC was the creation of the MIT Auto-ID Center, a consortium of over 120 global corporations and university labs. The EPC system is currently managed by EPCglobal, Inc., a subsidiary of GS1, creators of the UPC barcode.
Week 3
Debate between HF and UHF..
As a matter of fact, the radio frequency identification industry was split between those who supported ultrahigh frequency protocols created under the aegis of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) and those who supported the Electronic Product Code UHF protocol developed under the aegis of EPCglobal. Eventually, the two sides came together and created a second-generation EPC UHF protocol, and all was good. Now, the industry is facing a new split, over what frequency to use for item-level tagging.
Some high frequency RFID tag vendors firmly believe HF offers many advantages for item-level tagging. They say HF works better around water and metal, that it penetrates materials better and that it is easier to define the read field with HF than with UHF. With UHF, radio waves can bounce off objects farther away, causing the interrogator to pick up tags you didn't want to read.
However, makers of UHF technology can work just fine for item-level tagging.
The debate for whether HF or UHF is better for item-level tagging continues.
HF's advantages for item-level tagging are well known.
UHF was originally embraced for longer-range supply chain applications, and its ability to be adapted for item-level tagging is less well known.
One benefit of using UHF for item-level tagging is that end users can purchase a single type of interrogator for reading tags on pallets, cases and items. This reduces cost because they can get volume discounts on interrogators, and it is easier to maintain one type of system than two.
As such the evaluation of the performance for these two tags are still being revised.
Ironically, once end users know there are standards for both HF and UHF, they will consider which is best for their needs. That means the free market can decide which technology is best, or it may decide one technology is good for some applications and the alternative is good for other applications.
week 4
We've run through the introduction to tracking of outdoor assests using RFID technology in the practical session last friday. Sourced out online and found a typical implementation of such tracking system that would be in the Automotive Manufacturing Industry environment.
- A brand new car from the manufacturing plant is unloaded from a trunk
- Car's ID number and bar-coded instructions pertaining to the details of this car is scanned into an RFID tag which is hung in on the car's rear-view mirror
- Car is move to a vacant parking lot
- The location receivers read the tag and reflect the exact car location on the map at the selt- service kiosk
These are some of key benefits for implementing such a tracking system:
- Ensure visibility of all vehicles in the premise
- Provide up-to-date information of the vehicle details
- Locate a vehicle quickly and easily (save timea and cost)
- Generate accurate inventory report
- Prevent theft and misplace of vehicle
Activating Tags using AeroScout Tag Manager and Activator
Tag on the left comes with call button functionality which can be configured to send messages when the button is pressed or released. Each Tag carries a unique MAC (media access control) address that the location engine uses it to identify the identify of the assets that are being tagged.I learnt how to activate them and use it during the practical class.
Configuring the tracking system using AeroScout Engine
The AeroScout Engine is the software responsible for processing the data received from the field to compute the real-time positioning of the assests. Map download, location receivers configuration and exciters to track the vehicle in the parking lots can be done.
Week 5
This week in practical lesson, I learnt to implement an access control system using RFID technology..
Most organizations today require a performing and efficient access control system. There are many reasons for having such a system and these include:
1) Enhanced security to limit access to restricted areas,
2) Tracking employee activity,
3) Improve loss prevention and
4) Compliance to higher internal or government regulated security measures
RFID technology is quickly becoming a popular choice since the advancement in technology makes a variety of solutions available to any organization. For example, card access lift system, employee access system and security enabled access system in banks.
Barcodes, magnetic stripes, and proximity readers all rely on the user to either make contact or place the badge very close to the reader. In addition, bar codes can only be read one at a time and the respective embedded information cannot be updated. Such limitations can be cumbersome and time consuming.
RFID ID Badge & Security Systems
Week 6
This week, we learnt to use RFID technology in access control. In tutorial, Mr Cheng teached us the use of smart cards. He also taught us how to install pasori reader driver in our laptop and issued us old ezlink cards(smart card) to tap at the reader.
In practical, we learnt to implement an Access Control System using RFID technology. Equipments for this lab practical are Felica cards, sony pasori reader RCS320, RS232 cable and a lift teaching kit. The objective was to program (using eclipse) RFID tag and implement Access System for a lift.
Programming....
- We first modified codes to get input from the lift and detect the six buttons in use
- We followed by modifying the program when the button 1 is pressed, light 1 will be on
- We wrote codes to read the card's ID
- We further modified the program so that the lift will stop at the level corresponding to the button press. When button 2 is pressed, the lift will move to level 2 and stop
- We also changed the program as whenever the user taps the card, the lift will move to level 3
- Lastly we enhanced our programming to switch off the lights after the lift has stopped at the particular level
Felica cards serves as a multi purpose usage as shown in the above picture.
The bank of Tokyo uses the "super ic card" which is a dual-interface, 3-in-1 IC card designed for the utmost in security, flexibility and customer convenience. The card incorporates both contact and contactless FeliCa IC card functionalities. With a choice from prepaid, debit(cash card) and charge(credit card) payments, cardholders can use the card for a variety of purposes.
