The document provides a comprehensive overview of RFID applications, including system components, layers, and use cases across various industries such as retail, healthcare, and logistics. It details the different types of RFID tags, their functionalities, the reader layer, and the middleware that interfaces with business software. Key topics include tag orientation, frequency ranges, and examples of RFID in practical scenarios like luggage tracking and inventory management.

1. RFID Applications
March/2014
Presentation
1
• Introduction
• components
• Layers
Presentation
2
• Regulations
• Standards
• Protocols
Presentation
3
• RFID Software
Developer
• Middleware
• Labs
Presentation
4
• RIFIDI
Emulator LAB
Mouhanad Alkhaldi | Postgraduate Taught Part Time - Information Technology (SS), MSc |ma1049@hw.ac.uk

2. RFID Applications
Introduction to RFID
&
System Components
March/2014
Mouhanad Alkhaldi | Postgraduate Taught Part Time - Information Technology (SS), MSc |ma1049@hw.ac.uk

3. Index
4. Icon Meaning
5. AIDC - Automatic Identification and Data Capture
6. RFID Use Scenarios
7. RFID Use Scenarios –(continued)
8. RFID System Components and Layers
9. RFID Tag - Major Types
10. RFID Tag Variation & Segmentation
11. RFID Tag - main Components
12. Media Interface Layer - Electromagnetic Spectrum
13. Media Interface Layer - RFID System Frequency Ranges
14. Reader Layer
15. Reader Layer – Antenna Polarization
16. Reader Layer - How it works
17. Reader Layer - Polarization affect on tag reading
18. Reader Layer - Polarization affect on tag reading 2
19. Reader Layer - Tag orientation - dual dipole
20. Network Layer
21. Middleware Layer
22. Good Reads
23. References

4. Icon Meaning
RFID Layer position
Good Reads Network Related Reader Related topic
Tag Related Topic
Air Interface Related

5. Automatic Identification and Data Capture
(AIDC)
• AIDC: is a term used to group the various technologies
employed to automatically identifying items, collecting
data about them and the ability to enter that data
electronically into computer systems.
• It became very popular in many service industries,
purchasing and distribution logistics, industry,
manufacturing companies and material flow systems.

6. RFID Use Scenarios
These are just examples of RFID use:
• Asset Tracking
• Retail
• Books Tracking (Library)
• Toll Gates fare collection
• Public Transport fare collection (AFC)
• Healthcare
• Animal Identification & Tracking
• Electronic Passport
• Luggage tracking
• Sport
• Anti-Theft
• Parking Systems
• Manufacturing line
• Inventory Management
• Brand Protection
• Access control systems
RFID in Luggage tracking
RFID in Sports
RFID Parking
RFID Inventory Tracking

7. RFID Use Scenarios
RFID in Chemical Inventory
RFID Animal Tracking
Toll Gates fare collection

8. RFID System Components and Layers
Basic RFID system (user perspective)
• Object to track
• RFID Tag:
• think of it as a memory chip , storing tag ID
• RFID Antenna:
• send & receive radio signals
• RFID Reader:
• controls the send & receive ,
• it is the physical layer brain !
• Computer
• Any connection method between reader and PC
• RS232 - USB – LAN …
• Software that shows the tag reading
Technically RFID has the following System Layers
• Hardware/Physical
1. Tag layer
2. Media Interface Layer
3. Reader Layer
4. Network Layer
• Software
5. Middleware Layer :
6. Application Layer RFID System Layers

9. Tag Layer
Major Types
Passive
Tag reflects radio signal from reader
Reader powered
Shorter Read Range
Battery-assist can add an order of magnitude
Smaller data storage
Lower cost
Active
Tag transmits radio signal
Battery powered memory, radio & circuitry
High Read Range
Longer range
Larger data storage
Higher cost
Battery-assisted passive
Only use the power of the reader to identify that
reading is in progress
Active Tag – School Attendence
Passive Tag

10. Tag Layer
Variation & Segmentation
• Memory Segmentation
Size (16 bits - 512KBytes +)
Read Only (Factory Programmed)
WORM - Write Once, Read Many times
Reprogrammable (Field Programmable)
Read/Write (In-Use Programmable)
Type: EEProm, Antifuse , FeRam
Arbitration (Anti-collision)
• Frequency (125KHz to 5.8 GHz)
Low—~135 kHz
VHF—~13.5 MHz
UHF—~860MHz – 960 MHz
Microwave—2.4 GHz
• Tag antenna orientation , single , dual sipole.
• Usage ( Printed , Metal , Water proof …)
• Physical Dimensions (Thumbnail to Brick sizes)
• Price ($0.50 to $250)
• Life span
Note:
these segments keep changing ,
the above is just an example
Tag verities
Tag embedded in a luggage sticker

11. Tag Layer
Main Components
• Passive Tag:
– Tag Chip (Integrated Circuit IC)
– Tag Antenna
• Active Tag:
– All passive tag components
– Plus a battery
Tag components –
this picture from Impinj RFID technologies ,
shows their Monza tag Chip

12. Media Interface Layer
Electromagnetic Spectrum

13. Media Interface Layer
RFID System Frequency Ranges
frequency Average Range Sample Applications
Low-frequency
125 - 148 KHz
3 feet Pet and ranch animal identification;
car key locks
High-frequency
13.56 MHz
3 feet library book identification;
clothing identification; smart cards
Ultra-high freq
915 MHz
25 feet Supply chain tracking:
Box, pallet, container, trailer tracking
Microwave:
2.45GHz
100 feet Highway toll collection;
vehicle fleet identification
Note:
This course will give more focus on UHF RFID applications

14. Reader Layer
• This layer contains the reader & the RFID antenna
• The reader controls one or more antenna, to send radio signal
• The antenna has the ability to send radio signals in specific frequency
• Some readers has embedded antenna
Figure : The reader and transponder are the main components of every RFID system
Image: RFID Readers

15. Reader Layer –
Antenna Polarization
Linear polarization
• The direction of the electric field associated with a wave
is known as Polarization
• Some antennas transmit a linear way
• Some antennas transmit a wave whose direction of
polarization rotates during each cycle This is known as
circular polarization
• Linear delivers more power , improved range and
penetration.
Linear polarization
Circular polarization

16. Reader Layer
How it works
• When the tag is exposed to an electronic field in the main
direction of its wire
• Electrons flow along the tag antenna and activate the
integrated circuit, or IC
• The tag circuit transmit back the information to the reader
Passive Tag Getting a Signal

17. Reader Layer
Polarization affect on tag reading
• Many tag antennas consists of wires that
mostly proceed in a single direction
• When the electric field is perpendicular to
the main direction of the tag antenna , little
voltage is generated , and the tag integrated
circuit cannot turn on.
little voltage is generated

18. Reader Layer
Polarization affect on tag reading
Circularly polarized antennas can read tags oriented in any
direction that is perpendicular to the direction in which the
wave is moving , but the antenna will not be able to read a
tag that is pointing directly towards the antenna

19. Reader Layer
Tag orientation - dual dipole
• Some tags have two antennas oriented at
right angles to one another
• These are known as dual dipole tags
• this is mostly for far field RFID usage

20. Network Layer
• Network layer is the connection between the PC and
the Reader
• The network connectivity method can be:
– Network cable Cat5
– Wi-Fi connection (Wi-Fi enabled readers)
– Serial cable RS 232 , RS 485
– USB cable
• The communication between the PC and Reader
happens through standard network protocols like
TCP/IP

21. Middleware Layer
• Middleware is a software that talks directly to the reader , and facilitate an
interface between the business software and readers.
• In early days this functionality was part of the business application.
• The elements of middleware include the following:
– Reader and device management:
RFID middleware allows users to configure, monitor, deploy, and issue commands directly to
readers through a common interface.
– Data management:
As RFID middleware captures EPC data or other data from readers, it can intelligently filter
and route it to the appropriate destinations.
– Application integration:
RFID middleware solutions provide messaging, routing, and connectivity features required to
integrate RFID data into existing supply-chain management (SCM), enterprise resource
planning (ERP), warehouse management (WMS), or customer relationship management
(CRM) systems.
– Partner integration:
Middleware can provide collaborative solutions like business-to-business (B2B) integration
between trading partners.
• Note: we will talk in more details about this layer in later session.

22. Good Reads
Book: RFID Handbook 3rd edition (2010)
Klaus Finkenzeller Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, Munich, Germany
Deploying RFID-Enabled Services in the Retail Supply Chain:
Lessons Learned toward the Internet of Things
Information Systems Management, 29:233–245, 2012 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1058-0530 print / 1934-8703 online
DOI: 10.1080/10580530.2012.687317
Cleopatra Bardaki1, Panos Kourouthanassis2, and Katerina Pramatari1
1Athens University of Economics and Business, Athens, Greece
2Ionian University, Corfu, Greece
FNRFID : French National RFID Center
http://www.centrenational-rfid.com/rfid-frequency-ranges-article-16-gb-ruid-202.html
MSDN : Microsoft Developer Netwook - RFID: An Introduction
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479355.aspx
Simplified interactive introduction to RFID
http://www.rfidrevolution.com/RFID-Essentials/demonstration/
RFID: An Introduction
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479355.aspx

23. References
Teaching RFID Information Systems Security
Thompson, D.R.; Jia Di; Daugherty, M.K., "Teaching RFID Information Systems Security," Education, IEEE Transactions on , vol.57, no.1, pp.42,47,
Feb. 2014
doi: 10.1109/TE.2013.2264289
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6524969&isnumber=6729118
RFID Handbook 3rd edition (2010)
Klaus Finkenzeller Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, Munich, Germany http://www.rfidhandbook.de
https://www.impinj.com/
http://www.aidc.org/
http://www.rfidrevolution.com/RFID-Essentials/demonstration/

24. References
Images
RFID Sports:
http://www.ipicosports.com/how-it-works/
http://rfid.thingmagic.com/rfid-blog/?Tag=Access+Control
RFID Sport MotorCycler
http://www.transcends.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Rifidi-Asset-Tracking-datasheet-doublepage-C-low.
pdf
Tag dual dipole
http://www.declarepeace.org.uk/captain/murder_inc/site/pics/nazirfidTag.jpg
Tag Roll
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/864297173/omnidirectional_RFID_tags_dual_dipole_RFID_labels.jpg
Luggage tag:
http://www.airport-int.com/suppliers/airline-printed-products.html
Luggage Tracking
http://phys.org/news128703805.html
Animal Tracking
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/07/24102700/8
Parking RFID
http://iwatchsystems.com/technical/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rfid_in_parking.jpg
Electronic Spectrum Image
http://cs.brown.edu/people/tld/note/blog/13/07/26/ Louis e. Keiner Coastal Carolina University
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/curricula/sm3/documents/SM3_ElectromagneticSpectrum.pdf
http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/35472969.pdf

25. References
Images
RFID UHF Reader
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/web/Business/Products/RFID/RFID%20Readers/FX7400/Images/Static%20Files/Merlin__
7_lg.jpg
RFID Reader
http://image.made-in-china.com/4f0j00bMtQCdUcnVqS/Desktop-Mifare-RFID-Card-Reader.jpg
RFID Reader handheld
http://www.gaorfid.com/images/RFID-Readers-900MHz(UHF)/RFID-Readers-900MHz(UHF)3.bmp
Salik Tollgate
http://www.salik.gov.ae/en/about/how-it-works
To Make Animation
http://www.gifmaker.me/
RFID System Components
http://www.rfidrevolution.com/RFID-Essentials/demonstration/
AutoID Systems
http://www.omron.com.au/service_support/technical_guide/rfid_system/index.asp
Some pictures & ideas from
RFID for dummies 2005 : http://www.dummies.com/
Patrick J. Sweeney II
Some pictures & ideas from
RFID Handbook, 3rd Edition

26. References
Images
RFID Inventory
http://www.rfidbuzz.com/news/2004/goggleless_augmen
ted_reality.html
RFID Chemical Inventory
http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?10850

27. Thank You