I just recently gave this presentation about the RFID technology from the very basics to a quick go through the applications and the working mechanism. I've tried more to make the concepts engaging rather than very detailed, mainly by using nice and crisp photographs and short and simple notes. Hope you enjoy the presentation and that it excites you about the deservingly exciting technology and inspires you to go into more detail(in good sources elsewhere though I intend to publish a detailed explanation on this site too).

1. RFID
Radio Frequency Identification

2. What is RFID?
RFID stands for Radio Frequency
Identification.
As the name says, it refers to
communication through radio waves
between two ‘antennae’, in order to
identify one of them.

3. ➔ The metallic lines
going round in loops
is the radio antenna
which sends and
receives radio
signals.
➔ The solid part in the
middle is the chip
which actually stores
the data

4. RFID systems consist of these components:
RFID Readers RFID Tags

5. There are two types of RFID
tags:
● Passive tags
● Active tags
Did you know?
Technology similar to
modern RFID was used
as early as World War
Two when they were
used in aircraft
transponders as is still
done today. However,
the transponders are
bulky and need an
energy source.

6. Active tags
● Active tags are very much like common radio transmitters
● They have their own power source usually from an on-board battery.
● They transmit their own radio frequencies as they are programmed to
do.
● Bulkier, more robust
● Have a larger range than passive tags
● Less affected by the substance they
are attached to

7. Passive tags
● Passive RFID systems use a special label tag which can transmit a unique
ID by radio frequency (RF) signal.
● Unlike active tags, passive RFID tags have no battery and require an
external source to trigger signal transmission.
● Passive tags ‘send’ data to the reader by amplitude modulation of a carrier
wave from the reader.
● The modulation is done through an antenna by a tiny silicon chip inside the
tag which causes fluctuations in the carrier wave amplitude according to
some encoding technique used.
● The modulated wave and so the data stored in the tag is hence recieved
by the reader.

8. ● Passive tags have an advantage over active tags in that:
● They need no power source of their own
● They can be made to very thin and tiny sizes
● They are every cheap
● These benefits make passive tags much, much more common
than active ones.
● However, passive tags have short ranges which can be unwanted
in some applications.
● Besides, they are much more affected by the attached metallic
materials.

10. Applications of RFID
Technology

11. Retail applications
By far the most common usage.
Purchase-able items are tagged with
passive tags.
Can be to identify items and their
prices
Can be to prevent shoplifting.

12. Baggage control
at airportSnaps on to bags
whose
whereabouts can
be

13. Traffic and Vehicular
Access and
Monitoring
Used in tolling
To monitor traffic
To give access of a secure site
to tagged vehicles only

14. Transport, Logistics
and Supply chain
management Track the passage
of items and
batches
Identify bottlenecks
Track the passage
of vehicles

15. Oil and Gas Industry

16. Industrial
Manufacturing
Tracking items or batches of them as
they go through the processes.

17. Agriculture
To track livestock
Identify plants in different areas

18. Mobile, Contactless
Payments (perhaps
using NFC)
Apple pay
Google pay
NFC-enabled cards
and smartphones
Self-checkout

19. 3. Examples
➔ Hospitals
➔ Passports
➔ Libraries
➔ Sports