RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that uses radio waves to electronically identify objects. An RFID system consists of tags attached to objects, readers to interrogate tags, and antennas to communicate with the tags. RFID systems operate at different frequency bands with various read ranges and data transfer rates depending on the application. RFID tags can be either active (battery-powered) or passive, and store varying amounts of data. RFID provides advantages over barcodes by allowing identification without line of sight and faster scanning of multiple items simultaneously.

1. Introduction to RFID

2. Auto-ID Technologies Biometric Systems Smart Cards RFID Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Barcode Systems Auto-ID

5. RFID System Architecture

6. EPC RFID Architecture

7. EPC RFID System Architecture

10. Frequency Bands Frequency Band Characteristics Typical Applications Low 100-500 kHz Short to medium read range, inexpensive, low reading speed Access control Animal/Human identification Inventory Control Medium 10-15 MHz Short to medium read range Potentially inexpensive Medium reading range Access Control Smart Cards High UHF: 850-950MHz Microwave: 2.4 – 5.8 GHz Long read range High reading speed Line of sight required (Microwave) Expensive Railroad car monitoring Toll collection systems

12. Coupling

31. RFID vs. Barcodes

35. RFID Evolution (Gartner, 2003)