RFID (radio frequency identification) allows objects to be identified using radio waves transmitted from tags attached to objects. RFID systems consist of tags, readers, and an antenna. Tags can be passive (powered by reader), active (internal battery), or semi-passive (battery assisted). Common applications include supply chain management, livestock tagging, toll payment, and electronic passports. While RFID provides advantages like wireless data transfer and ability to work in harsh environments, concerns around privacy, security, and lack of standards remain open challenges.

1. RFID
Radio Frequency Identification
AMBER BHAUMIK
PG-DESD

2. What is RFID?



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Radio Frequency Identification
The use of radio frequency readers
and tags to identify real objects.
New frontier in the field of information
technology
One form of Automatic Identification
What does it mean to identify something?

3. Identification




Assign IDs to objects
Link the ID to additional information
about the object
Link the ID to complementary info
Find similar objects

4. How Does RFID Work?

3 Components



Transceiver – Tag Reader
Transponder – RFID tag
Antenna

5. RFID Hardware
Magnetic / Inductive Coupling
Transceiver
Tag Reader
IC or microprocessor
RFID
Tag
antenna
antenna

6. RFID Hardware
Propagation Coupling
Transceiver
Tag Reader
IC or microprocessor
RFID
Tag
antenna
antenna

7. RFID system

8. RFID reader
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
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Also known an interrogator (as it is used to interrogate an
Tag).
Reader powers passive tags with RF energy
Can be handheld or stationary
Consists of:




Transceiver
Antenna
Microprocessor
Network interface

9. RFID tags
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
Tag is a device used to transmit
information such as a serial number to
the reader in a contact less manner
Classified as :



Passive – energy from reader
Active - battery
Semi-passive – battery and energy from
reader

10. Components of a Tag

11. Types of Tags

Passive Tags



No battery
Low cost
Active Tags



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On-board transceiver
Battery – must be replaced
Longer range
High cost

12. Types of Tags

Read Only
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factory programmed
usually chipless
Read / Write

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on-board memory
can save data
can change ID
higher cost

13. Different Tags available in Market

14. Real Tags

15. Frequency Ranges
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Low – 100-500 kHz


Intermediate – 10-16 MHz

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short range, low data rate, cost, & power
medium range and data rate
High – 850-950 MHz & 2.4-5.8GHz


large range, high cost, high data rate
needs line of sight

16. Frequency Trade-Offs

Frequency
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Power
Cost
Bandwidth
Line of Sight

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Lifespan
Range

17. Frequencies of operation
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Low frequency
 30-300 kHz
 Tags need to be closer to the reader
 Poor discrimination
High frequency/radio frequency
 3-30 MHz
 Tags can be read from relatively greater
distances
 Tags can hold more information
Ultra high frequency/microwave
 >300 MHz
 Longest range
 More interference

18. UHF passive tag

19. Maximum Distances to Read UHF
Passive Tag
Antenna Gain
(dBi)
6 (legal)
Distance
(meters)
Distance
5.8
(feet)
19*
9
8.3
27
12
11.7
38
15
16.5
54
*Reality: Today, in the lab 8 to 12 feet.

20. Applications, frequencies, and standards
Applications
Frequencies
Standards
< 135 KHz
ISO 18000–2
ISO 11784
ISO 11785
ISO 14223
Smart cards, Passport,
Books at library
13.553 – 13.567 MHz
ISO 18000–3
ISO 7618
ISO 14443
ISO 15693
13.56 MHz ISM Band Class 1
Supply chain for retail
868 – 928 MHz
EPCglobal Class-1 Gen-2
ISO 18000–6
Animal Identification,
dogs, cats, cattle

21. Data Transfer
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Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)
Phase Shift Keying (PSK)

22. Frequency Shift Keying
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It is a frequency modulation scheme in
which digital information is transmitted
through discrete frequency changes of a
carrier wave.

23. FSK
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Fc/8/10
 0’s are the carrier divided by 8
 1’s are the carrier divided by 10
Count clock cycles between changes in
frequency
Slows the data rate
Provides for a simple reader design
Fair noise immunity

24. Phase Shift Keying

It is a digital modulation scheme that
conveys data by changing, or modulating,
the phase of a reference signal (the carrier
wave).

25. PSK
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One frequency

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
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Change the phase on the transition
between a 0 to 1 or 1 to 0
Faster data rate than FSK
Noise immunity
Slightly more difficult to build a reader
than FSK

26. Data Encoding

27. Multiple Tags?
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What happens when multiple tags are
in range of the transceiver?
All the tags will be excited at the same
time.
Makes it very difficult to distinguish
between the tags.

28. Collision Avoidance
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Similar to network collision avoidance
Probabilistic

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Tags return at random times
Deterministic
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Reader searches for specific tags

29. General Applications used in our
Day-to-Day Life
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Keyless entry
Electronic Product Code (EPC)
Proximity cards

30. General Applications (cont’d)
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Payment tokens
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Contact-less credit cards
Automatic toll-payment
Euro banknotes
Passports

31. General Applications (cont’d)
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Libraries
Security device

Bookstores

32. Current Applications
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Livestock Tagging
Wild Animal Tracking
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)
Automated Toll Collection
Animal Husbandry
Vehicle Anti-Theft

33. More Applications
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Passive / Secure Entry
Airline Baggage Tracking
Postal Package Tracking
Time and Attendance

34. Security Applications
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RFID used to grant entry to secure
areas
Tracks time and movement of people
Dynamically change access codes
Provide automated entry

35. Electronic Passports
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Dept. of State begins issuing e-passports Aug. 14, 2006
Contactless chip in rear cover
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ISO 14443
Name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, dates of passport
issuance and expiration, passport number, digital image of the
bearer’s photograph stored electronically
Digital photograph is used as biometric identifier
Anti-skimming material in cover to prevent unauthorized
reading when it is closed
Eavesdropping prevented by reading machine readable key
inside passport to unlock chip
Randomized unique identification (RUID) to prevent tracking
Information signed with a digital signature
35

36. Livestock Tagging
Meet Bobby the Cow
Bobby has an old
fashioned ear tag
for identification.

37. Bobby’s Part of a Herd

38. Benefits in Livestock Tagging
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Each one needs to be recorded
Why use RFID tags instead of the oldfashioned tags?
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cows get dirty
herds can be large

39. Animal Identification Standards
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Pets such as dogs and cats
Livestock such as cattle, pigs, etc.
International standard 134.2 kHz
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ISO 11784: “Radio-frequency identification of
animals” – code structure
ISO 11785: “Radio-frequency identification of
animals” – Technical concept
ISO 14223: “Radio-frequency identification of
animals” – Advanced transponders
At these frequencies the RF can
penetrate mud, blood, and water

40. VeriChip
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Human implantable RFID tag operating at about 134 KHz
because at these frequencies the RF can penetrate mud,
blood, and water
About the size of uncooked grain of rice
Oct. 22, 2002 – US Food and Drug Administration ruled
VeriChip not regulated device
Oct. 2004 – FDA ruled serial number in VeriChip could be
linked to healthcare information
Healthcare applications
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Implanted medical device identification
Emergency access to patient-supplied health information
Portable medical records access including insurance information
In-hospital patient identification
Medical facility connectivity via patient
Disease/treatment management of at-risk populations (such as
vaccination history)

41. Tracking Penguins

42. Automated Toll Collection

43. Package Tracking

44. Some RFID tags for consumer use

45. 4 requirements for consumer use
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Notify the consumer
Visible and easily removable tags
Disabled at point of sale
Tag the product’s packaging

46. Barcode Vs RFID

47. Potential Applications
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Smart Grocery Store
Smart Kitchen
Smart Sitterson

48. Smart Grocery Store
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Every item in the store already has a
bar code.
Why not use an RFID tag?
Speed up checkouts

49. Smart Grocery Store
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Several carts this
full in early evening
could seriously
slow down the
checkout process.
How much do
cashiers cost?

50. Smart Grocery Store
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Add an RFID tag to
all items in the
grocery.
As the cart leaves
the store, it passes
through an RFID
transceiver
The cart is rung up
in seconds.

51. RFID UPC
Artist conception courtesy Motorola

52. Smart Groceries Enhanced
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Track products
through their
entire lifetime.
Diagram courtesy How Stuff Works

53. Smart Fridge
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Recognizes what’s been put in it
Recognizes when things are removed
Creates automatic shopping lists
Notifies you when things are past their
expiration

54. RFID Chef
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Uses RFID tags to recognize food in
your kitchen
Shows you the recipes that most
closely match what is available

55. Smart Sitterson
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Tag locations throughout Sitterson
User walks around with handheld and
transceiver
RFID tags point the handheld to a
webpage with more information about
their location or the object of interest

56. RFID’s Advantages
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Passive

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wireless
Store data on a tag
Can be hidden
Work in harsh environments
Low cost?

57. RFID’s Disadvantages
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Lack of standards!
Short range
Cost
Authentication
Denial of service
More open research issues
 Nominal read range
 Rogue scanning range
 Tag-to-reader eavesdropping
 Reader-to-tag eavesdropping

58. Conclusion
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RFID has many potential uses
Likely to play a key technological role
Perceptions of privacy and security
vary
Privacy and security concerns must be
addressed

59. RFID revolution

60. THANKS FOR
SHOWING INTEREST
…