Keeping Pace With RFID

Presented By: Lowry Computer Products

Today Webinar Outline

INTRODUCTION WHAT IS RFID TERMINOLOGY ADVANTAGES HOW IT WORKS HISTORY WHAT HAS CHANGED STANDARDS TAGS SECURITY CHECKLIST QUESTIONS

Introductions
Dan Reigelsperger Director of Professional Services DanR@Lowrycomputer.Com Telephone: (317) 624-1234 Fax: (317) 624-1237 James Harkins Systems Engineer RFID Specialists JamesH@Lowrycomputer.Com Telephone: (309)-662-2056 Fax: (309)-662-6874

What is RFID?

RFID
RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION uses a semiconductor (micro-chip) in a tag or label to transmit stored data when the tag or label is exposed to radio waves of the correct frequency.

Terminology

EIRP- EFFECTIVE ISOTROPIC RADIATED POWER ISO- INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDS IEC- INTERNATIONAL ELECTRO-TECHNICAL COMMISSION JTC- JOINT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AIM AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION MANUFACTURERS ANTENNA A CONDUCTIVE STRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY
DESIGNED TO COUPLE OR RADIATE ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY

Terminology Cont . Electromagnetic Energy- A PROCESS OF

TRANSFERRING MODULATED DATA OR ENERGY FROM ONE SYSTEM COMPONENT TO ANOTHER

Frequency- THE NUMBER OF CYCLES A PERIODIC

SIGNAL EXECUTES IN UNIT OF TIME

Interrogation THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING

WITH AND READING A TRANSPONDER(TAG)

Multiple Reading THE PROCESS OR CAPABILITY OF

A RADIO FRQUENCY IDENTIFICATION READER TO READ A NUMBER OF TRANSPONDERS PRESENT WITHIN THE SYSTEMS INTERROGATION ZONE AT THE SAME TIME

Active vs. Passive

Active (battery-assisted and true active)
On-board battery power source
Greater range but higher cost Requires less power from reader Finite Life

Passive
Powered by energy from reader (no internal battery)
Smaller, lighter, less expensive Almost unlimited life Requires higher power from reader

Active vs. Passive

Antenna

Active

Passive

What Advantages Are There For RFID?

Non-Line-of-sight nature Tags can be read through substances - Snow - Fog - Ice - Paint - Crusted grime

What Advantages Are There For RFID? Cont...

Potential tracking of inventory on retail shelves and more efficient re-stocking Automated reading and receipt of goods at dock door More reliable tracking of airline baggage Tracking children in theme parks Many more

How It Works

RF ENERGY FIELD

RECEIVING ANTENNA

TAG 1

TAG 2 TAG 1

TAG 3 TAG 1

What Happens to the Data

SERVER RF ENERGY FIELD CLIENT RECEIVING ANTENNA

TAG 1

TAG 2 TAG 1

TAG 3 TAG 1

History of RFID

DEVELOPED FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRY 20+ YEARS FOR MISSILE-TRACKING AND TELEMETRY SMALLER SIZE AND LOWER COST ALLOWED USE IN 1980S FOR ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES LARGE-SCALE IN EUROPE FOR ANIMAL TAGGING LARGE-SCALE USES IN THE U.S. FOR PARKING/TOLL ROADS

What has Changed over Time?

COST HAS DECREASED DUE TO IMPROVEMENTS IN MICRO-CHIPS AND COMPUTERS SMALLER MIRO-CHIP LINE WIDTH SIZE LOWERS POWER NEEDS AND SIZE OF THE CHIP COMPUTERS ARE FASTER/SMARTER: CAN DO MORE COMPLEX SIGNAL PROCESSING BETTER ANTENNAS ALLOW SMALLER TAGS THAT CAN BE EMBEDDED IN LABELS AND PRODUCTS

What has Changed Recently?

LOWER-COST ANTENNA ON LABELS (PRINTED) HIGHER FREQUENCY

MEANS MORE DATA TRANSMITTED

MULTIPLE TAGS CAN BE READ IN SAME FIELD DIMENSION DEMAND FOR REAL-TIME TRACKING APPLICATIONS TO SUPPORT E-COMMERCE GLOBAL STANDARDS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT

Technical Standards Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

ISO/IEC 15963 Information Technology- AIDC Techniques - RFID for Item Management- Unique Identification of RF Tag and Registration Authority to Manage the Uniqueness
Introduction: ISO/IEC 15963 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information Technology- AIDC Techniques - RFID for Item Management- Unique Identification of RF Tag and Registration Authority to Manage the Uniqueness Part 1: Numbering system Part 2: Registration procedure and management guidance and rules The present standard for unique identification of RFID Tag is defined to insure interoperability between RFID tag. This standard permits addressing three main domains of the RFID system: The traceability of the Integrated Circuit itself for quality control in their manufacturing process The traceability of the RF tag during their manufacturing process and along their life in the applications where they are used Anti-collision of multiple tags in the readers field of view Scope: This International standard ISO/IEC 15963 specifies the numbering system for the identification of RF Tag, the registration procedure and the use of it. The numbering system provides to the automatic data capture application based on RFID tag a means to identify uniquely an RF tag and to determine if the integrated circuit contents the necessary information to perform the application. This number is encoded in the Integrated Circuit of the RFID Tag .

Technical Standards Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 4/SG 3 RFID for Item Management Air Interface (ISO 18000)
ISO 18000-1 - Generic Parameters for Air Interface for Global Interface ISO 18000-2 - Parameters for Air Interface <135 kHz ISO 18000-3 - Parameters for Air Interface at 13.56 MHz ISO 18000-4 - Parameters for Air Interface at 2.45 GHz ISO 18000-5 - Parameters for Air Interface at 5.8 GHz ISO 18000-6 - Parameters for Air Interface at 860-930 MHz* ISO 18000-7 - Parameters for Air Interface at 433.92 MHz**

*Proposed Name Change- UHF **New Proposed Work Item

Frequencies
FREQUENCY BAND LOW CHARACTERISTICS SHORT TO MEDIUM READ RANGE INEXPENSIVE LOW READ SPEED SHORT TO MEDIUM READ RANGE POTENTIALLY INEXPENSIVE MEDIUM READING SPEED LONG READ RANGE HIGH READING SPEED LINE OF SIGHT REQUIRED EXPENSIVE TYPICAL APPLICATIONS ACCESS CONTROL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION INVENTORY CONTROL ACCESS CONTROL SMART CARDS

100-500 KHz

HIGH

10-15MHz 850-950MHZ
ULTRA-HIGH 2.4-5.8 GHZ

RAILROAD CAR MONITORING TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEMS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION

Frequencies

Low
100 KHz to 500 KHz Short reading ranges Lower system costs

Frequencies

High 850 MHz to 950 MHz Long read ranges High reading speeds

Frequencies

Ultra-high 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz

Low Frequency Applications

Security access Animal identification Asset tracking

High Frequency Applications

Smart Cards Access Control

Ultra High Frequency Applications

Railroads Vehicle Identification Transportation

RFID Ranges & Applications -Cont

Frequency Range Less than 135 kHz Applications and Comments Wide range of products and applications: animal tagging, access control, track and trace-ability. Transponder systems operating in this band need not be licensed in many countries Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems used in retail stores

1.95 MHz, 3.25 MHz, 4.75 MHz, 8.2 MHz

Approx. 13 MHz 13.56 MHz

EAS and Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) applications

RFID Ranges & Applications -Cont

Approx. 27 MHz 430-460 MHz 902-916 MHz ISM applications. ISM applications specifically in Europe and Africa. ISM applications specifically in North and South America. In the U.S. there are many types of apps with different priorities: railcar & toll road. Band is divided into narrow and wide band (spread spectrum) sources. In Australia, for transmitters with EIRP less than 1 watt.

918-926 MHz

RFID Ranges & Applications (cont..)

2350 - 2450 MHz An ISM band recognized in most parts of the world. IEEE 802.11 recognizes this band as acceptable for use with RF, spread-spectrum and narrow band systems. This band is allocated for future use. FCC will provide a spectrum allocation of 75 MHz in the 5.855.925 GHz band for Intelligent Transportation Services. In France the TIS system is based on the proposed European pre-standard (preENV) for vehicle to roadside communications communicating with the roadside via microwave beacons operating at 5.8 GHz.

5400 6800 MHz

COMPONENTS OF AN RFID SYSTEM

THE ANTENNA
THIS IS A COIL OF WOUND COPPER WIRE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO EMIT RFID SIGNAL

THE READER
THE UNIT POWERS THE COIL OF WIRE KNOWN AS THE ANTENNA, FILTERS AND POWERS THEM FOR TRANSMISSION OVER DISTANCE

THE INTERFACE
THE UNIT INTERFACES THE READER TO AN INTELLIGENT DEVICE

THE TRANSPONDER (TAG)

A MEMORY DEVICE, USUALLY EEPROM, PROGRAMMED WITH A SERIES OF BITS

TAG COSTS BY APPLICATIONS

Tracked Object~ Asset Values
$100 $90 $80 $70 $60 $50 $40 $30 $20 $10 $0 Train/Trk Car Pallet Box/Case Item/Sku

Typical Interfaces

SERIAL TCP/IP

Handheld Readers
XP1850 XP1875

Network Interface Modules

Multiple interface capability with industrial networks
DeviceNet Profibus Modbus Plus ControlNet EtherNet

Works with wide range of existing equipment - bar code readers, verifiers, sensors and switches

Typical Serial RFID System Setup

Typical Handheld RFID Setup

Server

Hub

ACESS POINT

802.11b

802.11b
PDA

802.11b
PDA

RFID READER
RFID TAG

RFID READER

Antennas
There is a wide range of antennas to cover data capture needs for the entire Supply Chain spectrum.

Manufacturing

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

reader

Manufacturing
Razor

Ford Dell Intl Truck & Engine Harley Davidson DaimlerChrysler Gillette
see article in Jan 13, 2003 Information Week

Computer

Brake Assembly

Component Fabrication & Final Assembly

Windshield

Disc Drive

Seagate Duracell

LOGISTICS
ABC Co. - Shipping and Receiving

reader

reader

Generic

reader

reader

LOGISTICS

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

reader reader
Gen

reader

Gen

Gen

Generic

Gen

reader reader

Gen

reader

Warehousing

reader

reader

reader

reader

Warehousing
Cigarettes Camera

Philip Morris
Print Systems

Wallace Computers Visitor Seating Atlanta Journal

News Print

Seating

Polaroid

Asset Tracking

reader

Retail
Retail City
Gen Gen Gen Gen Gen
Gen Gen Gen Gen Gen Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen
Gen Gen

Gen

Gen

Gen

reader reader

Criteria for Selecting Tag Type

TAG COST TAG READ RANGE - DISTANCE FROM TAG TO READER SINGLE VERSUS MUTIPLE READS DATA REQUIRED

Tag Cost

TAG COST MUST BE IN PROPORTION TO ASSET ie: Should Not Have a $25 tag on a $30 Pallet

Tag Range and Speed

TAG READ RANGE DEPENDS ON ANTENNA POWER LOW COST TAGS TODAY USUALLY HAVE SHORT READ RANGES

Single Tag vs. Multiple Tag Reads (anticollision)

READING MUTIPLE ITEMS IS MORE COMPLEX EXAMPLE: READING MUTIPLE ITEMS (TAGS)
ON A PALLET IN A GROCERY CART IN A LAUNDRY BIN

KEY DECISION: HOW MANY ITEMS NEED TO BE READ IN WHAT TIME FRAME

Tags

Metal Tag
Designed to work with metals Read distances vary with tag and manufacturer Low cost in volume

Security
The tags can be set to have a security bit turned on in reserved memory block on the tag The tags can be used at only certain frequencies The tags have only certain read and write bits on the tag Security to protect the read-write options Password protected

Data Requirements

KEY DECISION: DOES THE DATA RESIDE ON THE TAG OR IN A CENTRAL DATA BASE WITH THE TAG AS A POINTER DATA STANDARDS & DATA ACCURACY How Much?

What Can Go Wrong?

RFID SYSTEMS CAN BE HARD TO DEBUG GOOD RFID ENGINEERS ARE HARD TO FIND UNKOWN RF SOURCES WELDING MACHINES ROTATING ELECTRICAL MACHINERY RF EMISSIONS IN AIRPORTS AND HOSPITALS

Common RFID Strategies

Read only Pass/Fail Presence-senses the tag triggers Read/Write Block Read/Write specific memory allocation Scattered read turn on all readers, can you find? Mixed Read/Write with Read Only

KEY SCANNING ISSUES

ISSUES/PROBLEMS A N T E N N A

TAG

1. 2. 3. 4.

METAL/STEEL DISTANCE SPEED OTHER RFID

RFID CHECKLIST

RFID Checklist

RFID Installations - Checklist

Frequency Memory Temperatures Read Only vs. Read/Write Active vs. Passive Read/Write Range Mounting Methodology Disposable vs. Reusable Tags Line Speeds PLCs or PC Network Type, Connectivity, and Limitations Target Number of TAGS for Pricing Number of Read Stations Required On-site support

Installation Checklist:
Know your application requirements. Know the benefits you expect to achieve. Select experienced integrators. Develop list of environmental concerns: metal, monitor emissions. Train in-house personnel, regardless of data capture experience. Rely on integrator to assist programmers and electricians.

Criteria for selecting a tag supplier and integrator

KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNOLOGY MANY TECHNOLOGIES ABILITIES TO SCALE AND SUPPORT
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

SUPPORT
TECH SUPPORT TRAINING DOCUMENTATION

Questions

Keeping Pace with RFID

Thank you for allowing Lowry to present today.