RFID Radio Frequency IDentification

PREPARED BY:
G.Gopinath Reddy
13113025
 What is RFID?

RFID stands for Radio-Frequency IDentification. The acronym refers to

small electronic devices that consist of a small chip and an antenna.
The chip typically is capable of carrying 2,000 bytes of data or less.
The RFID device serves the same purpose as a bar code or a magnetic
strip on the back of a credit card or ATM card; it provides a unique
identifier for that object. And, just as a bar code or magnetic strip must
be scanned to get the information, the RFID device must be scanned
to retrieve the identifying information.
 RFID tags: Smart labels
A paper label
with RFID inside

an antenna,
printed, etched
or stamped ...

on a substrate
and a chip
e.g. a plastic
attached to it
foil ...
 RFID BLOCK DIAGRAM

Antenna

Power Supply
Memory
Control Logic Cells
Tx Modulator (Finite State
machine)

Rx
Demodulator

Tag Integrated Circuit (IC)

 RFID Works Better Than Barcodes

RFID device does not need to be positioned precisely relative to the

scanner.
credit cards and ATM cards must be swiped through a special reader.
RFID devices will work within a few feet (up to 20 feet for high-frequency
devices) of the scanner.
eg. , you could just put all of your groceries or purchases in a bag, and
set the bag on the scanner. It would be able to query all of the RFID devices
and total your purchase immediately.
 How RFID Works

A Radio-Frequency IDentification system has three parts:

A scanning antenna
A decoder to interpret data
A transponder with an RFID tag that has been programmed with
information/chip
 Scanning Antenna

The scanning antenna puts out radio-frequency signals in a relatively short range.
The RF radiation does two things:
It provides a means of communicating with the transponder (CHIP) (the RFID
tag) AND
It provides the RFID tag with the energy to communicate (in the case of passive
RFID tags).
This is an absolutely key part of the technology; RFID tags do not need to contain
batteries, and can therefore remain usable for very long periods of time (maybe
decades).
 Types of RFID

The RFID tag may be of one of two types.

Active RFID tags have their own power source; the advantage of these
tags is that the reader can be much farther away and still get the signal.
Even though some of these devices are built to have up to a 10 year life
span, they have limited life spans.
Passive RFID tags, however, do not require batteries, and can be much
smaller and have a virtually unlimited life span.
 RFID system components
SIGNAL
RECEIVING
PRODUCT END OR
ethernet
OR SIGNAL COMPUTER
SENDING
END

Ethernet
RFID
Reader

RFID Tag RF Antenna Network Workstation

 Advantages over bar code

RFID tags can be read in a wide variety of circumstances, where barcodes

or other optically read technologies are useless.
The tag need not be on the surface of the object (and is therefore not
subject to wear)
The read time is typically less than 100 milliseconds
Large numbers of tags can be read at once rather than item by item.
 Some RFID tags

Carton,facial product,slippers,coat
 Reader->Tag power transfer

If a reader transmits Pr watts, how much power Pt does the tag

receive at a separation distance d?

A: It depends-
UHF (915MHz) : Far field propagation : Pt 1/d2
HF (13.56MHz) : Inductive coupling : Pt 1/d6
 Implications

Since Pt 1/d2 , doubling read range requires 4X the transmitter power.

Larger antennas can help, but at the expense of larger physical size
because G{t,r} Area.
More advanced CMOS process technology will help by reducing Pt.

At large distances, reader sensitivity limitations dominate.

 What can RFID be used for?

Animal tracking tags, inserted beneath the skin, can be rice-sized

eg
RFID devices have been used for years to identify dogs, for a means of
permanent identification. Dog owners had long used tattoos, permanent
ink markings, typically on the ears. However, these can fade with age and it
may be difficult to get the animal to sit still while you examine him for
markings.
 Some more applications
Manufacturing and Processing
Inventory and production process monitoring
Warehouse order fulfillment
Retail
Inventory control and customer insight
Auto checkout with reverse logistics
Security
Access control
Counterfeiting and Theft control/prevention
Location Tracking
Traffic movement control and parking management
Wildlife/Livestock monitoring and tracking
 Smart groceries

Add an RFID tag to all

items in the grocery.

As the cart leaves the

store, it passes
through an RFID
transceiver./scanner

The cart is rung up in

seconds.
 Smart cabinet
Reader antennas placed under each
shelf

Designated individuals are

notified regarding items that
need attention (cabinet and
shelf location, action required)
Server/Database is updated to
reflect items disposition
Smart Cabinet periodically
interrogates to assess
inventory and no need of
manual counting things.
Tagged item is removed from
or placed in
Smart Cabinet
 Smart fridge/refrigerator

Recognizes whats been put in it

Recognizes when things are removed
Creates automatic shopping lists
Shows you the recipes that most closely match to what is available
Smart groceries enhanced

Active tags

Track products
through their
entire lifetime
 Is RFID Technology Secure and Private?

Anyone with an appropriately equipped scanner and close access to the RFID
device can activate it and read its contents.
Eg. Obviously, some concerns are greater than others. If someone walks by your
bag of books from the bookstore with a 13.56 Mhz "sniffer" with an RF field that
will activate the RFID devices in the books you bought, that person can get a
complete list of what you just bought. That's certainly an invasion of your privacy,
but it could be worse.
Eg. Another scenario involves a military situation in which the other side scans
vehicles going by, looking for tags that are associated with items that only high-
ranking officers can have, and targeting accordingly.
 Problems of RFID

RFID Reader Collision

Reader collision occurs when the signals from two or more readers overlap.
The tag is unable to respond to simultaneous queries. Systems must be
carefully set up to avoid this problem; many systems use an anti-collision
protocol (also called a singulation protocol. Anti-collision protocols enable
the tags to take turns in transmitting to a reader.
 RFID Tag Collision

Tag collision occurs when many tags are present in a small area; but since
the read time is very fast, it is easier for vendors to develop systems that
ensure that tags respond one at a time.
Security, privacy and ethics problems with RFID

RFID tags are difficult to remove

RFID tags are difficult to for consumers to remove; some are very small
(less than a half-millimeter square, and as thin as a sheet of paper) - others
may be hidden or embedded inside a product where consumers cannot see
them. New technologies allow RFID tags to be "printed" right on a product
and may not be removable at all
The contents of an RFID tag can be read even after the item leaves the
supply chain
 References:
http://www.epcglobalinc.com/
http://www.rfidjournal.com/
http://rfidprivacy.com/
http://www.rfidinc.com/
http://www.buyrfid.com/
Thank You