RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION

DESCRIPTION:   This is copied from the educational information section of Frontline Magazine's web page( http://www.frontlinemagazine.com ) and was so good, I didn't see the sence in rewording it.  Their web page has news, articles, white papers, case studies, and good descriptions like this:

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is basically a form of labeling where electronic labels (or “tags”) are programmed with unique information and attached to objects that need to be identified or tracked, such as pallets, vehicles, automated guided vehicles, animals, etc.

Some RFID systems are read-only, while others let readers add new information or change existing information on the tag itself (see “Read-only and read/write systems” below). All RFID systems have noncontact readability ranging from less than 1 inch to 100 feet or more, useful in rugged environments where contact or near-contact readers could be damaged or misaligned. Systems commonly use 128 bits or less memory, but some operate with up to 1M memory. Larger sizes will be forthcoming.

RF tags allow greater placement flexibility than bar code labels and require virtually no maintenance. RFID has no line-of-sight requirements and cannot be erased by strong magnetic fields. The systems are extremely accurate. Calculated error rates are as low as one in 100 trillion. Dirt, paint and other opaque substances do not affect the tags’ readability. RFID also allows “on-the-fly” identification tagged objects do not need to stop. Non-metallic objects can come between the reader and electronic labels without response interference. Metal, however, affects all RF systems. Some RFID technologies do function much more successfully than others in highly metallic environments.

RFID tags can be used on people, places, things and animals. Currently, the most popular applications are for transportation (vehicle and container ID), toll booth collection, security (access control), automated manufacturing and animal tagging. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) use tags in the floor to guide them. Other uses include automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS), tool identification, personnel monitoring, package and baggage sorting, vehicle monitoring and pallet identification.

Tags come in a wide variety of designs and price points suited to the application. Implantable tags for animals are the size of a grain of rice, while large tags incorporating greater battery power for long-range communications (even Global Positioning System tie-ins) are the size of a cellular phone. Tags also come in active (with battery) or passive (where the power comes from the interrogating/reading transmitter) types.

Another choice is among high, medium or low frequency. High-frequency tags can transfer data faster and can have a longer range than low frequency. Low-frequency systems experience less environmental interference and are omnidirectionally readable. A new class of RFID technology, which its developers call "real-time locating systems (RTLS)," can locate objects by searching with radio signals, in addition to providing object identification.

Read-only and read/write systems

Data in read-only tags is preprogrammed and cannot be altered in the field. Like many bar code systems, the ID numbers contained in the tags gain significance when correlated to a database. Once an item is identified, a computer can instruct a machine what action to perform on the item. In contrast, read/write systems can read and change or add information to the tags as they pass.

In a read/write information system, the part's tag would give the machine instructions. After work is completed, the machine could report its actual performance to the tag, where it becomes the part's history. Thus, it relieves the memory and processing duties of central controllers or host computers.

Whether read-only or read/write, radio frequency identification systems add a new dimension to automatic identification by providing solid solutions to the environmental challenges alternative systems have been unable to meet.

http://www.advancedbarcodesystems.com/absp05.html  This page is done by consultants that design systems without promoting a particular brand of products.  All the big three U.S. auto companies have used them.  There are good descriptions, pictures, and case studies at this site.  They boast of zero-defect factory automation.

http://www.cwt.vt.edu/faq/rfid.htm  has a cute demo and easy to understand overview.  Unuseral applications are included.

http://rapidttp.com/transponder has news, editorials, general descriptions, patent information, papers, books, and a search engine.  Under applications used to test efficiency of postal services.  Range from1.5 meters to30 meters and reads letters in the mail bags.  Also at this site information on the lack of campatibility between Europe and US in this area.  In Europe they use 420 to 460 kHz in freguency.  Above 900 is for cell phones there.  In the US we use 902-928 for the RFID.  The problem is discussed and possible solutions presented.  An interesting social slant is that Europeans may have reservations about health issues with electrical fields created by radio frequency use and only low power use is permitted.  Said there was a similar concern with Microwaves and their use was prohibited at first in some areas.  The South Africans have a technology that will make European import tags readable to US, but they still could not read ours.  This is called EcoTag

From http://www.llnl.gov/ipandc/op96/10/10t-rad.html  I got some application information, robots can take inventory of the warehouse, tags have maintenance history on machinery or vehicles, toll bridges and roads, get information on traffic conditions and velocity of vehicles, truckors don't have to be stopped for weighing, badges locate and ID people, and ID and keep track of casino chips.

http://206.128.186.135/magazine/adc/rfid/default.html has links, articles, case studies such as Thompson Consumer Electronics for production of TV tubes and found that tags can withstand surges of 160,000 volts.  A big issue covered was the lack of international standards.  Tags are thought to be expensive, but some are actually disposable labels used in tracking airline baggage or parcels, but these have limited abilities.

http://www.airnglobal.org/technologies/rfid/ is a trade association for RFID and has books, news, information, education.  Have site of the month, was a system used by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to track Salmon.  The fish are detected and information recorded automatically with devices at collection facilities at the hydroelectric dams on Columbia and Snake Rivers.

http://www.ettrn.com has information on the easy-pass toll system used in Florida, New York, New Jersey, California, and other places, (Dallas soon?)

http://home.att.net/~randall.j.jackson/rfid.htm on microchips and your pets

http://wi.pennwellnet.com/home/home.cfm  is a site for a wireless technology website that has alot of topics covered that we have discussed.  They said the military is going to be using RFID in addition to its barcode system as it will greatly increased the efficiency of battlefield distribution of goods, material, equipment, (I guess because the sand and dirt would not be a problem).

From http://www.airnglobal.org/europe the european trade association, (better than the US site), they have some interesting applications, healthcare, food supply chain, waste collection asset management, bus system and railroad (passenger) system.  In case studies FORD's Essex plant is spotlighted for automated manufacturing.  Has helped them do 2000 engines per day.  Another study told of a university library system in NY that uses RFID to keep track of books.  Another of airports use.  Waco TX uses to weigh garbage trucks before dumping in a landfill and no more lines.  With railroad cars the readers are in the stations and along the track.

http://www.intermec.com/about/99news/060799a.htm for integration with SAP system providing real-time tracking of materials and goods through the supply chain to the customer, update information on the labels, and hands free rapid scanning.  It is called Intellitag 500.  Tags can be rewritted over 100,000 times at extended rante at rates of oer 50 tags per second.

http://www.frost.com/verity/press/electronics_semiconductors/pr551211.htm has information on interesting applications related to sports.  Skiers have tags worn to get on the lift quickly with no wait. In the Boston Marithon they put the tiny rice sized ones in the runners laces to see which feet crossed the finish line first.

Thats all I have this time.