ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.

NITK, SURATHKAL, SRINIVASNAGAR, MANGALORE - 575025

Radio Frequency Identification

WMC Seminar Report
Vijit Singh (07EC73) 9/16/2010

Submitted To: Mr. N S V Shet

Radio Frequency Identification September 16, 2010

INDEX 1. Introduction 1.1 What is RFID? 1.1.1 RFID Tags 1.1.2 RFID Readers 1.2 RFIDs over Barcodes 2. RFID Working Principle 2.1 RFID Frequency Bands & Air Interface Standards 2.2 Memory 2.3 Electronic Product Code 3. RFID Applications 4. Concerns 5. Conclusion 6. List of Tables & Figures 7. Reference 02 02 02 04 04 05 05 06 07 07 08 08 09 10

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Radio Frequency Identification September 16, 2010

1. Introduction
The history of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) can be tracked as far back as the 1920s with the birth of radar systems (the word radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging). The development of the technology, a combination of radar and radio broadcast technology, is messy and convoluted but there is consensus that it developed from the work carried out during WW2 to identify enemy aircraft, known as 'Identification: Friend or Foe' (IFF) systems.

1.1 What is RFID?

An RFID system has two main components: the RF reader (known also as the base station or interrogator) and the RF tag (or transponder). When RFID tags are attached to physical objects they enable those objects to identify themselves to RFID readers through the use of radio frequency communication. Although there are different sorts of tags with different levels of computing capability, the main intelligence resides in the network or application connected to the RFID system. 1.1.1 RFID Tags

There are two main components present in the RFID tag. Firstly, a small silicon chip or integrated circuit which contains a unique identification number (ID). Secondly, an antenna that can send and receive radio waves. These two components can be tiny: the antenna consists of a flat, metallic conductive coil rather than a protruding FM-style aerial, and the chip is potentially less than half a millimeter. These two components are usually attached to a flat plastic tag that can be fixed to a physical item. These tags can be quite small, thin and, increasingly, easily embedded within packaging, plastic cards, tickets, clothing labels, pallets and books. Figure1. A HF Tag RFID tags come in a variety of different types according to their functionality, and these types have been defined in an RFID Class Structure by the Auto-ID Center (and later through EPC global), which has been subsequently refined and built on. The basic structure defines five classes in ascending order as follows:

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Class 1 2

Class Layer Name

Identity Tags Higher Functionality Tags

Functionality
Purely passive, identification tags Purely passive, identification + some additional functionality (e.g. read/write memory) Addition of on-board battery power Communication with other active tags Able to provide power for and communicate with other tags i.e. can act as a reader, transmitting and receiving radio waves

3 4 5

Semi-Passive Tags Active 'ad hoc' Tags Reader Tags

Table1. Tag Classes Note: These classes are not unique since different organizations define them differently. Due to this reason, another class of tag was developed which could work in any frequency band between 860 950 MHz. This passive tag class is known as class1gen2 and is globally accepted. Tags can be further classified as active, passive and battery assisted tags.

Figure2. Active, Passive and Battery Assisted Tags

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1.1.2 RFID Readers

The reader can either be a handheld device or fixed unit that can interrogate nearby RFID tags using radio frequency (RF) communication. Handheld devices resemble the pricing guns or barcode scanners used in supermarkets, but readers can also be fixed in place (e.g. in doorways or at vehicle toll gateways) and even hidden, e.g. embedded into ceilings or walls. There are also readers that can be incorporated into handheld devices such as PDAs and mobile phones (e.g. Nokia 5140, Nokia 3220, figure3) Figure3. Nokia 3220 phone There are two main classes of RFID readers: i) Read-only: These readers operate with the purely passive EPC Class 1 tags. ii) Read/write: These readers can write new information back to a tag that has been equipped with a read/write memory. The readers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, acting as gateways into the network centric communication systems of modern enterprises by supporting communication protocols such as TCP/IP and network technologies such as DHCP, UDP/IP and Ethernet or 802.11x.

1.2 RFIDs over Barcodes

Barcodes Need a line of sight to scan RFIDs Only need to be in the electricmagnetic field Quality not much a concern, once applied after verification Can work under harsh environments such as dirty, dusty, greasy, high temperature, humidity etc. Both read & write options available Multiple reads @ a time

Quality of print and condition of barcode need to be good Working environmental conditions Read option only Single read @ a time

Table2. Barcodes vs RFID

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2. RFID Working Principle

There are two types of RFID system, each using different physical properties to enable communication between the reader and the tag. The physics employed can become complex, but it is important to realize that it partly determines the operating range of the systems. RFID systems based on LF and HF frequencies make use of near field communication and the physical property of inductive coupling from a magnetic field. The reader creates a magnetic field between the reader and the tag and this induces an electric current in the tags antenna, which is used to power the integrated circuit and obtain the ID. The ID is communicated back to the reader by varying the load on the antennas coil which changes the current drawn on the readers communication coil. RFID systems based on UHF and higher frequencies use far field communication and the physical property of backscattering or 'reflected' power. Far field communication is based on electric radio waves: the reader sends a continuous base signal frequency that is reflected back by the tags antenna. During the process, the tag encodes the signal to be reflected with the information from the tag (the ID) using a technique called modulation (i.e. shifting the amplitude or phase of the waves returned).

2.1 RFID Frequency Bands & Air Interface Standards

Frequency Band LF 100 KHz - 500 KHz 125 KHz, 134 KHz Characteristic Short to medium read range, low reading speed, inexpensive, good penetration in obscuring materials Short to medium reading range, medium reading speed, potentially inexpensive, moderate penetration in obscuring materials Long read range, high reading speed, expensive Medium read range, relatively expensive, moderate penetration in obscuring materials Table3. RFID Frequency Bands Application Animal tracking, access control, car immobilizer, inventory control

HF 10 MHz - 15 MHz 13.56 MHz

Access control, pallet & carton identification, smart cards

UHF 860 MHz - 950 MHz Microwave 2.4 GHz - 5.8 GHz

Railroad car monitoring, toll collection systems Carton & pallet identification

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Country/Region India Europe USA Korea Singapore Japan

Frequency Band Allotted Allowable Power Level 865 - 867 MHz 4 W ERP 865.6 867.6 MHz 2 W EIRP 902 - 928 MHz 4 W EIRP 908.5 - 914 MHz 4 W EIRP 866 - 869 MHz 0.5 W ERP 952 - 954 MHz 0.5 W ERP Table4. RFID in different countries Specification Generic parameters for air interfaces for globally accepted frequencies Air interface below 135 KHz Air interface for 13.56 MHz Air interface for 2.45 GHz Air interface for 5.8 GHz Air interface for 860 MHz 950 MHz Air interface for 433.92 MHz Table5. RFID Standards

Standard 18000-1 18000-2 18000-3 18000-4 18000-5 18000-6 18000-7

2.2 Memory
Tags come in a variety of forms with varying types of on-chip memory capability. Tags can be read-only (the unique ID code is permanently stored on the tag also known as WORM: Write Once Read Many), read/write (allowing a user to change the ID and add additional data to the tags memory), or they can be a combination, with a permanent tag ID and some storage space for the user's data. Passive tags typically have anywhere from 64 bits to 1 kilobyte of nonvolatile memory. Active tags tend to have larger memories with a range of, typically, between 16 bytes and 128 kilobytes.

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2.3 Electronic Product Code

Electronic Product Code is the unique code number that is embedded into the RFID tags memory. It is a generic, universal numbering scheme for physical objects, similar in scope to the barcode numbering scheme (UPC). However, there is one fundamental difference Figure4. Electronic Product Code between the EPC and the UPC: the EPC has the capability to identify every single, individual product item. Whereas the barcode on a tin of baked beans will provide a codification for the manufacturer and the product (e.g. a 12 Oz tin of beans), it does not provide for identifying a particular tin of beans. The AutoID Centers numbering system provides much greater scope for identification than barcodes, and consists of a 96-bit number (figure4).

3. RFID Applications
RFIDs have found their application in almost every sphere of life. In India, this technology is still young and struggling. Some of its application areas can be listed as below. Supply Chain Management Warehouse Management Pharmaceutical Counterfeit Detection Animal Tracking Asset Tracking (Container Yard) Automatic Vehicle Identification / Tracking Airline Baggage Tracking Hospital / Health Care Services Management Library Management Access Control Document Tracking Much More

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4. Concerns
The introduction of RFID tags, particularly into the consumer supply chain, has not been without controversy. Most of the concerns stem from the fact that once individuals move around in a world of widespread tagging, the products they buy, wear and consume will be capable of being identified and recorded by a widespread network of readers. Such information could provide a great deal of intelligence on a person, their habits, likes and dislikes and movements. In essence this is an aspect of a persons individuality and the right to privacy should be paramount. The argument is that by mining the data about the position and movement of 'things' one can obtain information about people, forming knowledge from 'the collection of diverse data from everyday life.

5. Conclusion
RFID has the potential to be a hugely significant technology within the ubicomp (ubiquitous) vision. However, the benefits of a pervasive computing environment are unlikely to be realized unless the technology can be trusted. Where that trust does not yet exist, or is likely to be undermined by problems that may arise as the consequence of ill-considered or malicious implementation of parts of the technological 'jigsaw', the ubicomp vision will also be negatively affected.

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6. List of Tables & Figures

Serial No. 1 2 3 4 5 Table Tag classes Barcodes vs RFIDs RFID Frequency Bands RFID in different countries RFID Standards Figure RFID Tag Nokia 3220 phone Active, Passive and Battery Assisted Tags Electronic Product Code -

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7. References
1. Matt Ward (Department of Design Goldsmiths College, University of London) and Rob van Kranenburg (Resonance Design/Virtual Platform), RFID: Frequency, standards, adoption and innovation, JISC Technology and Standards Watch, May 2006 2. RFID Basics for Pre Sales Team, copyright 2009, Barcode India Limited.

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