| "body"> | | | | from as far as three feet and are less sensitive to |
| Within the last few years RFID (Radio Frequency | | | | environmental noise than LF tags. HF tag data |
| Identification) has steadily migrated from the inner | | | | transfer rates are slowed by metal and water. Tag |
| circles of science and technology into the public | | | | prices range from $.20 to $.30 U.S. |
| consciousness. RFID is now well-integrated into the | | | | UHF tags are the newest generation of RFID tags. |
| food you eat, the clothes you wear, the car you | | | | They operate at 850-900 MHz and offer extended |
| drive... even what’s in your medicine cabinet. | | | | read ranges of up to 20 feet. UHF tags cost as little |
| What is it? RFID refers to a network of microchip | | | | as $.10 per tag, but they require the most power to |
| transponders, readers and system software that | | | | operate. Like HF tags, UHF data transfer is degraded |
| enables the mainstream exchange of more — | | | | by metal and water. |
| and more specific — data than ever before. | | | | Once again, form follows function. RFID systems can |
| Each RFID transponder, commonly called a tag, is | | | | be designed with any configuration of storage |
| embedded with an integrated circuit (IC) and an | | | | retrieval capacity, power source and frequency, |
| antenna. The IC is encrypted with a unique electronic | | | | depending on the end-user’s performance |
| product code (EPC) that is the equivalent of an | | | | requirements. |
| electronic pedigree, differentiating the tagged item | | | | RFID in the Community |
| from any other in the world. When a tag passes | | | | Wal-Mart was one of the first retail giants to |
| within range of an RFID reader, proprietary | | | | recognize the potential benefits of RFID. Their early |
| information is transmitted through the antenna to the | | | | financial and empirical support has been fundamental |
| reader, which in turn feeds the data to a central | | | | to the evolution of RFID in the retail sector. In 1999 |
| computer for processing. | | | | Wal-Mart partnered with the Auto-ID Center at the |
| RFID technology was originally developed for the | | | | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to |
| military during World War II, and since then it has | | | | refine the technology for commercial applications. |
| expanded into the retail, medical, education, | | | | Laboratory and field-level pilot tests were successful, |
| automotive, defense, fast food and travel industries. | | | | and in 2003 Wal-Mart issued a mandate requiring its |
| RFID has been described as “wireless bar | | | | top 100 suppliers to become RFID compliant by |
| coding”, but in fact, even basic RFID far | | | | January 2005. Although they have since revised their |
| surpasses bar coding capabilities. | | | | compliance timeline, Wal-Mart continues to champion |
| A bar code-based tracking system is limited to gross | | | | RFID as the next generation system of supply chain |
| classification and is labor intensive; items must be | | | | and inventory management. |
| manually scanned one at a time. RFID systems are | | | | The list of commercial interests who have followed |
| self-powered and require no human intervention. | | | | suit and adopted RFID track and trace technology |
| They can simultaneously scan multiple items and | | | | includes: Benetton, Coca Cola, CVS, Federal Express, |
| provide fingerprint-specific information about each. | | | | Gap, The Gillette Company, Home Depot, |
| For example, a bar code simply identifies an item as a | | | | Kohl’s, Marks and Spencer (UK), |
| can of vegetable soup. An RFID tag differentiates | | | | McDonald’s, Metro (Germany), Mobil, Phillip |
| that specific can from every other can of vegetable | | | | Morris, Procter & Gamble, Target and Tesco |
| soup and retains a complete history of its movement | | | | (UK). |
| from point of manufacture to point of purchase. | | | | The retail sector is not the only one to recognize the |
| The Difference is in the Details | | | | potential benefits of RFID. In October 2003 the U.S. |
| To fully appreciate the potential of RFID, we need to | | | | Department of Defense announced their RFID Policy, |
| more closely examine the specifics of the technology. | | | | requiring suppliers to implement passive pallet-level or |
| RFID systems are most commonly differentiated by: | | | | item-level tagging systems by January 2005. |
| • Storage and retrieval capabilities – read | | | | Although RFID is fully operational in some sectors of |
| only orread/write | | | | the DOD, not all of its suppliers were able to meet |
| • Power source – passive or active | | | | the original compliance deadline. According to Alan |
| • Frequency – LF (low frequency), HF | | | | Estevez, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for |
| (high-frequency) or UHF | | | | Supply Chain Integration, the DOD implementation |
| (ultra-high frequency) | | | | timeline has been revised to 2007. |
| Storage and retrieval | | | | In February 2004 the U.S. Food and Drug |
| Read only tags are limited to retrieval of stored data, | | | | Administration’s Counterfeit Drug Task Force |
| such as product lot number or an item description. | | | | released its report “Combating Counterfeit |
| Read only systems can effectively streamline basic | | | | Drugs”. In the report FDA Commissioner Mark |
| production and supply chainoperations. They have | | | | McClellan recommended full-scale implementation of |
| been extensively tested in the retail environment, | | | | RFID technology by 2006. Updates on the FDA |
| specifically for inventory management and anti-theft | | | | initiative can be found at [ |
| monitoring. | | | | RFID is also on deck with the Department of |
| Read/write tags are designed with both read and | | | | Homeland Security. The U.S. State Department |
| write capabilities, which means that each time a | | | | recently published an Electronic Passports proposal, |
| reader retrieves an EPC from a tag, that retrieval | | | | and according to Jim Harper of Privacilla.org, "The |
| becomes part of the EPC’s dynamic history. | | | | State Department intends to start issuing |
| This constant imprinting provides real-time tracking of | | | | RFID-chipped passports, with unencrypted personal |
| a tagged item at any point in its lifespan. | | | | information on the chips, later this year." |
| Current applications of read/write systems include | | | | The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is |
| EZ-Pass toll collection, airport luggage transfer, | | | | moving forward with its plans to incorporate RFID |
| package delivery, wildlife management, child safety | | | | into the monitoring of aircraft traffic and safety. |
| and hospital security. | | | | Looking Ahead |
| Power Source | | | | Worldwide spending on RFID is expected to top $3 |
| In a passive system the RFID reader generates an | | | | billion by 2008, almost triple the market of 2003. The |
| energy field that activates and powers the tag. A | | | | widespread adoption of RFID in diverse industries has |
| passive system is less powerful and somewhat less | | | | made one thing abundantly clear. Frequency |
| dependable than an active system; however, it costs | | | | standards must be established to facilitate the full |
| less to operate and offers adequate functionality for | | | | potential of RFID implementation. |
| many mainstream applications. | | | | EPCGlobal, an international consortium of RFID |
| An active system features batteries embedded in | | | | technology manufacturers and suppliers, has |
| the tags to power the transfer of data between tag | | | | established EPC protocols which they intend to |
| and reader. Active systems are more sophisticated | | | | submit to ISO for acceptance as international |
| than passive systems, offering longer read ranges | | | | standards. |
| and additional features such as temperature sensing | | | | Supporters embrace RFID’s positive impact on |
| and longer operating life. Predictably, they are also | | | | the business bottom line, including reduced labor |
| more costly to operate. | | | | costs, increased supply chain accountability and |
| Frequency | | | | improved product availability to the customer. Some |
| Radio waves behave differently at different | | | | privacy advocates and consumer groups have raised |
| frequencies, and LF, HF and UHF tags each offer | | | | concerns about potential abuses of RFID and erosion |
| unique benefits and limitations. | | | | of personal security. |
| LF tags are the slowest, at 125 KHz. Although they | | | | Like the Internet, RFID enables significant advances |
| have a limited read range— twelve inches or | | | | to our business and personal lives. And like the |
| less— LF tags are better able to penetrate | | | | Internet, it can be misdirected with negative |
| some substances than higher-frequency tags. They | | | | consequences. As with any technology, it is |
| use the least power and are the least expensive tags | | | | incumbent upon each one of us to become educated |
| to use. | | | | and remain involved in the implementation of RFID in |
| HF tags operate at 13.56 MHz. They can be read | | | | our communities. |