How to Assess the Feasibility of RFID Technology
RFID tags emit electromagnetic waves to power a microchip inside them, and the reader then interprets those signals. Using this technology, people can easily identify and locate items.
This helps improve efficiency and productivity in many different fields. For example, healthcare workers can easily verify whether someone has washed their hands by scanning a tag on a person’s wristband.
Cost
A key aspect of assessing the RFID Tag feasibility of RFID technology is to work out what the fixed and recurring costs will be. Fixed costs will include the cost of equipment and software and the cost of tags, printer ribbons or RFID inlays that are affixed to an item. Recurring costs will include the cost of ongoing maintenance or software licensing and renewals.
The least expensive RFID tags are similar in size to a sticky label and can be purchased for just a few cents. Depending on the required RFID chip capabilities, memory size and durability to survive flames, impact, freezing, direct sun or chemicals, tag prices may go up to several dollars. Some RFID tags have a special form factor, such as those with built-in cable tie or tamper protection, keyfob or other features.
In addition to their standard data storage, some RFID tags have a sensor, such as for temperature or light. This enables them to communicate with other devices and systems, such as wireless LAN. This capability can reduce inventory tracking times from days to hours, improve accuracy and enhance security by enabling real-time alerts when assets are moved to unauthorized locations or outside a building. For example, a museum can track art or cultural items and immediately update its records when a piece is loaned out or moves to another display space.
Read Range
The read range of an RFID tag is a key factor to consider when choosing a tag for an application. However, it’s important to understand that relying on this information alone could direct you toward tags that aren’t suited for your needs. A tag’s spec sheet provides only one piece of the picture; other factors such as environmental, material and mounting conditions can affect readability in ways that can’t be replicated in a lab.
Passive RFID tags do not have their own power source but instead use backscatter reflection techniques to transmit data from the tag to the reader. This allows them to be used on a variety of surfaces and is generally more affordable than active RFID tags.
When it comes to RFID read range, linear polarization tags perform best when oriented perpendicularly to the antennas and facing them whenever possible. Circular polarization tags can be oriented in any direction, but their read range is less than that of linear polarization.
Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and rain can impact the performance of an RFID tag. Additionally, existing equipment or machinery that operates at the same frequency as an RFID tag can interfere with readability.
Antenna Polarity
The antenna polarity of an RFID tag determines the direction it radiates its energy, which influences the signal’s strength and how it interacts with other radio waves. A RFID tag’s polarity must match that of the reader in order to ensure maximum read range.
Antenna polarity can be either linear or circular. Linear polarization is when the electric field vector stays parallel to a reference plane as it travels through space, while circular polarization is when the components of an electric field are 90 degrees out of phase with each other and can be either right-handed or left-handed.
Circular polarization is also sometimes referred to as elliptical polarization. This occurs when the two linearly polarized components of an electric field are equal in magnitude but one component leads the other by 90 degrees.
Slant polarization is a variation of linear polarization, and occurs when the electric field oscillates at a 45-degree angle to a horizontal or vertical reference plane. Slant polarized signals can be received by any type of linearly polarized receiver, including JEM Engineering’s handheld RFID products, but are often better suited to receive horizontally or vertically polarized signals.
Choosing the right antenna polarity for an RFID system can help reduce interference, resulting in increased performance and lower costs. However, even when antenna polarity is aligned perfectly with a reader, there may be some initial cross-polarization leakage between the antenna and the tag that can result in unwanted interference.
Cable Length
As the cost and availability of asset tracking tools continues to reduce, many business are realising the importance of digitising their physical assets. This has led to a surge in the implementation of RFID, with asset-heavy businesses reaping the benefits of automating their processes.
RFID works by using radio waves to communicate with an RFID reader and transmit an ID, which is stored on a microchip embedded in the tag. Tags can then be tracked and monitored to understand when they’re moved, used, or even stolen.
There are two main types of RFID tags, passive and active. Passive RFID tags are powered by an electromagnetic field emitted by a stationary or mobile RFID reader, which Newbega RFID Card activates the tag’s antenna to release a signal to be read. The frequency of the RFID tag must match that of the reader to be able to function. There are low-frequency, high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) RFID tags standardized for each application.
Cable length is an important consideration when choosing the right RFID tag for your application. Typically, the longer the cable, the farther the range between the RFID reader and the tag. It’s also important to consider how the tag is fixed, and that it’s located within a minimum distance of other tags (this depends on the type of RFID reader you are using). Another thing to keep in mind is that some RFID tag read ranges are negatively affected by moisture or metal, and there are different types of tags that are optimized for use near metal.