RFID Tags

A microchip attached to an antenna that picks up signals from and sends signals to a reader. The RFID Tags contain a unique serial number, but may have other information, such as a customers' account number. Tags come in many forms, such smart labels that are stuck on boxes; smart cards and key-chain wands for paying for things; and a box that you stick on your windshield to enable you to pay tolls without stopping. RFID Tags can be active tags, passive tags and semi-passive tags.

RFID Tags are useful in a variety of applications. There are different types of tags for use with the various radio frequency identification systems. Depending on their intended utilization, the tags and corresponding systems vary in complexity and cost. RFID Tags are allowing government, hospitals, correctional facilities, patron management operations, and many other organizations, track and monitor information for a variety of purposes.  RFID systems consist of an antenna, a transceiver, and a transponder, which is the RF tag.

The RFID Tags can be programmed with different data depending on the circumstance and desired information. Both the tag and the antenna are designed in different shapes and various sizes to accomplish their specialized goals. Also, the antenna and transceiver can be one unit with a decoder, and it is considered a reader. This reader can be handheld, or attached to an object, like a doorframe. The reader can communicate with the passing tags for various reasons.

RFID Tags are available in any shape or size, to track any object. The RFID Tags are part of an identification system that transmits data and information using radio waves. The tags are placed on an item, or object, and then antennas and receivers are used to read the tag. Systems are designed with greater or less sophistication, depending on intentions. The greatest determinant of which system, and the types of components, is cost. The more complex the RFID system, the greater its cost.

The individual components can vary in design. Because this concept uses non-line-of-sight transmission, the number of transceivers, antennae, and the distances apart they can transmit, determines the system's capacity. The RFID Tags are programmed with specific data; the amount varies depending on the type of tag. When the RFID Tags come into the proximity of an antenna, the electromagnetic zone activates the tag. Its information transmits in radio waves by an antenna to the transceiver. Along with a decoder, the transceiver interprets the waves and sends the final data to a central computer.

RFID Tags Serve Many Purposes: Depending on the intended use, RFID systems can vary dramatically. Obviously cost is a significant consideration when choosing the correct system. A more complicated system, such as one with many tags or readers, will cost more. Systems vary on points like the frequency, or type of reader. Frequency ranges are important because that determines how far the radio signal can carry, or how far apart the antenna and tag can be placed. Radio frequency identification devices also vary greatly based on the type of tag used. Whether the tag is classified as active, or passive, determines the type of system, and its potential.

Active tags are more costly because they have the capacity to read and write information. Powered by their own battery, RFID Tags that are active can transmit, modify, and receive information. With a potential memory of up to 1MB, these tags are costly. The less expensive tags are called passive. They are powered by a reader, and are read-only. As evidenced, multiple options for a RFID system are possible. Depending on the available budget and objective, RFID technology can be designed to dramatically improve the organization and function of any business or organization.

RFID Tags Can Track Any Object: The frequency of the radio waves used determines the distance they can travel. The different applications of an identification system will determine its setup, and capacities. The RFID Tags contain a tiny silicon chip, and can be embedded, applied, or attached to anything. The object of the system is to communicate with the tag to identify and track the wearer. This information is stored in the computer and can be referenced, or updated with ease. Common applications of RFID systems exist with the government, in healthcare facilities, in correctional facilities, for patron situations like amusement parks, and more. The radio frequency identification tags can be designed for any of these uses, and the transceivers placed in predetermined locations will maximize the available data. The capacities of radio waves to be read in a variety of conditions make them extremely versatile. Able to pass through any non-metal object, RFID is perfect for high-speed objects, or during times when optical contact with the tag is not possible. Innovative applications of RFID technology will continue to improve multiple industries around the world.

RFID Tags come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Animal tracking tags, inserted beneath the skin, can be as small as a pencil lead in diameter and one-half inch in length. Tags can be screw-shaped to identify trees or wooden items, or credit-card shaped for use in access applications. The anti-theft hard plastic tags attached to merchandise in stores are RFID Tags. In addition, heavy-duty 5- by 4- by 2-inch rectangular transponders used to track intermodal containers or heavy machinery, trucks, and railroad cars for maintenance and tracking applications are RFID Tags.

RFID Tags are categorized as either active or passive. Active RFID Tags are powered by an internal battery and are typically read/write, i.e., tag data can be rewritten and/or modified. An active tag’s memory size varies according to application requirements; some systems operate with up to 1MB of memory. In a typical read/write RFID work-in-process system, a tag might give a machine a set of instructions, and the machine would then report its performance to the tag. This encoded data would then become part of the tagged part’s history. The battery-supplied power of an active tag generally gives it a longer read range. The trade off is greater size, greater cost, and a limited operational life (which may yield a maximum of 10 years, depending upon operating temperatures and battery type).

Passive RFID Tags operate without a separate external power source and obtain operating power generated from the reader. Passive tags are consequently much lighter than active tags, less expensive, and offer a virtually unlimited operational lifetime. The trade off is that they have shorter read ranges than active tags and require a higher-powered reader. Read-only tags are typically passive and are programmed with a unique set of data (usually 32 to 128 bits) that cannot be modified. Read-only tags most often operate as a license plate into a database, in the same way as linear barcodes reference a database containing modifiable product-specific information.