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Written By Louis Sirico  Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is changing the way companies do business. Cutting through all the hype, the basic business benefit of RFID technology is improved asset visibility. There is no company in the world that cannot profit from having a more accurate picture of what it has and where it’s located. This is the first in a series of in-depth articles designed to help you implement RFID technology successfully. Our goal is create the definitive resource for manufacturers that want to understand: - what RFID technology is;
- where and why they would use RFID technology,
- and how to implement RFID technology successfully.
If you have any suggestions as to how we can improve, please contact us. RFID Basics for Manufacturers To get started, everyone should have a basic understanding of a RFID system. There are four basic components to every RFID system: |
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Written By Louis Sirico For global supply chain applications, UHF (ultra-High Frequency) RFID/EPC is the standard frequency range used for tracking pallets, cases, and items. We have an entire section dedicated to RFID standards located here: /standards For closed-loop applications such as work-in-progress management (WIP) and asset tracking, there really isn't a standard. The best practice is to use the technology that is best suited for your requirements. That could mean using the same UHF standard designed for supply chain, another RFID technology, or maybe a completely different tracking technology. There are companies that will tell you "UHF RFID does not work well with metal and liquids". Yes, these materials can present challenges, but they can be overcome if you know what you're doing. |
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Written By Louis Sirico Whether I'm on a tradeshow floor, in an airport, or in the middle of a project, people frequently ask for my opinion on RFID training. My advice: Student beware! It's no surprise that RFID training has become a profit center for many companies and is the primary revenue stream of at least a couple start-up companies. There are several conferences a year featuring RFID and advertising for RFID training courses abound on Internet web sites. Numerous initiatives are driving people to learn more about RFID, and the cost of these courses average several thousand dollars. Before you spend that kind of money, here are the important factors to consider when determining what training is appropriate for you. There are certain basic concepts that everyone should understand. Most of these are covered in a beginner level course: |
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Written By Dr. Peter Harrop with an introduction by Dann Anthony Maurno, Editor-in-Chief, IndustryWizards.com It was our pleasure to be a media partner with IDTechEx, and to attend the February 20 and 21 Smart Labels USA summit. What we like about IDTechEx is the quality of the thinking; as one of the world?s premier thinktanks, IDTechEx was there for every step of the EPCGlobal Gen 2 specifications, and brought the most interesting stories to Boston (for example, UHF tagging in retail; the ?MagicMirror?). They also gathered a small, but stellar show floor of exhibitors, including PolyIC of high-speed chip printing, and PPG, makers of that un-rippable Teslin you find in RFID-enabled passports. This article, written by Dr. Peter Harrop, the Chairman of IDTechEx, provides a very interesting perspective on high frequency (HF) RFID. We believe our community will enjoy it. Here's the article: Last year, about $2.5 billion was spent on tags and systems at HF (13.56MHz), ten times the amount on RFID at any other frequency and representing 50% of the global RFID market. Now, IDTechEx tracks a rush of technology innovation and new market opportunities. |
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