RFID has taken the world by storm and is being used in new applications everyday. But to think of using RFID for a particular application it is important to gauge its effectiveness by understanding its working.
The two different technologies of RFID are, Active RFID and Passive RFID, each with their own advantages and uses. The common feature is that they both enable communication between a tag and the reader being used through radio frequency energy. However, each powers the tag in a different manner. While Active RFID would power the tag with the aid of a battery, Passive RFID uses the radio frequency energy transmitted from the reader to power the tag. This necessitates stronger reader signals though the tag would return weaker signals. Active RFID has no such requirements and even the signal from the tag to the reader is stronger due to the use of the battery.
Active RFID can be used in applications where multiple tagged products have to be monitored over larger areas, or scanned at a fast pace as they move through a particular facility. These could include scanning of numerous packages through dock doors or collection of real-time data on inventory in a warehouse. Active RFID tags have a storage capacity of 128 K bytes with a larger range of communication and the capacity to collect data from multiple tags at a very fast pace. Additionally they can power internal real-time clocks to stamp each recorded event with an exact date/time stamp.
Passive RFID can be used for applications like boxes or packed goods moving on a conveyor belt, or fro vehicle identification where vehicles stop or slow down near a reader. Though this is a low-cost option, it has limitations in terms of data storage, though it is the right technology to use where large amounts of data are not required and there is constrained asset movement.
Both Active and Passive RFID can be used for different aspects of the supply chain.
- Post Time: 12-08-15 - By: http://www.rfidang.com