What are intelligent and dumb readers?
These terms are not precise, but many people use “intelligent reader” to describe one that has the ability not just to run different protocols, but also to filter data and even run applications. Essentially, it is a computer that communicates with the tags. A “dumb” reader, by contrast, is a simple device that might read only one type of tag using one frequency and one protocol. This type typically has very little computing power, so it can’t filter reads, store tag data and so on.

What is reader collision?
One problem encountered with RFID is that the signal from one reader can interfere with the signal from another where coverage overlaps. This is called reader collision. One way to avoid the problem is to use a technique called time division multiple access, or TDMA. In simple terms, the readers are instructed to read at different times, rather than both trying to read at the same time. This ensures that they don’t interfere with each other. But it also means any RFID tag in an area where two readers overlap will be read twice. So the system has to be set up so that if one reader reads a tag, another reader does not read it again.

What is “dense reader” mode?
This is a mode of operation that prevents readers from interfering with one another when many are used in close proximity to one another. Readers hop between channels within a certain frequency spectrum (in the United States, they can hop between 902 MHz and 928 MHz) and may be required to listen for a signal before using a channel. If they “hear” another reader using that channel, they go to another channel to avoid interfering with the reader on that channel.

What is the difference between low-, high-, and ultra-high frequencies?
Just as your radio tunes in to different frequencies to hear different channels, RFID tags and readers have to be tuned to the same frequency to communicate. RFID systems use many different frequencies, but generally the most common are low-frequency (around 125 KHz), high-frequency (13.56 MHz) and ultra-high-frequency or UHF (860-960 MHz). Microwave (2.45 GHz) is also used in some applications. Radio waves behave differently at different frequencies, so you have to choose the right frequency for the right application.

How do I know which frequency is right for my application?
Different frequencies have different characteristics that make them more useful for different applications. For instance, low-frequency tags use less power and are better able to penetrate non-metallic substances. They are ideal for scanning objects with high-water content, such as fruit, but their read range is limited to less than a foot (0.33 meter). High-frequency tags work better on objects made of metal and can work around goods with high water content. They have a maximum read range of about three feet (1 meter). UHF frequencies typically offer better range and can transfer data faster than low- and high-frequencies. But they use more power and are less likely to pass through materials. And because they tend to be more “directed,” they require a clear path between the tag and reader. UHF tags might be better for scanning boxes of goods as they pass through a dock door into a warehouse. It is best to work with a knowledgeable consultant, integrator or vendor that can help you choose the right frequency for your application.

Do all countries use the same frequencies?
No. Different countries have allotted different parts of the radio spectrum for RFID, so no single technology optimally satisfies all the requirements of existing and potential markets. The industry has worked diligently to standardize three main RF bands: low frequency (LF), 125 to 134 kHz; high frequency (HF), 13.56 MHz; and ultrahigh frequency (UHF), 860 to 960 MHz. Most countries have assigned the 125 or 134 kHz areas of the spectrum for low-frequency systems, and 13.56 MHz is used around the world for high-frequency systems (with a few exceptions), but UHF systems have only been around since the mid-1990s, and countries have not agreed on a single area of the UHF spectrum for RFID. UHF bandwidth across the European Union ranges from 865 to 868 MHz, with interrogators able to transmit at maximum power (2 watts ERP) at the center of that bandwidth (865.6 to 867.6 MHz). RFID UHF bandwidth in North America ranges from 902 to 928 MHz, with readers able to transmit at maximum power (1 watt ERP) for most of that bandwidth. Australia has allotted the 920 to 926 MHz range for UHF RFID technology. And European transmission channels are restricted to a maximum of 200 kHz in bandwidth, versus 500 kHz in North America. China has approved bandwidth in the 840.25 to 844.75 MHz and 920.25 to 924.75 MHz ranges for UHF tags and interrogators used in that country. Until recently, Japan did not allow any UHF spectrum for RFID, but it is looking to open up the 960 MHz area. Many other devices use the UHF spectrum, so it will take years for all governments to agree on a single UHF band for RFID.

RFID can be used with sensors. Is that true ?
Yes. Some companies are combining RFID tags with sensors that detect and record temperature, movement and even radiation. The technology can also be used in the health-care sector. For instance, Belgium’s University Hospital of Ghent has implemented a system that detects when a patient is having cardiac distress, and sends caregivers an alert indicating the patient’s location.

What is RFID?
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. There are several methods of identification, but the most common is to store a serial number that identifies a person or object, and perhaps other information, on a microchip that is attached to an antenna (the chip and the antenna together are called an RFID transponder or an RFID tag). The antenna enables the chip to transmit the identification information to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves reflected back from the RFID tag into digital information that can then be passed on to computers that can make use of it.

Is RFID better than using bar codes?
RFID is not necessarily “better” than bar codes. The two are different technologies and have different applications, which sometimes overlap. The big difference between the two is bar codes are line-of-sight technology. That is, a scanner has to “see” the bar code to read it, which means people usually have to orient the bar code toward a scanner for it to be read. Radio frequency identification, by contrast, doesn’t require line of sight. RFID tags can be read as long as they are within range of a reader. Bar codes have other shortcomings as well. If a label is ripped or soiled or has fallen off, there is no way to scan the item, and standard bar codes identify only the manufacturer and product, not the unique item. The bar code on one milk carton is the same as every other, making it impossible to identify which one might pass its expiration date first.

If RFID has been around so long and is so great, why aren’t all companies using it?
Many companies have invested in RFID to get the advantages it offers. These investments are usually made in closed-loop systems—that is, when a company is tracking goods that never leave its own control. That’s because some existing RFID systems use proprietary technology, which means that if company A puts an RFID tag on a product, it can’t be read by Company B unless they both use the same RFID system from the same vendor. Another reason is the price. If a company tracks assets within its own four walls, it can reuse the tags over and over again, which is cost-effective. But for a system to work in an open supply chain, it has to be cheap because the company that puts the tag on a case or pallet is unlikely to be able to reuse it.

In what ways are companies using RFID today?
Yes. Thousands of companies around the world use RFID today to improve internal efficiencies. Club Car, a maker of golf carts uses RFID to improve efficiency on its production line. Paramount Farms—one of the world’s largest suppliers of pistachios—uses RFID to manage its harvest more efficiently. NYK Logistics uses RFID to improve the throughput of containers at its busy, distribution. And many other companies are using RFID for a wide variety of applications.

What are some of the most common applications for RFID?
RFID is used for everything from tracking cows and pets to triggering equipment down oil wells. It may sound trite, but the applications are limited only by people’s imagination. The most common applications are payment systems (Mobil Speed pass and toll collection systems, for instance), access control and asset tracking. Increasingly, retail/CPG and pharmacy companies are looking to use RFID to track goods within their supply chain, to work in process and for other applications.

What have the initial benefits of RFID technology been?
D technology can deliver benefits in many areas, from tracking work in process to speeding up throughput in a warehouse. Visit RFID Journal’s section to see how companies are using the technology’s potential in manufacturing and other areas. As the technology becomes standardized, it will be used more and more to track goods in the supply chain. The aim is to reduce administrative error, labor costs associated with scanning bar codes, internal theft, errors in shipping goods and overall inventory levels

Tampere, Finland — November 12, 2007 — NP Collection has become the first fashion company in Scandinavia to pilot an RFID-based total supply chain solution.

The pilot started in June 2007 with the aim of improving the efficiency of the company’s supply chain logistics. As NP Collection is in the process of opening its own chain of stores and expanding its global purchasing network, it needed a supply chain administration tool.

The RFID tags are attached to NP’s garments at the manufacturing site to enable tracking and data collection throughout the supply chain. In the first phase of the pilot the garments are RFID-tagged at a manufacturing site in Europe. Starting January 2008, garments manufactured in China will also be tagged, enabling NP Collection to track all its garments with RFID technology.

With RFID technology, NP is able to follow each stage of the supply chain in real time, which can help drive cost savings and increase accuracy both in logistics and manufacturing. The company knows exactly what garments are being manufactured, which are on their way to Finland and which retail shops are expecting shipments.

In addition to tracking the supply chain, NP Collection’s item-level RFID solution covers the receipt and dispatch of goods, inventory management and point-of-sale functions. The company can carry out daily inventory to see what products are on the shelves and which require replenishment. In retail shops, real-time product information can be used to plan shelf space usage before the goods have arrived.

“We’ve been following the development of RFID technology for many years. By this spring we’d become convinced that now is the right time to implement it,” said Risto Rosendahl, managing director of NP Collection. “Thanks to our state-of-the-art RFID solution, the product handling rate has improved tenfold and human error has been eliminated. We expect to reach ROI in six months.”

The RFID supply chain solution used by NP Collection is provided through collaboration between several companies. The integration services are provided by the Finnish companies RDN, Salpomec and Vilant, while logistics functions are supplied by Itella. UPM Raflatac is delivering the RFID tags, which are converted into labels by SML. The readers and antennas are supplied by ADT.

Rakesh Biyani, Director, Pantaloon feels that as India enforces the MRP system, the retailer has very little profit margin. Large retail outlets such as Big Bazaar and Pantaloon have investments in RFID, CCTV and antennas to reduce retail shrinkage. RFIDs in particular are being adopted widely by these retail majors. “If somebody steals goods without paying, it is the public who ends up paying for it. We identify compulsive shoplifters and often catch them three or more times in the same month. We try not to involve the police especially when teenagers are involved. This is where RFIDs are useful in protection of goods,” explains Biyani.

Dharmesh Lamba, Country Head, Checkpoint echoes the sentiments. He points out that India’s organised retail is only 3 percent while 97 percent is unorganised. “India is the second largest growing economy in retail, after China. Around 300 plus shopping malls are coming up in 2006 alone. New products launched globally are now launched simultaneously in India as well,” says Lamba.

In this context it is interesting to see that players like Checkpoint are entering the Indian market with their RFID solutions. John Davies, President, Global Apparel, Checkpoint plans to manufacture RFIDs and CCTV solutions in India. “As the retail segment in India keeps growing exponentially, RFID and other retail security products will play a more prominent role to control and combat retail shrinkage,” says Davies.

However, RFID has its own share of defects. Some RFID tags cannot be detected by the antennas if they are shielded by the hand or the body. A solution suggested is that the RFID label should be integrated in the package or the product itself so the exact location of the RFID tag is not known. Another issue is threat to privacy. RFID can be used to trace customer behaviour or find customer specific information. The tags can be read even if they are kept in the cars or homes of the customer.

Issues notwithstanding, Gibson Vedamani, CEO, Retailer Association of India feels that RFID is responsible for transforming the retail scenario in India from traditional to modern. “The concept of shopping malls is gradually getting accepted not only in large metros but also in small townships. Consumers get a prominent display and open access to products, while RFID protects the retailer by providing product identification and security to prevent retail shrinkage,” he elaborates.

All information on RFID tags can be scanned by RFID Reader at high speed, from a distance of several meters and out of direct line of site. RFID technology is primarily used to track objects in Supply Chain at SKU level using high frequency RFID readers. Basic components of RFID system include:-

• EPC Code ( unique number to identify a specific item)
• Tags ( these can be either sourced from vendors or printed locally using RFID stationery and printer)
• Data stored on Tags ( it can comprise of date of Mfg., Lot no., MRP etc.)
• Readers to identify the tags
• Software and hardware to support collection, management and use of the data

Market Drivers and Needs

• Regulatery requirements that require companies to accurately track product handling information
• Mandates issued by USFDA on implementation of RFID technology on Pharma Industry
• RFID is termed as a way to cut costs to remain competitive and succesful while simultaneously improving product and efficiency
• Hyper-markets expects to save labor cost by implementing RFID technology for billing purposes – bills for various SKUs can be generated automatically using the RFID readers.

Application across industry sectors

• Track individual item anywhere in the supply chain
• Arrest sales loss due to empty shelf
• Improvement on shelf availability
• Counterfeit detection
• Efficient and Fast product recalls
• Theft/Pilferage detection
• Asset and People tracking
• Baggage handling by airlines

Current Market Overview

International

• Hyper markets in US and Europe have started insisting that all supplies to their stores must be with RFID Tags ( Walmart, Metro etc.)
• Walmart has announced its top 100 suppliers must tag their deliveries from Jan’05
• USFDA has advised Pharma companies to implement RFID to fight counterfighting in a phased manner from 2005-2007
• Gillette and P&G have already started trials on using RFID application

Indian Scenario

• Ranbaxy has already tried using RFID Tags on all export SKUs
• Dr. Reddy’s & Pfizer are currently working towards implementation of RFID Tags in coordination with EAN India
• As per sources, a regulation to implement RFID technology across sectors expected to be in place by 2007

Cost

• Tags : Approx. cost of an RFID tag ranges between 20-40 cents. However, cost is arrived based on volume, the amount of data and the packaging requirement.
• Readers : RFID readers and antennas cost aprrox. US$3000/- depending upon the capacity.
• Printers : A good quality RFID tag printer costs approx. US$ 2000/-
• Softwares : Cost depends upon the customer requirements.

Traditional stock control systems, such as barcode and tag label systems are outdated and inadequate for today’s market uses. RFID solutions represent a step forward providing accurate and efficient ways to keep track of the inventories. Nevertheless, most other RFID solutions do not take any measures to safeguard the identity of the operators, allowing the system to be vulnerable to theft. Titanium’s new solution pinpoints this issue and provides a complete solution for the customers.

In late 2003 the local economy began to recover and the Hong Kong retail sector began a steady growth rate. The growth in recent years has been even stronger. In the first eight months of 2007, retail sales value grew 10.6%. Among the retail sectors, luxury items realized one of the fastest growths of 20.2% in the same period.

The company is requiring all suppliers shipping products to its Sam Club’s distribution center in DeSoto to start applying the radio tags to their pallets starting today.

If they don’t, Wal-Mart will charge the suppliers $2 per pallet to do it for them, the company informed them in a letter earlier this month.

“I think everyone recognizes that it’s the future of how products are going to move through the supply chain, and not just at Wal-Mart, but everywhere,” said Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley.

Wal-Mart and radio frequency identification vendors say the new timeline – with additional distribution centers around the country coming online later this year – highlights the fact that the wireless technology is working as intended, cutting down on out-of-stock problems and boosting sales.

And it’s another sign that the Dallas area is one of the major centers of RFID development and implementation.

Dean Frew is president and chief executive of Carrollton-based Xterprise Inc., which helps other companies, including many Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club suppliers, implement RFID systems.

Mr. Frew said the new timeline for shipping RFID-tagged pallets to the Sam’s Club distribution center will definitely help Wal-Mart, although the payoff for the suppliers themselves might be a bit further off.

“There’s clearly a benefit for the suppliers,” he said. “Is it as immediate as they would like to see? No, probably not.

“But you can’t ignore the fact that if they’re able to keep the shelf stocked more efficiently, in the end suppliers are going to benefit as well.”

RFID technology includes a paper-thin tag with a tiny chip and antenna. When in range of a wireless scanner – at a loading dock in a warehouse, for example – the chip is activated and transmits a small burst of data about the product it’s attached to.

The goal is an automatic electronic inventory system that can track when products come in the warehouse, when they get shipped to stores, and, eventually, when they get sold off the shelf.

After the DeSoto distribution center ramps up, suppliers will have to add four more Sam’s Club distribution centers – including one in Dayton, Texas – to their list by the end of October, and then 17 more by the end of January 2009.

The DeSoto facility will also be the first Sam’s Club distribution center in the country where suppliers will be required to tag every case on a pallet (Oct. 31, 2008) and then every single item that makes it on to store shelves (Oct. 31, 2009).

The timelines should remove any confusion that suppliers have about what they need to do, Mr. Simley said.

“A lot of suppliers of Sam’s were asking for some clarity,” he said. “What do you want us to do and when do you want us to do it by?”

Making DeSoto the launching pad for that effort makes sense.

The Dallas area’s reputation as a top spot for RFID technology can be traced to a variety of sources, from technical work done by researchers at Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. to Wal-Mart’s own RFID pilot program, which started in the region.

The area is home to scores of RFID-focused start-up firms, while the Metroplex Technology Business Council is trying to brand the Dallas-Fort Worth region as the “RFID Hub.”

The annual RFID World convention has been held in Grapevine for several years, although the 2008 event is being held in Las Vegas

Source : VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News / January 30, 2008

A lot of people think the RFID chip is all about more Big Brother surveillance. Look at the CCTV around you: clearly that is for surveillance. So what is the microchip for? The microchip is an implantable device (about the size of a grain of sand) that has the ability to read your body’s frequencies, and thus also send frequencies to your body. The plan is to stick you under mind control to do, quite frankly, whatever they want to you. The assumption is that most will be killed and the remaining people will be put into a matrix of sorts. Elitists and eugenicist scientists have justified their enthusiasm by promoting the chip’s ability to create world peace, as people would be controllable and thus not able to create disruption, or even enter certain areas of the world (the chip has GPS-style location tracking).

If you don’t believe the microchip exists, realise Verichip is the company making it. They have a website, VerichipCorp.com, and the company is publicly traded on the stock market. The potential for a $100 billion market has recently led to significant capital investment being put into the operation.

If you’ve heard about microchips for pets being sent abroad, but don’t think there is a plan to implement this in humans, see the Verichip slogan, “RFID for humans”.

If you don’t believe it is possible to read frequencies (and thus send them), read the part on the Verichip site where they boast about it.

If you don’t believe a chip could affect your mind, see this video where a top scientist disgustingly boasts about its ability, and how this is something desirable.

If you think that some radical scientists may be in favour of it, but that doesn’t mean it will be governmental law, look at where we’re going with mandatory ID cards. Then realise that people will lose their ID cards, and thus the system will evolve into un-losable implanted chips. There will be no going back with the ID infrastructure set up.

If you don’t understand the concept of a matrix, realise that it’s basically taking what you perceive as reality and turning it into something else. While right now you see the walls of whatever room you’re in, the matrix would maybe turn it into a jungle, or a prison, or whatever.

If you don’t think that’s possible, I suggest you spend 10 minutes researching some basic mainstream hypnosis and other science. We don’t see stuff with our eyes. All we see with our eyes is frequency waves. Our brains then decode this into what we perceive as reality. This is done with the subconscious mind. Thus, if you can change how the waves are interpreted by the subconscious mind, you can create a matrix as described. This is what the chip does through sending vibration frequencies.

If you don’t think the mind control can work, because people will only get this thing gradually – and thus the people without the chip will notice if everyone goes under mind control and thus complain heavily about it – realise that only once everyone has it will the mind control signals be turned on.

How will the chip be sold to the public?

The populations of the various countries of the world are made up of different people with different needs and opinions. Thus, the following methods will be used to sell it to each of these groups of people.

Trendy people looking to be hip and cool (the average guy in the public) will have it sold to them through celebrity endorsements and television advertisements. If millions of people will buy particular clothes and products to keep in trend with the latest fashions, it will not be hard to sell them a product which allows them to instantly pay for goods at the supermarket without waiting in line. In fact, most people – celebrity-driven or not – will find the concept of swiping your arm by a scanner to pay for stuff very cool. See this IBM advert for proof. That looks pretty sweet to me.

Mothers and Fathers looking to protect their children from kidnappers and paedophiles will be interested in the GPS capabilities of the device. They will be able to check up exactly where their children are. This could even be prompted through an automated e-mail or SMS text message. You can be damn sure that at the time, the media will be running a story about some vicious killer or stalker, adding to the selling point. Question: do tagging devices which you strap to your legs already exist? Yes. But they are awkward and annoying to wear, hence the low take-up. This will be effortless, because it’s implanted in your arm as if it’s not even there. You can’t feel it.

The single biggest demographic to convince will no doubt be the Christians. This is because in the Bible, the “mark of the beast” is talked about, an unspecified device that is placed on everyone’s arm or forehead, that without it you “cannot buy or sell”. There is already a large Christian activist movement on the internet protesting the microchip because they see it as this “mark of the beast”. Considering that the majority of the United States population is a Christian to some degree, how can a majority of people ever accept the chip? Well, this problem has been assessed and thousands of preachers and priests have been recruited to sell the microchip to Christian America. “It’s OK, guys. God said the microchip is cool. He changed his mind since the Bible”, I hear them screaming already. Considering how blindly Christians tend to follow the Bible, and considering how blindly they tend to follow Christian leaders like the Pope (“It’s OK to believe in aliens now”. I’ll get to that later) and even their local priests, I actually think that Christians will be the easiest group of people to sell the microchip too! Rational, logical people will surely have the most questions. (I know I’m being stereotypical here, but you get the point.)

And let’s consider the greatest contributor to the up-take of this thing: democracy! Democracy states that with a 51% vote of confidence, a leader or law can be passed. Thus, if just half the people like this thing (or don’t bother to be politically active against it), the bill will be passed! Once the system is used, America’s infrastructure will change accordingly. Just like you now need a credit card to pay online and in most stores, you will need a microchip to pay via the RFID scanners, which by the way, are being subsidised to many companies.

Also take into account the earlier point about the infrastructure already being set up for ID cards, which will evolve into RFID chips once people start losing their cards.

With all of this said, it is still likely that more people will find this thing scary than useful. If this is the case, there are 2 backup plans, both ridiculously radical, but yet probable (one more than the other) when you look at the evidence.

An economic crisis may be created. With oil at $135 (as of writing), the US dollar at record lows against other major currencies and mainstream talks of a US recession, it is not unlikely that we will see people lining up for soup as seen in the Great Depression (if it was possible to manipulate a depression back then, just after signing the Federal Reserve Act, think of how easy it would be today). With people dependent on food and water to survive, if the chip is needed to make sure you’re a legal citizen or not a terrorist or whatever, you know people will take the chip. People will do anything to survive in a life or death situation. Just see how third world children and those of Iraq are forced into prostitution or humiliation by US troops in return for food. There are plenty of such videos on YouTube, as if this concept of survival really needs to be proven!

Related Article: General information on RFID