RFID Technology

What is RFID Technology ????

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID technology makes use of electromagnetic waves to capture and read data. The information is electronically stored on a tag that is attached to an object or the carrier. The tags can be detected from several feet away by the receiver.

RFID technology is popularly employed in access control systems to allow entry of authentic and authorized personnel only. 

RFID technology has application in several areas such as:

• Identification of personnel
• Access based security systems
• Parking facilities including gate control
• Tracking of consumer goods 

RFID in Access Control Management System

The most common use of RFID is in access control and door entry systems for personnel. The basic principle upon which RFID tags are employed is the identification badge of the workers of any company or industry. The RFID applications for personnel identification uses normally quite low frequency, almost 140 KHz, for badge detection.

Let’s take a deeper dive to understand how RFID technology works in the access control systems. RFID system is composed of the following main components:

• The RFID Card or Tag

  

  RFID Tag

• The RFID Reader 

  

  RFID Reader

• Card Access Management Software
• Access Control Panel

RFID tags are used in many industries. For example, an RFID tag attached to an 

automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line; RFID-tagged pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses; and implanting RFID microchips in livestock and pets enables positive identification of animals.

RFID Card / Tag

The information of person, object or the carrier is electronically stored in the RFID cards/tags. The RFID card/tag can contain only small piece of information such as identification number, price or code.

RFID Door Reader

The RFID reader has an antenna which sends the radio waves to detect any RFID tag or card within its range. This range can vary for the RFID readers depending upon the frequency of emitted radio waves.The RFID reader decodes the uniquely stored information in the RFID card/tag and sends the signal to the host software.

How Does RFID Works ???

RFID belongs to a group of technologies referred to as Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). AIDC methods automatically identify objects, collect data about them, and enter those data directly into computer systems with little or no human intervention. RFID methods utilize radio waves to accomplish this. At a simple level, RFID systems consist of three components: an RFID tag or smart label, an RFID reader, and an antenna. RFID tags contain an integrated circuit and an antenna, which are used to transmit data to the RFID reader (also called an interrogator). The reader then converts the radio waves to a more usable form of data. Information collected from the tags is then transferred through a communications interface to a host computer system, where the data can be stored in a database and analyzed at a later time.

Two Types of RFID Systems:

·        Active RFID system: These are systems where the tag has its own power source like any external power supply unit or a battery. The only constraint being the life time of the power devices. These systems can be used for larger distances and to track high value goods like vehicles.

·        Passive RFID system: These are systems where the tag gets power through the transfer of power from a reader antenna to the tag antenna. They are used for short range transmission.

What is RFID Reader Technology ???

A radio frequency identification reader (RFID reader) is a device used to gather information from an RFID tag, which is used to track individual objects. Radio waves are used to transfer data from the tag to a reader.

RFID is a technology similar in theory to bar codes. However, the RFID tag does not have to be scanned directly, nor does it require line-of-sight to a reader. The RFID tag it must be within the range of an RFID reader, which ranges from 3 to 300 feet, in order to be read. RFID technology allows several items to be quickly scanned and enables fast identification of a particular product, even when it is surrounded by several other items.

RFID tags have not replaced bar codes because of their cost and the need to individually identify every item.

RFID technology may be used in a variety of applications including:

• Passports
• Smart cards
• Airplane luggage
• Toll booth passes
• Home appliances
• Merchandise tags
• Animal and pet tags
• Automobile key-and-lock
• Monitoring heart patients
• Pallet tracking for inventory
• Telephone and computer networks
• Operation of spacecraft and satellites

RFID technology uses digital data in an RFID tag, which is made up of integrated circuits containing a tiny antenna for transferring information to an RFID transceiver.

How Does RFID Reader Works ???

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