What Is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)?
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to passively identify a tagged object. It is used in several commercial and industrial applications, from tracking items along a supply chain to keeping track of items checked out of a library.
Key Takeaways
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a type of passive wireless technology that allows for tracking or matching of an item or individual.
- The system has two basic parts: tags and readers. The reader gives off radio waves and gets signals back from the RFID tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information.
- The technology has been approved since before the 1970s but has become much more prevalent in recent years due to its usages in things like global supply chain management and pet microchipping.
Understanding Radio Frequency Identification
Radio Frequency Identification is used in conjunction with a microchip, a powered antenna, and a scanner. Although commercial uses for it were first developed in the 1970s, it has become more universally accessible in recent years. With advancements to the technology used to read and store information, it is now more affordable to purchase and adapt.
Radio Frequency Identification works through a small electronic device, usually a microchip, that has information stored on it. These devices are generally quite small, sometimes the size of a grain of rice, and can hold large amounts of data. While they don’t always emit electricity, some can contain a stored power source or batteries. The scanners used to read these devices can also provide enough electricity to allow them to read the microchip. There are many different uses for the technology, but it is commonly used in tracking products, animals, and currency.
RFID tags can be passive, and therefore powered by the reader, or active, and therefore powered by a battery.
Special Considerations
The technology is not without controversy. Due to the nature of how these devices work it is not inconceivable that someone who is not supposed to access the information on the microchips would be able to. There is also concern that personal information may become accessible without consent since these frequencies can be transmitted over larger distances than their more common counterparts, barcodes. Unlike barcodes and barcode readers, one does not need to be able to see the microchip to access the information on it.
RFID Use-Case Example
One of the more common uses of RFID technology is through the microchipping of pets or pet chips. These microchips are implanted by veterinarians and contain information pertaining to the pet including their name, medical records, and contact information for their owners. If a pet goes missing and is turned into a rescue or shelter, the shelter worker scans the animal for a microchip. If the pet has a microchip, the shelter workerwill only be a quick phone call or internet search away from being able to contact the pet’s owners. Pet chips are thought to be more reliable than collars, which can fall off or be removed.
With the rise of accessibility of the technology, most veterinarians and shelters now have the technology to read these microchips. Universal scanners and national databases for storing owner information are also rising in popularity, making it easier than ever for microchipping pets to be a successful way to get lost pets reunited with their owners. One downside of the device is that the records must be kept up to date. The information is only as reliable as what is being imputed by the person setting up the microchip.
FAQs
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology uses radio waves to identify people or objects. There is a device that reads information contained in a wireless device or “tag” from a distance without making any physical contact or requiring a line of sight.
What is RFID and how does it work? ›
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to passively identify a tagged object. It is used in several commercial and industrial applications, from tracking items along a supply chain to keeping track of items checked out of a library.
How do RFID codes work? ›
RFID stands for “Radio Frequency Identification.” It's a form of wireless communication that uses radio waves created through electromagnetic coupling to communicate between devices. Radio waves change in amplitude to communicate between devices and work over both short and long distances.
What is the need of using a radio frequency identification RFID system? ›
You can track items from the time they are received into stores, issued to manufacturing and used in a finished item. This makes it easy to manage inventory, perform stock checks and audits and control 'shrinkage'. RFID can also help to find items that are on site but have been misplaced.
How do RFID tags communicate? ›
RFID tags and readers communicate through the modulation of radio waves. This communication occurs by changing the amplitude of radio waves through Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK).
Can RFID track you? ›
Aside from keeping track of inventory, RFID technology also helps organizations identify people and monitor their location. They can detect people who stray away from their assigned locations and help prevent theft, shoplifting, or other problems.
Are RFID wallets necessary? ›
If you're at low risk, or simply don't use anything that has RFID in it, then you probably don't need RFID protection. For low-risk people that still have cards, passports, or ID you'd prefer to keep under wraps, then investing in some protection could be worth that extra peace of mind to know you're covered.
Is RFID Legal? ›
Many existing privacy laws cover the use of data collected by RFID systems, as well as bar codes and other systems. Some U.S. states have enacted or considered enacting new laws dealing with issues particular to RFID, such as the surreptitious scanning of tags by retailers or those with criminal intent.
Can RFID tags be scanned by a phone? ›
An RFID sled is an RFID scanner with the same capabilities as a handheld UHF RFID reader; however, it's also equipped with Bluetooth technology that can connect the RFID sled to mobile devices such as a smartphone or a tablet. It is used to read RFID tags for asset and inventory tracking.
How does RFID work without power? ›
A passive RFID tag is a batteryless tag typically used in smaller-scale operations and tracking systems. Because a passive tag has no internal power source, it is instead powered by the energy transmitted from an RFID scanner.
FAQs. Can the iPhone read RFID cards? Yes, iPhones have NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities, allowing them to read NFC tags. However, not all RFID frequencies are compatible with iPhones.
What is RFID in simple terms? ›
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology uses radio waves to identify people or objects. There is a device that reads information contained in a wireless device or “tag” from a distance without making any physical contact or requiring a line of sight.
Do credit cards use RFID? ›
It's important to note that just because a credit card has a visible chip - called an EMV chip - doesn't mean it has RFID capability. Though many new credit cards are RFID-enabled, not all of them are. On the other hand, all newly-issued credit cards come with an EMV chip.
How do you detect RFID signals? ›
You can detect the presence of radio waves using a high-performance digital oscilloscope, such as the R&S RTO Oscilloscope from, Rohde & Schwarz, or a spectrum analyzer, such as the ESA-E Series Economy Spectrum Analyzer, from Agilent.
Are RFID tags an invasion of privacy? ›
In conclusion, the development and implementation of RFID technology bring both benefits and risks to the workplace, particularly in terms of employee surveillance and privacy invasion.
Do RFID tags use GPS? ›
RFID tags GPS tracking system for asset tracking is a solution that consists of RFID tags mounted on assets that communicate with a GPS telematics device installed on a truck. Together the two systems compromise one powerful system for all fleet management and monitoring needs.
What actually blocks RFID? ›
Any material that can interfere with electromagnetic fields is able to block RFID. The most common materials used in the manufacture of RFID blocking wallets and bags are carbon fiber, aluminum, and leather. In a pinch, you can just wrap your credit card in tinfoil to protect against skimming attacks.
Is RFID theft a thing? ›
From Wikipedia: "RFID Skimming is a form of digital theft, which enables information from RFID based smart cards to be read and duplicated. It can be used as a form of wireless identity theft or credit card theft among other forms of information theft.
What is the difference between NFC and RFID? ›
The main difference lies in the range of communication. While RFID can be used to receive and transmit radio waves over distances of 100 metres or more (for active tags, equipped with their own battery), NFC is limited to no more than 20 cm in the best cases. In reality, NFC's range is more like 0 to 5 cm.
