EPC Tag Classification for RFID

Photo: GS1 EPCglobal RFID

RFID uses a numbering scheme called EPC (Electronic Product Code) which can provide unique ID for any physical object. 

Currently, there are 4 classes in GEN2 with different tags and applications:-
Class 1: Identity Tags
Class 2: Higher Functionality Tags
Class 3: Semi-Passive Tags
Class 4: Active Tags 

RFID vs Barcode- pros and cons

This is simple table to compare between RFID and Barcode system but in reality, it is not so straight forward when make a decision to embark into RFID project. 

It even involve human psychology and more than dollars and cents, as there are fear and reservations from team members involve:- 

Fear of losing their job due to RFID technology and 

Reservation due to human are creature of habits and changing from a barcode environment to RFID may need to change users' habit. 

RFID and Gillette

Photo: BBC News

Gillette is one of the first eight companies to work with Wal-Mart on the initial RFID pilot several years ago.

There were many public outcry with websites and even a group calling themselves- CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) was setup to boycott products that are RFID tagged.

It looks like they have learned that RFID technology is used to track these inventory as it moves through the supply chain, rather to spy on consumers because recent visit to the CASPIAN shows that they had not been active from 2005 (year of latest press release).


With RFID, Wal-Mart and their suppliers would have actionable visibility for these fast moving consumer goods from manufacturer to the distribution center, to the retailer stock room, to the shelf on the sales floor of the store.

Wal-Mart and RFID

Walmart had incorporated RFID in its supply chain and retailing system for several years now. With the deadline at the end of October 2005, more than 500 Wal-Mart stores and clubs as well as five distribution centers had been equipped  
There had been concerns that with the implementation of RFID, unemployment rate will rise due to the elimination of cashiers in the store.with RFID with incremental increase in the number of suppliers and stores.


With RFID, Wal-Mart aims to increase the efficiency and simplifies the supply chain system.

 


Photo: TheTruthSource.org

RFID Spectrum Regulation

Globally, there are regulatory bodies to define the frequency ban and spacing, radiated power and spurious emissions etc. As such, a signal to a device in America may turn out to be noise in another device in Europe. Thus, we should take this into consideration when working on RFID projects to be adapted on a global basis.

Country	Frequency Band (MHz)	Power	Technique
North America	902-928	4W EIRP	FHSS 52 channels x 500 kHz
Europe	865-868	100mW ERP 865-865.6 2W ERP 865.6-867.6 0.5W ERP 867.6-858	LBT (listen before talk)
Singapore	866-869 920-925	0.5W ERP Licensed 2W ERP
China	840.5-844.4 920.5-924.5	2W ERP	FHSS (frequency hopping sequence)
India	865-867	4W EIRP

What is RFID?

RFID is short for Radio Frequency IDentificaton.

RFID is able to do what barcode is currently able to do, and more. Firstly, RFID system does not require line of sight to achieve the reading of information and is able to penetrate through most common materials such as paper and plastic. However, it may have limitation on reading through metal and liquid.


In addition, RFID allows serialization with allocation of unique serial number being assigned to every item. RFID also is superior compared to barcode system when it comes to speed and memory size. As such, RFID is able to read at a faster communication speed on the go and able to store data in the tag.


Photo: midnightcomm/Flickr