RFID Implementation
Laying out the basics of RFID technology components, standards, and regulations, this comprehensive guide explains the steps necessary to execute a successful RFID rollout.
TABLE OF CONTENTS RFID Implementation
Part I: The Basics
Chapter List
- Chapter 1: RFID Physics, Standards, and Regulations
- Chapter 2: The EPCglobal Network
- Chapter 3: Components of an RFID System
- Chapter 4: Bar Codes and RFID Tags
Too many RFID systems are installed based on "one-size-fits-all" starter kits and trial-and-error project methodologies. These two approaches ignore the physics and distinctive characteristics of the radio waves that govern how well the systems will work in practice. The result is predictable: tag-read rates are low and the systems perform ineffectually. This chapter describes the science behind your RFID system, the underlying mechanics on which all RFID systems are built. It then goes on to explain the standards and regulations that enable systems built by different manufacturers to work together.
1.1 RFID Physics
A wave is a disturbance that carries energy from one place to another. Radio waves are created when electrons are passed through a conductor, like an electrical wire. The current creates a magnetic field. Fluctuations in the current produce changes in the magnetic field, creating waves of electromagnetic energy. These are called electromagnetic (EM) waves.
There are many types of EM waves you encounter other than radio waves, such as microwaves, gamma waves, x-rays, and light. EM waves oscillate, or vibrate. Radio waves are low-frequency electromagnetic waves, which means they oscillate more slowly, and their wavelengths are longer than other types of EM waves. Radio waves share many characteristics with other EM waves, but they differ from light and microwaves in important ways.
Radio waves and light...
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2007 under license agreement with Books24x7
