RFID ACTIVE TAGS

Recent developments in technology have allowed us to develop a low cost and highly reliable RFID active tag solution. ActiveWave RFID tags have many advantages over conventional RFID passive tags and RFID active tags.

Advantages Over Passive Tag Solutions:
- Longer Read Range-

RFID Passive tags have read ranges limited to a few feet. ActiveWave RFID tags have a read range of up to 85 meters (~279 feet).
- Larger Data Storage Capacity-Passive tags have limited data storage capacity compared to the ActiveWave RFID active tags.

Data Can Be Sent at Designated Times-

Passive tags send data only when they are in close proximity to the RFID reader. Because of the large read range, ActiveWave RFID tags can send data at pre-designated intervals or at certain locations.

Advantages Over Other RFID Active Tags:
Longer Life- ActiveWave uses the latest technology to achieve reliability and life that rivals other active tags.

Lower Cost- ActiveWave RFID tags uses the latest technology and integration to provide you with a very cost effective tag.

Smaller Size- ActiveWave RFID tags are smaller than Active tags based on older technology.

• 
  Summary of Features:
  Very low cost, read-only tag, for access control
  Compact-size tag for wrist bands
  Standard, long-range, read/write tag
  High-security, long-range, bi-directional, read/write tag
  Available in different sizes, based on the application
  

Read Only vs. Read/Write Tags
ActiveWave offers Read Only and Read/Write RFID tags.

Read Only Tags: The transponders generally provide a fixed factory-set identification code, which is tamperproof, and are known as Read Only (R/O). The unique code, known as a License Plate, enables the tag to be cross-referenced with a database, thereby allowing the tagged item to be closely followed and monitored.

Read/Write Tags: The customer can modify the tag's data. This offers advantages in many applications where the identification code needs to be changed, or where variable data is more important than a unique identity.

Intermec Antenna Cell: RFID Antenna

Intermec, Inc.

With its unique, mostly metal design, the Intermec Antenna Cell is an RFID antenna specifically developed for forklift installations where shock and vibration can far exceed the specifications of antennas designed for fixed RFID reader applications. Complete with mounting hardware, Antenna Cells can be mounted with no drilling, cutting, or welding which enables fast and inexpensive installations for a single forklift or fleet deployments.

With its unique, mostly metal design, the Intermec Antenna Cell is an RFID antenna specifically developed for forklift installations where shock and vibration can far exceed the specifications of antennas designed for fixed RFID reader applications. Complete with mounting hardware, Antenna Cells can be mounted with no drilling, cutting or welding which enables fast and inexpensive installations for a single forklift or fleet deployments. Antenna Cells are available in both FCC and ETSI frequencies.

Antenna Cells leverage another new product, the Adaptable Load Backrest (ALBR), developed in partnership with Cascade Corporation, the world's leader in the design and manufacture of lift truck attachments. The Antenna Cells can be mounted into an ALBR in about a half hour, as opposed to spending a day of field engineering time, and approximately $2500 in expense, to install RFID equipment onto a forklift the "old fashioned" way.

The ALBR neatly and precisely compartmentalizes the Antenna Cells and RFID reader into areas of the load backrest that don't obstruct the operator's vision and are protected from damage. In addition, the ALBR provides built-in Antenna Cell cable routing for protection for vulnerable cables and a professional looking installation.

Antenna Cells mounted into ALBRs are flexible and configurable for quick and inexpensive reconfigurations to support changing application needs such as converting from pallet tag reading to case level reading. This modular approach enables Antenna Cells to be interchangeable for quick replacement of damaged parts lessening slow downs in a busy operation. The ALBR and Antenna Cells not only improve operator performance and safety, they also significantly reduce the time and cost of RFID forklift deployments. With the ALBR and Antenna Cells, the installation of an RFID reader and antennas no longer needs to involve labor-intensive customization of the load backrest or fork truck. Durable, reliable installations of these products should last the life of a typical forklift lease.

Antenna Cells are sold by Intermec Technologies and its distributors and partners. ALBRs are manufactured and sold by Cascade Corporation. They are built to order for specific forklift models.

FX7400 Fixed RFID Reader

Easy to deploy, use, and manage, Motorola’s high performance FX7400 series of fixed RFID readers is ideally suited for global enterprise deployments in space-constrained, customer-facing environments. It boasts a compact design married with a set of highly integrated, enterprise features including: auto-discovery and application-specific set-up for ease of installation; power over Ethernet (POE) to eliminate the need for costly power drops; and advanced features for secure data transmission. This unique combination makes the FX7400 series of RFID readers particularly well-suited for retail inventory and enterprise asset management applications in any environment where performance and a small footprint are important.

Highly integrated features, including PoE, GPIO and management software
Provides a low cost per read point — and a superior TCO

2-port and 4-port reader configurations
Provides application flexibility and optimal investment

Open standards-based architecture:

• EPC standards-based defined reader management
• Auto-discovery
• Flexible firmware upgrade features
• Showcase II management tool

Enables seamless integration with existing IT environments as well as remote and centralized management, while simplifying and reducing the cost of set-up, deployment, testing and management

Next generation reader platform, including dense reader mode support
Best-in-class read rates deliver superior read performance

Microsoft Windows® CE 5.0 direct application hosting; 64 MB RAM/64 MB Flash
Enables easy integration of a wide range of third-party applications to maximize operational efficiency; enables upgrading to meet future requirements; maximizes product lifespan; provides outstanding investment protection

EPC Global LLRP interface support; comprehensive API support—.NET, C, JAVA
Simplifies application development.

Active, Semi-passive and Passive RFID Tags

Active, semi-passive and passive RFID tags are making RFID technology more accessible and prominent in our world. These tags are less expensive to produce, and they can be made small enough to fit on almost any product.

Active and semi-passive RFID tags use internal batteries to power their circuits. An active tag also uses its battery to broadcast radio waves to a reader, whereas a semi-passive tag relies on the reader to supply its power for broadcasting. Because these tags contain more hardware than passive RFID tags, they are more expensive. Active and semi-passive tags are reserved for costly items that are read over greater distances -- they broadcast high frequencies from 850 to 950 MHz that can be read 100 feet or more away. If it is necessary to read the tags from even farther away, additional batteries can boost a tag's range to over 300 feet (100 meters) [source: RFID Journal].

Passive RFID tags rely entirely on the reader as their power source. These tags are read up to 20 feet away, and they have lower production costs, meaning that they can be applied to less expensive merchandise. These tags are manufactured to be disposable, along with the disposable consumer goods on which they are placed. Whereas a railway car would have an active RFID tag, a bottle of shampoo would have a passive tag.

Another factor that influences the cost of RFID tags is data storage. There are three storage types: read-write, read-only and WORM (write once, read many). A read-write tag's data can be added to or overwritten. Read-only tags cannot be added to or overwritten -- they contain only the data that is stored in them when they were made. WORM tags can have additional data (like another serial number) added once, but they cannot be overwritten.

Most pass­ive RFID tags cost between 7 and 20 cents each [source: RFID Journal]. Active and semi-passive tags are more expensive, and RFID manufacturers typically do not quote prices for these tags without first determining their range, ­storage type and quantity. The RFID industry's goal is to get the cost of a passive RFID tag down to 5 cents each once more merchandisers adopt it.

In the next section, we'll learn how this technology could be used to create a global system of RFID tags that link to the Internet. ­