Understanding Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) – Part II

R. Moroz Ltd., a Canadian Bar Coding and RFID technology provider and systems integrator, will be hosting, in association with the Town of Markham, Canadian Transportation and Logistics magazine, Texas Instruments (TI) and Philips Electronics, the 1st Canadian RFID conference.

The event takes place on April 28th in Markham.

In the meantime, R. Moroz and Canadian Transportation & Logistics have put together a series of articles to help you better understand this emerging technology. This week we take a close look at low frequency or passive RFID.

PART 2: LOW FREQUENCY (LF) PASSIVE RFID

Passive LF RFID has been in use for some time. The most common frequencies used for LF are 125 and 134.2 kHz.

One of the key features of LF RFID is that it is not as affected by surrounding metals. This makes it ideal for identifying metal items such as vehicles, equipment, tools and metal containers. The reading range can vary from a few centimeters to a couple of meters depending on the size of the transponders and the reader being used.

Transponders come in various form factors, from glass transponders, to wedge, to disks of different sizes. Other form factors are cards and cylindrical. These various form factors allow for the transponder to be embedded into most materials, except for metal. Other form factors such as keyfobs can also be customized.

LF RFID also penetrates most materials, such as water and body tissue. The limitations are that if used in industrial environments, electric motors may interfere with the LF system.

The LF transponders, due to the size of the antenna required, are more expensive than HF transponders. This limits this frequency to applications were the transponders will be re-used.

The following are some of the benefits and limitations of LF RFID:

– Penetrates most materials well including water and body tissue, which makes it ideal for animal identification.
– Tags can easily be embedded into most items such as pallets, keyfobs, cards etc., except metal.
– LF could be affected by electrical noise that may be generated by motors in an industrial environment.
– Relatively low data transfer rate (70ms for read command), the lower the frequency the slower the communication.
– Transponders are more expensive (they can range from: $2.00 – $17.00 CDN)
– Most LF systems can only read one transponder at a time and do not support simultaneous reading of multiple transponders.
– Read ranges are from a few centimeters to a couple of meters, depending on the size of the transponders.
– Frequency is used worldwide. There are no restrictions.

Currently most access control systems are based on LF, contact-less cards or keyfob for security. A read-only card can be used simply as identification or a read-write card can be used to maintain access or security information.

The largest user for LF RFID is the automotive industry. Currently all car immobilizers (key) use a LF transponder embedded into a car key with a reader mounted in the ignition.

In Canada, the success story of Esso and their Speedpass system, clearly exemplifies how this technology is being used to broaden or heighten brand awareness or customer loyalty program. In this case, a TI glass transponder is embedded into a keyfob. To maintain a high level of security, all transponders are programmed with an encrypted number, which is validated as soon as the transponder is presented to the gas pump. Following the validation at the pump, communication is established with Esso’s accounting system. At that point, Esso’s accounting system validates the customer’s account, prior to activating the gas pump. The customer will then be charged for all purchases and Esso will automatically update its customer loyalty program.

Numerous automotive manufacturers use LF RFID for work-in-process. Being able to insert a transponder into a pallet or product gives the manufacturer the reliability required and also allows for the product to be identified and used throughout the manufacturing process.

LF is also used for animal identification, from endangered species, to pets, to live stock. Currently, cattle are identified with a bar coded ear tag. This form of identification is unreliable and is not robust enough for the environment. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency is mandating that all cattle must be identified with an RFID ear tag starting January 1, 2005. The standards being adopted are ISO 11784 & 11785, which have been in use in Europe for quite some time.

Check back every Friday for more articles. Future articles will include details on High Frequency (HF) Passive RFID; Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Passive RFID; RFID Standards; and RFID Systems Implementation.

For even more information on RFID, seminars and the 1st Canadian RFID Conference, you can visit www.rfidcanada.com or click on the RFID conference button on ctl.ca.

R. Moroz Ltd. has been in the automatic identification data capture (AIDC) industry for more than 18 years and over the last year, R. Moroz Ltd. has been involved in implementing over 40 RFID systems worldwide. As part of its marketing and educational processes, R. Moroz Ltd. regularly hosts educational seminars and works with post-secondary institutions to create a level of knowledge for students which will enable them to utilize this knowledge once they enter the work force.