RFID - Radio Frequency IDentification
Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, is an identification technology which uses electromagnetic waves for the remote detection of items which carry TAGs, or radiofrequency transponders.
Compared to optical identification systems, RFID has the added benefit of being able to identify several items at once, at distances from a few cm to several metres. What’s more, unlike barcode, QR code and DataMatrix systems, RFID is able to identify the product even when it is inside a box. In fact, the reader does not have to be pointing at the tag; the object only has to pass within range of the antennas to be detected, while with optic systems the 2D scanner/reader has to “see” the barcode.
RFID acts at the start of the data chain, acquiring data with specific technical features and thus unique potentials; this technology is thus the enabler of IoT infrastructure and the spark for the interconnection of people, objects, services and processes.
RFID therefore becomes a bridge between the physical and digital worlds, able to influence data’s entire lifecycle, including not just its acquisition but also its integration, analysis and evolution into information, ending with its use by the final user or consumer.
RFID consists of a set of hardware and software solutions which enable automatic (hands-free), instantaneous data acquisition and exchange. The system can provide precise tracking of all phases of procurement, ingoing and outgoing goods or product flows, picking, logistics and all retail operations.
There are various types of RFID products:
- Passive UHF – EPC – ISO18000-6
- Active UHF
- Passive HF – ISO15693 – ISO14443
- NFC
- Bluetooth Low Energy
