66 |MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC| JUN 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
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R&D^
EXAMINING TECHNOLOGY AND PUTTING IT TO USET
he UPC (Universal Product Code) revo-
lutionized inventory management.
Wave a scanner in front of a bar-coded
item and details about it can be displayed
instantly. RFID (Radio Frequency Identifica-
tion) performs a similar function; however,
it can not only store exponentially more
data than a UPC but also be updated with
new information.
An RFID system has three components: a
microchip for storing data, an integrated antenna
(the chip and antenna are collectively known as
an RFID transponder or RFID tag), and a reader
that retrieves the information stored on the
microchip over a wireless connection.
The reader converts the radio waves
reflected back from the RFID tag on the
unlicensed 2.4GHz frequency band, us-
ing a protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4
standard (the same standard ZigBee home-
automation technology is based on). This
digital information can then be passed from
the reader to a computer.
Most RFID tags are passive, meaning
they have no onboard power. They become
operable only in the presence of a reader,
drawing power from the RF energy field the
reader creates while it’s within range. Since
they don’t require batteries, passive tagscan be extremely small and have a nearly
unlimited lifespan. They’re also extremely
inexpensive, costing less than 10 cents each
when purchased in lots of a million.
An active RFID tag is bat-
tery powered and therefore
off ers considerably more
range. These devices can be
activated by a low-level radio
frequency and generate a
high-level signal in response.
Active RFID tags are used in
the transponders that commuters install in
their vehicles to automatically pay bridge
fares and turnpike tolls as they pass through
a tollbooth.
Both versions of the technology are
being used for asset and inventory tracking,
automated payment systems, military and
commercial container shipments, retail shelf
stocking, automobile and building locks,
and much more. Proponents see a future in
which you’ll go to the gym, flash a tag, and
automatically engage in a personalized,
fully guided exercise regimen. Soon, RFID
may be in your credit cards and embed-
ded in your cash, too. And the technology
isn’t reserved merely for inanimate objects.
There’s a good chance you’ve eaten a steakfrom a steer whose life path from the ranch
to the meat-packing plant was tracked by an
RFID tag attached to its ear.
Unlike a barcode, the data stored inside anRFID tag can be rewritten, and the chips inside
the tag can store as much as 2KB of data—a
staggering amount of information compared
to the 10B to 20B that a barcode can harbor.WE’RE READING YOU READING US
The consumer-research fi rm Mediamark Re-
search and Intelligence (MRI) is experimenting
with RFID to measure how long readers linger
on the pages of a magazine. Since it would be
impossible to embed a tag in every page of
every magazine, MRI is using electromagnetic
sensors and patches paired with conductive
ink on the covers and key pages of a sampling
of magazines. The magazines are then inserted
into semi-rigid plastic jackets, with active RFIDs
attached to the rear covers. The magazinesRFID: modern marvel or an easy way for Big Brother to keep tabs on us? —GORD GOBLE
Radio Frequency
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Identification
IMAGINE HOW MUCH
ADVERTISERS WOULD PAY
FOR ADS THAT COULD BE AIMED
SPECIFICALLY AT YOU....Inventory Tracking via RFID
HOW IT WORKSIn a retail inventory management system, RFID tags placed in or on the merchandise are picked up by stationary or handheld readers. Details about the
goods are then transferred via router to a database running on a central server.RFID tagFixed
readerRFID tag
Handheld
readerRouter
Server DatabaseIn a retail inventory management system, RFID tags placed in or on the merchandise are picked up by stationary or handheld readers. Details about the
goods are then transferred via router to a database running on a central server.Handheld