The Myths of LF vs. HF

Here is an example: Let's say an automation project requires 500 interrogators and 10,000 tags meeting the ISO 15693 standards. Will the tags carry EEPROM chips complying with ISO 15693? Yes. Once the readers are installed, can the end user then go out and find replacements that operate identically to those initially installed? No. If the tags are initiated with a proprietary bit scheme prior to delivery, can they be made to be a single-source item (proprietary)? Yes. And yet, the whole system conforms to the ISO 15693 standard. Sounds like a crock to me.

Not that I don't appreciate hardware that complies with RFID standards. I do—and I sell a lot of it. It's just that in some instances, HF is chosen over LF due to the ISO standards, when in fact, they are anything but interchangeable, and this should not always be a basis for decision-making. The choice of LF versus HF is about having the right product for the application, as well as ROI and the bottom line. Without the right product, there is no ROI. And without ROI, there is no point in continuing.

The decision to move forward with ISO-standard-compliant product is normally based on a mitigation of risk—when, in fact, the lie will not be uncovered until it is too late, when the RFID manufacturer obsolesces the product, thereby stranding the end user with an ugly date named reality. There are ways to mitigate risk contractually, which include ensuring the product is ISO-standard-compliant, as well as placing the technology IP into escrow should, for whatever reason, the manufacturer not be capable of offering (or willing to provide) future support.

In summary, I hope this article educates and sets the record straight. LF RFID is not yesterday's product—it can outperform HF, depending upon the application requirements. It is not to be left out of the decision-making process due to risk mitigation, and it is equal in price to—and can be less expensive than—HF. At the same time, HF has its own distinct advantages, including larger tag memory; it is certainly closer to true standards, has driven the general growth of the RFID market and supplies solutions to markets previously unavailable, and it can also be less expensive, depending upon the application.

James E. Heurich, the president and co-owner of RFID Inc., based in Aurora, Colo., is a 20-year veteran in the RFID industry. Tutorials and in-depth application photos can be found at the company's Web site.