Frequently Asked Questions
Select a Category or Question
- General RFID Information
- RFID Technology
- RFID Tags
- RFID Readers
- The Cost of RFID Equipment
- RFID Standards
- EPCglobal and Auto-ID Labs
- The Electronic Product Code
- The EPCglobal Network
- Intellectual Property Issues
- Privacy and Data Collection
- RFID in Consumer Products
- Other RFID Issues
- RFID Printer-Encoders
- Vertical Industries
General RFID Information
- What is automatic identification?
- What is RFID?
- Is RFID better than using bar codes?
- Will RFID replace bar codes?
- Is RFID new?
- If RFID has been around so long and is so great, why aren't all companies using it?
- What has prevented RFID from taking off until now?
- In what ways are companies using RFID today?
- What are some of the most common applications for RFID?
- What have the initial benefits of RFID technology been?
RFID Technology
- How does an RFID system work?
- What is the difference between low-, high-, and ultra-high frequencies?
- How do I know which frequency is right for my application?
- Do all countries use the same frequencies?
- I've heard RFID can be used with sensors. Is that true?
RFID Tags
- How much information can an RFID tag store?
- What's the difference between read-only and read-write RFID tags?
- What's the difference between passive and active tags?
- What is the read range for a typical RFID tag?
- What is tag collision?
- What is energy harvesting?
- What is a chipless RFID tag?
- I've heard that RFID doesn't work around metal and water. Does that mean I can't use it to track cans or liquid products?
- Who are the leading RFID tag vendors?
- What are micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)?
RFID Readers
- What is an agile reader?
- What are intelligent and dumb readers?
- What is reader collision?
- What is "dense reader" mode?
- Can Class 1 and Class 0 readers be upgraded to read Gen 2 tags?
- Who are the leading RFID reader vendors?
The Cost of RFID Equipment
- Can I buy a 5-cent RFID tag?
- How much does an RFID tag cost today?
- How much do RFID readers cost today?
- How much does a fully functional RFID system cost?
- How can I get price quotes from vendors?
RFID Standards
- What is the EPCIS standard?
- Are there any standards for RFID?
- Are EPC standards finalized?
- What is EPC Gen 2?
- What is the foundation protocol?
- What's the difference between ISO and EPC?
- What is ISO 18000-6?
- Why is EPC Gen 2 important?
- What is the EPCglobal e-pedigree standard?
- Why is EPCIS important?
EPCglobal and Auto-ID Labs
- What is EPCglobal?
- What is the difference between EPCglobal and EPCglobal US?
- What is the Auto-ID Center?
- What are the Auto-ID Labs?
- What type of research are the Auto-ID Labs doing?
- Is EPC technology just for use on consumer products goods?
The Electronic Product Code
- What is the Electronic Product Code?
- How does the EPC work?
- Why is EPC technology important?
- Will there be just one type of EPC?
- What's the EPC header for?
- How can a company track items using EPCs?
- How do you know what item 1-2345-67890 is?
- How do companies use the EPC data to become more efficient and more profitable?
The EPCglobal Network
- How does a computer act on information about a product?
- How do you avoid having all this data about individual products overload existing networks?
- How do Savants work?
- Why were Savants needed?
- What is the Object Name Service?
- Who will maintain the ONS?
- What is Physical Markup Language?
- What types of data will be stored in the PML file?
- Where will all these PLM files be stored?
- Will my company have to replace our entire bar code infrastructure to take advantage of the Electronic Product Code?
- What can the EPC network do that existing bar code systems can't do?
Intellectual Property Issues
- Who owns the intellectual property created by the Auto-ID Center?
- Does EPCglobal charge fees for the use of EPC technology?
- Is EPC Gen 2 a royalty-free standard?
Privacy and Data Collection
- Will governments be able to use RFID to spy on people?
- In the future, is it possible that a criminal could scan the EPCs on watches, jewelry and other items to choose whom to rob?
- What information is stored on RFID tags?
- Why are companies so keen to use RFID if it is not to gain more information on consumers?
- Are there laws governing the use of RFID?
- What kind of data do companies want to collect?
- What is RFID Journal's position on RFID and privacy?
- Could a criminal build an illegal, high-powered reader and scan all the items in homes to choose which ones to rob?
- Will RFID enable companies to keep track of what consumers buy?
- Can RFID tags be read from satellites?
- From how far away can a typical RFID tag be read?
RFID in Consumer Products
- Can RFID tags in consumer products be deactivated before the customer leaves the store?
- How big are RFID transponders?
- Can tags be reactivated?
- Can RFID tags be hidden in consumer products?
- Are there any consumer benefits to RFID? Or do all the benefits go to the companies that use it?
- Can RFID tags be sewn into clothing?
- Can RFID be embedded in money?
Other RFID Issues
- Are there any health risks associated with RFID and radio waves?
- Will RFID lead to massive layoffs of workers?
- How can RFID improve worker safety?
- How can RFID improve promotional and marketing incentives?
RFID Printer-Encoders
- What is an RFID printer-encoder?
- What are some of the issues companies should consider before purchasing RFID printer-encoders and applicators?
- Is there much difference among RFID label printers in terms of features or functionality?
- Can companies easily upgrade existing, non-RFID-enabled printers or applicators to print or apply RFID labels?
Vertical Industries
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the retail/CPG industry?
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the manufacturing industry?
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the automotive industry?
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the health-care industry?
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the pharmaceutical industry?
- What are some of the RFID applications implemented by companies in the distribution/logistics industry?
