Jan 17, 2011By my count, there are 27 different types of radio frequency identification technology, hybrid systems that combine RFID and something else, and alternative systems that can be used to identify and track objects. The good news is there are many options, but the bad news is that sorting through these systems to discern which is best suited to your particular application and environment can be challenging.
Last week, we announced the publication of a new report, "How to Choose the Right RFID System: A Step-by-Step Guide," which aims to take the mystery—and the time and labor—out of trying to figure out which RFID system is right for a company's specific applications (see RFID Journal Offers Guide to Choosing the Right RFID System).
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I first conceived of the idea for the guide after talking to end users who often asked me what type of RFID they should utilize to track containers, tools or mobile equipment. I would ask them a series of questions regarding what they wanted to track, over what distance, to within how many feet or inches, and so forth. I would also ask them about the size of the items they wanted to monitor, the materials involved and the environment in which they wished to track those goods.
As I received more calls like this, I realized that we needed to put together a step-by-step guide that could help all of our readers determine the type of RFID technology they required. The end result is "How to Choose the Right RFID System."
The report is broken down into nine sections. Part 1 explains the major types of RFID systems available. Here, we generally discuss passive, active and battery-assisted technology, what those terms mean and how they differ, thus setting the context for the rest of the document.
Parts 3 to Part 8 explain the various radio frequency identification technologies in more depth. For example, under Part 4, "The Different Types of Active RFID Systems," we explain the differences between active tags that employ the ISO 18000-7 standard; proprietary systems operating at 433 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.45 GHz; Rubee; ultra-wideband (UWB); Wi-Fi; and ZigBee. The characteristics of each are outlined, and we also provide information regarding read distance, location accuracy, air-interface protocol standards, strengths and weakness, and common applications.
Part 9 explains alternatives to RFID, including infrared and ultrasound. There are also three appendices covering the components of an RFID system, common applications of the technology and a list of vendors, broken down by the type of technology each offers. So if after going through the step-by-step guide, you determine that a passive real-time location system (RTLS) is what you need, you can read more about that type of solution and then locate vendors offering a passive system.
We are selling this report through the RFID Journal Store, as well as offering it for free to anyone who purchases an All-Access Conference Pass to RFID Journal LIVE! 2011, being held on Apr. 12-14, 2011, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. (Early-registration discounts for the conference will expire on Jan. 21, so if you plan to attend, be sure to register before that date in order to take advantage of the greatest savings.)
It is my hope that this step-by-step guide will demystify some of the differences between the various RFID technologies available, and that it will make it easier for end users to find the best solution and have the best outcome for their particular RFID projects. I welcome your feedback so that we can improve the report.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark's opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog or the Editor's Note archive.
