We are looking for long-range RFID transponders or GPS devices that can be embedded in watches, clothes, shoes or cars, to help find kidnapped people or stolen cars in Mexico. Do such devices exist? —Julio (San Jose, Calif.) ——— Dear Julio, RFID technology is...
Which is better: An RFID interrogator with four bistatic antennas, or one with eight monostatic antennas? —Name withheld ——— Bistatic antenna systems generally deliver better performance in passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID systems, because they have separate,...
As I understand it, the physical properties of radio frequency identification are not constrained by water. I am thinking about using RFID tags as sensors for flood detection, as well as for monitoring water elevation, flow speed and perhaps water quality. Are there...
I have a retail business—a supermarket. We currently use bar codes at our point of sale, but we have a lot of theft from cashiers and customers. We sell groceries, frozen foods and so forth. From my limited understanding of RFID, it seems as if it would go a long way...
Does any company manufacture an inexpensive radio frequency identification system for reusable coffee mugs that can withstand repeated microwave usage? —Name withheld ——— I've not heard of any RFID tags that can survive placement in a microwave oven, but perhaps one...
Can you please provide some examples of each type of technology? —Mondar, India ——— Dear Mondar, Read-only tags are programmed at the factory with a serial number that can not be changed. This can be useful when you have a high-volume application that involves tagged...
I work at a company that operates major fueling plants. We serve thousands of truck drivers. Switching products is a major safety concern that could lead to an explosion. My question is this: Which RFID system could be used to identify trucks and interface with SAP...
We are a school with a library, and we are considering adopting radio frequency identification. Can you tell me the approximate cost of a simple system for tracking 40,000 books and some audio-visual equipment? —Roberta (Honolulu, Hawaii) ——— Roberta, To answer your...
What is the best RFID hardware and reader currently available on the market? —Name withheld ——— Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer for you, because it depends on what your particular application is, and because we don't do benchmarking. Let me explain. Asking...
What kind of RFID tags and reader antennas are used in passports, and do they comply with EPCglobal's second-generation UHF air-interface protocol? —Name withheld ——— The transponders and readers used in passports operate in the high-frequency (HF) range and are based...
Which commercial radio frequency identification systems provide the highest resolution for use with such technology? —Name withheld ——— Ultra-wideband (UWB) RFID systems offer the highest resolution. These systems can usually pinpoint a tagged item to within about 10...
Can SMBs benefit from radio frequency identification? If so, what are the biggest and easiest RFID applications for such companies to deploy? —Name withheld ——— RFID is an enabling technology, so it is suitable for companies of all sizes—just as the Internet, a decade...