Is radio frequency identification being used in maintenance, repair and overhaul applications? —Name withheld ——— In 2006, ABI Research, of Oyster Bay, N.Y., predicted that the market for RFID in the aerospace and defense industries would reach $2 billion in 2011, and...
Author Jill Konrath has a lot to teach all of us—even if what she’s saying isn’t groundbreaking.
We are looking for machinery to apply radio frequency identification button tags at high speed onto a reel-fed print substrate. —Name withheld ——— I am unaware that such equipment exists. I reached out to a couple of companies that make RFID tag assembly equipment,...
If an RFID transponder is embedded in ABS plastic 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) thick, can it be read from a distance of one foot? —Name withheld ——— Plastics of all kinds, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), are generally RF-friendly. Thus, embedding a...
The U.S. Department of Defense is ahead of most private companies in using RFID technology, but the civilian government is lagging behind.
What would be the current price for the chips with antennas, in quantities of up to 100,000 pieces? —Name withheld ——— I reached out to NXP Semiconductors, one of the leading providers of ISO 14443 chips. The company indicated the price varies, depending on the type...
I would like to test various passive RFID tags, and I need an inexpensive encoder. Can I use any encoder, or will certain models work only with specific tags? Are there sources for refurbished encoders? —Name withheld ——— RFID tags and readers/encoders employ specific...
What obstacles would businesses face in trying to promote radio frequency identification in that country? —Name withheld ——— I think the biggest challenge is the same in any industry, and in any country—and that is overcoming resistance to change. Change is risky:...
Do you know of any suppliers of this type of technology? —Name withheld ——— The term "chipless RFID" is not clearly defined, so I'm unsure exactly what you are referring to. Kovio has developed a method of printing silicon chips (see Kovio Unveils Printed-Silicon HF...
Is it possible to use radio frequency identification in this manner? —Name withheld ——— I assume you are referring to a notebook PC. There has been some research conducted into the possibility of employing RFID to lock electronic equipment so that it won't work unless...
We are a provider of IT assets, and are often asked for an asset-tracking solution. In our research, it seems passive RFID solutions require you to find the best tag for a specific asset, but the provider usually makes tags and nothing else. As result, we have to...
Is radio frequency identification useful for increasing the flow of information as a product is moved from a supplier to a customer? —Name withheld ——— Yes, it is—assuming that partners are willing to share data. EPCglobal has developed standards not just for...