What are the components of RFID?

What is RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)? RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a form of wireless communication that combines the use of electromagnetic coupling or electrostatic coupling in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify objects, animals or people. I have collected some information about RFID from the Internet. You can continue reading to learn more.

This passage is going to talk about the followings of RFID labeling:

1) What are the components of RFID?

2) What are RFID labels and smart labels?

3) RFID Security and Privacy

1) What are the components of RFID?

Every RFID system consists of three components: a scanning antenna, a transceiver, and a transponder. When scanning antennas and transceivers are combined, they are called RFID readers or interrogators. there are two types of RFID readers - fixed readers and mobile readers. an RFID reader is a network-connected device that can be portable or permanently connected. It uses radio waves to send a signal that activates the tag. After activation, the tag sends the wave back to the antenna, where it is converted into data.

The read range of an RFID label depends on a number of factors, including the type of tag, the type of reader, the RFID frequency and the surrounding environment or interference from other RFID labels and readers. Tags with stronger power supplies also have a longer read range.

2) What are RFID labels and smart labels?

RFID labels consist of an integrated circuit (IC), an antenna and a substrate. the part of the RFID label that encodes the identification information is called the RFID inlay.

There are two main types of RFID labels.

Active RFID. active RFID labels have their own power source, usually a battery.

Passive RFID. passive RFID labels receive power from a reading antenna, and the reading antenna's electromagnetic waves induce a current in the RFID label's antenna.

There are also semi-passive RFID labels, which means that the battery is driven by the circuit and the communication is powered by the RFID reader.

Low-power embedded non-volatile memory plays an important role in every RFID system. RFID labels typically contain less than 2,000 KB of data, including a unique identifier/serial number. Tags can be read-only or read-write, where data can be added by the reader or overwrite existing data.

The read range of an RFID label can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the type of tag, the type of reader, the RFID frequency, and the surrounding environment or interference from other RFID labels and readers. Active RFID labels have a longer read range than passive RFID labels, which is attributed to their powerful power source.

Smart tags are simple RFID labels. These tags have an RFID label embedded in a self-adhesive label with a barcode. RFID and barcode readers can also use them. Smart labels can be printed on-demand using desktop printers, where RFID labels require more advanced equipment.

3) RFID Security and Privacy

A common RFID security or privacy concern is that anyone with a compatible reader can read RFID label data. Tags can often be read after items leave the store or supply chain. They can also be read without the user's knowledge using an unauthorized reader and can be associated with a consumer if the tag has a unique serial number. This can be a national security issue or a life or death issue in a military or medical environment where personal or individual privacy is an issue.

Because RFID labels do not have a lot of computing power, they cannot be encrypted, such as might be used in a question-response authentication system. One exception, however, is passport-specific RFID labels-basic access control (BAC). Here, the chip has enough computing power to decode the encrypted token from the reader and thus prove the validity of the reader.

If you have any questions or needs regarding security or our RFID labels you can contact us. We are always here to help you.