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References
An Introduction to RFIDRFID is the application used in the tracking devices for cows and dogs. It is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification, and is a term used for the automatic identification of objects or people with the help of radio waves. Though there are numerous modes of identification used in RFID, the most common method is through the storage of serial numbers and other information that help identify a person or object. This information is stored on a microchip which is in turn attached to an antenna. This chip and antenna is called an RFID transponder or tag. Tags with microchips can store unique serial numbers It is the antenna that helps the chip transmit its information to the reader which in turn converts the radio waves in the RFID tag into digital information. This makes it easy to pass the information to computers and thus use them. RFID is a technology that has been in use since the 1970s. However it has always been too expensive and too limited for use in commercial applications. However if there is a means of making tags cheaply enough, it will be helpful in solving most problems associated with bar codes. As radio waves can pass through non-metallic materials, tags can be embedded in packaging or perhaps encased in protective plastic. This makes the tags weather proof, and makes it much more durable. Moreover these tags come with microchips that store unique serial numbers for each and every product that is manufactured in the world. The different applications of RFID Today, RFID is used not only in the tracking of cows and pets, but is also used in triggering equipment in oil wells. The irony here is that its applications are limited only by the imagination of people. Otherwise, it has a whole world of possible use including the common applications like payment systems, access control and asset tracking. More and more retail, CPG and pharma companies are today using RFID for the tracking down of goods in their supply chain. It is also used for tracking work in progress and for numerous other applications like speeding up the inventory count on warehouses. With the help of RFID, it is possible to reduce administrative error, internal theft of an organization, labor costs that were previously involved in scanning bar codes, error in shipping goods and for overall inventory levels. RFID and bar codes have some overlapping applications However, all this does not imply that RFID is better than bar codes as they are two different technologies with different applications, which may overlap. The important difference is that bar codes use line of sight technology where a scanner is used for reading the bar code it is oriented to. With RFID, there is no requirement of line of sight for radio frequency identification; as its tags if within the range of a reader can be read. Moreover, there is a chance of bar code labels getting ripped or soiled with which the item cannot be scanned. It is only because of this that RFID technology is preferred over bar codes. . |