Radio frequency identification or RFID is identification by radio waves. The technology works with two major components – the RFID reader and the RFID tag. RFID reader emits electromagnetic waves in air. RFID tags reflect these waves back to the reader. That’s how a reader finds the tag. RFID tags come with or without rfid chip. Now this chip has a very important role. A tag without a chip will reflect the waves and help the reader detect the tags but they will not send any identification ID e.g. In shopping malls you can see tags on clothes just to identify if item is going out of the shop premises.
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Type of RFID based on frequency
- LF (Low Frequency RFID): The reader can read tag or the tag can be read within 10cm of range. Reading speed is slow but better then others when dealing with metals and liquid. Low Frequency RFID can be used in machines where we are tracking tubes with liquid samples. In that case metal presence will not affect the tracking like other types.
- HF (High Frequency RFID): The reading range is upto 1 meter here. NFC (Near Field Communication) is the product of high frequency RFID. In hotel room, employee attendance, metro cards are the examples.
- UHF (Ultra High Frequency RFID): Ultra high frequency have massive range can read upto 40 meter and more. Mostly used in warehouses and inventories to track items record.
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Type of RFID based of tags
- Active: Active tags come with a power source so they can emit radio waves. By using active tags and active tag readers we can read upto 100m.
- Passive: Passive tags do not have any power source, they use reader waves to identify themselves. They are available in LF, HF and UHF.
Type of Passive tags
- RFID tags with chip: RFID tags with memory to track the tag identity.
- RFID tags without chip: RFID tags without any memory. With no identification ID. Also know as anti theft tags.
