Rfid tag read distance. Reducing the risk of kidnapping. TESCO switched to RFID tags

16.01.2014

The abbreviation RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification (translated from English: radio frequency identification). RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Method) is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify objects. It can recognize not only living things, but also inanimate objects, such as vehicles, containers, clothing, and more. Other examples of Auto-ID are bar codes or biometric methods (scanning the retina, using fingerprints), as well as optical character recognition and voice identification.

RFID technology was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. Then the first identification systems had just appeared on the aircraft, which made it possible to recognize and distinguish their air forces from enemy troops. After the end of the war, the technology was no longer commercially successful, but things have changed dramatically in recent years. Transport and logistics companies became interested in it, which brought the standard to new level.

Where is RFID technology used?

RFID based solutions can be used:

In the retail sector: to control the movement of goods between a warehouse and a store, to prevent theft, to facilitate inventory.
In the industry of production and sale of fur products: for the mandatory marking of fur coats and fur products with a control identification mark.
In warehouse and logistics complexes: to track the movement of goods, increase the speed of acceptance and shipment, reduce the influence of the human factor.
In production: to control personnel and transport, to ensure safety and prevent emergency situations, to account for raw materials.
In access control systems and payment systems: for the implementation of contactless automatic access, payment for services using terminals.

Application of RFID technology:

access control applications;
application control and accounting of working time;
vehicle identification;
production automation;
automation of warehouse processing.

How RFID works

The technology is based on the interaction of an RFID tag (RFID tag) and an RFID reader (RFID reader). An RFID tag is a miniature chip that stores a unique tag number and information and has the ability to transmit data to an RFID reader. As soon as the RFID tag enters the range of the RFID reader, the reader records the fact of data transfer, reads the information from the tag and transfers it to the accounting system, which analyzes the data according to predetermined algorithms.

At the same time, there can be a distance of up to 300 meters between the RFID tag and the RFID reader (systems operating at a distance of 5 to 300 meters are classified as long-range identification systems, from 20 cm to 5 m - medium-range identification, up to 20 cm - short-range systems identification).

Benefits of RFID technology

Long reading distance
Label and reader orientation independence
Speed and accuracy of identification
Ability to work through materials that transmit radio waves, no need for line of sight
Ability to read the label from a moving object
Ability to store additional information on the tag and rewrite it
The difficulty of counterfeiting RFID tags
Simultaneous reading of several labels (with anti-collision function)
Environmental resistance, long service life

The RFID system consists of:

RFID Reader;
RFID Tag;
Software.

The reader is engaged in the generation and propagation of electromagnetic waves in the surrounding space. This signal is received by the RFID tag, which creates a feedback signal that is picked up by the antenna of the reader, then the received information is decoded and processed by the electronic unit. An object equipped with an RFID tag is identified using a unique digital code that is stored in the memory of the electronic tag. For example, you can get individual user data or an identification number of a particular product in a matter of seconds.

RFID tags: classification

Source of power

The main classification of RFID tags used is based on the power source - according to it, tags are divided into passive, active and semi-passive.

Passive RFID tags do not have their own power supply and use the energy of the reader's field to operate. Depending on the architecture of the RFID tag and the type of reader, passive tags work only at a short distance - up to 8 meters, but at the same time they are compact and affordable.

It is passive low-frequency RFID tags that we most often see on goods in stores - representatives of the world's leading retail chains are working to increase the compactness of tags and reduce their cost.

Active RFID tags have their own power supply, so they can receive additional functions, work at a greater distance and are less demanding on the reader. Their disadvantages, in comparison with passive tags, include their large size and limited operating time of the power source (although today we are talking about a battery life of up to 10 years), but they are indispensable where a large operating radius is needed (up to 300 meters).

Active RFID tags are rightfully considered more reliable, they can transmit a signal even through water or metal, and they can also be equipped with built-in sensors to assess temperature, humidity, light levels and other environmental parameters. Thus, RFID tags can help track, for example, compliance with the storage conditions for certain categories of goods.

Semi-passive RFID tags work on the same principle as passive tags, but have a battery to power the chip. We can say that such a solution is a compromise in terms of cost, size and characteristics of RFID tags.

Execution

By design, RFID tags can be plastic cards, key fobs, body tags, as well as self-adhesive labels made of paper or thermoplastic. There is also an "invisible" label format, which is actually sewn into the product packaging directly at the production stage.

Memory type

According to the type of memory, RFID tags are divided into those intended only for identification (RO, Read Only), designed to read a block of information (WORM, Write Once Read Many) and rewritable (RW, Read and Write).

RO RFID tags are used solely for identification - the unique identifier data is recorded during the manufacture of the tag, so it is almost impossible to copy it and fake the tag.

WORM RFID tags allow you to record any data once, which can later be read and used many times. This allows the user, upon receipt, to supplement the tag with their own information, which will then be used when reading.

RW RFID tags contain a memory block that allows you to repeatedly write and read information. The ID of the RFID tag remains unchanged.

Operating frequency

The classification of RFID tags by operating frequency is as follows:

LF band marks (125-134 kHz)

They are characterized by affordable prices and certain physical characteristics that allow the use of such RFID tags for animal microchip. These are usually passive systems that operate only over short distances.

HF band tags (13.56 MHz)

RFID tags of this frequency are mainly used for personal identification, in payment systems, for solving simple business tasks (for example, for identifying products in a warehouse). Most RFID systems operating at 13.56 MHz operate in accordance with the ISO 14443 (A/B) standard, which is the standard used, for example, by the Paris public transport fare collection system.

The disadvantages of RFID systems of the described range include the lack of a decent level of security, as well as possible problems with reading at a great distance, in conditions of high humidity, through metal conductors.

UHF band tags (860-960 MHz)

Designed specifically to work with goods in warehouses and logistics systems, RFID tags in this range did not initially have their own unique identifier. It was assumed that the EPC number of the product would be used as it, but this would not allow controlling the authenticity of the tag, so the development of systems based on the UHF band made it possible to improve the system.

At the same time, the features of RFID tags of this range include high range and speed of operation and the presence of anti-collision mechanisms. Today, the cost of RFID tags in the UHF range is minimal, but the price of other equipment for working in the designated range is quite high.

A separate category of UHF RFID tags includes near-field tags. Using the magnetic field of the antenna, they are technically not radio tags and can be read in high humidity and in the presence of metal. Massive use of near-field labels is expected, for example, in the work with pharmaceutical products that need to be authenticated and accounted for.

Varieties of RFID tags

Electronic tags are active and passive. Active identifiers are supplied with their own power supply, the reading range of such devices does not depend on the energy of the reader. Passive tags do not have their own power source, therefore they are powered by the energy of an electromagnetic signal that is distributed by the reader. The identification range of these tags directly depends on the energy emitted by the reader.

Each of these types of devices has its own advantages and disadvantages. Passive tags are good for their long service life, as well as low cost compared to their active counterpart. In addition, passive identification devices do not require battery replacement. The disadvantage of the device is the need to use more powerful readers.

Active identification devices are characterized by a high range of reading information, unlike passive tags, as well as the ability to recognize and read data when the electronic tag moves at high speed relative to the reader. The disadvantage of active tags is the high price and bulkiness.

Types of RFID identifiers depending on the operating frequency:

(HF) High frequency RFID tags operating at 13.56 MHz;
(UHF) Ultra-high frequency RFID tags operating in the 860-960 MHz frequency range. This range is used in Russia, in Europe RFID tags operate in the range of 863-868 MHz.

Methods for writing information to an identifier (tag):

ReadOnly devices - identifiers to which information can be written only once, further change or deletion of information is impossible;
WORM devices are RFID tags that allow you to write and read data once and repeatedly. Initially, no information is stored in the device’s memory, all the necessary data is entered by the user, but after recording, it is impossible to overwrite or delete the information;
R/W devices are identifiers that allow you to repeatedly read and write information. This is the most progressive group of devices, since such tags allow you to overwrite and delete unnecessary information.

RFID technology is widely used in manufacturing, retail, access management and control systems, document forgery protection systems and other fields. It saves time and minimizes the use of manual labor.

Peculiarities

Despite the rather high cost of using RFID systems, their implementation is advisable wherever high level security and rapid identification of objects. In this case, special attention should be paid to the choice of a specific solution, which will depend on many factors:

Distance between RFID tags and readers

Presence of shielding surfaces (e.g. metal)

Need to read data from multiple tags simultaneously (collision protection)

The need for secure execution of labels, hidden placement of labels

High requirements for tag security

Data storage and overwriting

Ease of integration with your infrastructure

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RFID or not RFID? THAT IS THE QUESTION

In this article, we will study the features, as well as the development prospects of the RFID technology that is popular today.

Through the development and implementation automated systems management, the work of modern enterprises has risen to a new level, thanks to the exclusion of the human factor, which until recently was the main weak link in this area. Now the problem regarding the speed and correctness of the collection, input and output of information into the management system in the field of production, trade, transportation, etc. has been completely solved.

Principles RFID technologies(abbreviated RFID) were successfully used already during the Second World War. Then it allowed to automatically identify aircraft (“friend or foe”). In this way, this technology acquired new functions over time, but based on modern approaches. Contactless identification is convenient because it fully complies with the requirements of a computerized control system used to recognize and register objects, including user rights. The system is based on the use of barcodes and on the radio frequency principle (RFID technology), in which special tags are attached to an object, with identification and other information.

Construction and operation does not really seem to be anything special and difficult. Everything is quite simple: the system must have three basic components:

a reader (reader) with which data is collected;
identifier - can be made in the form of a card, label, key fob or tag;
computer is an information system.

The reader creates an electromagnetic field in the surrounding space. The identifier receives the signal emitted from the reader and generates a response signal, which is received by the reader's antenna. The signal is processed by the electronic unit and then sent to the computer via the interface (communication channel) (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. The principle of operation of the RFID system

Reader - this component is equipped with a transceiver and an antenna, with the help of which it sends a signal to the tag and receives a response, as well as a microprocessor for checking and decrypting data. The reader also has memory for storing data, which can be retransmitted if necessary.

Tag (label) - has an integrated circuit and a chip in its design. The scheme allows you to control communication with the antenna and the reader. The chip is equipped with a memory that stores an identification code or other information. Catching a signal from the raider, the tag transfers the data stored in its memory back to the reader. At the same time, direct contact between the tag and the reader is not required for visibility, since the radio signal can easily penetrate various non-metallic materials. This also allows you to hide labels inside objects that are subject to control and identification.

Tags are divided into two types - active and passive. Active ones operate from a built-in or attached battery. They differ in that they provide a large reading range and require little reader power. A passive tag can work without a power source, as it receives energy from the reader's signal. By design, they are lighter and less active, cheaper and have a long service life.

Active and passive tags can be used:

only for reading;
for reading and writing data;
for a one-time data entry by the user.

themselves RFID systems can be classified according to the principle of action: interactive and passive. A simple passive system provides constant radiation from the reader and is suitable as a power source only for the identifier. When the identifier receives the required energy level, it turns on and processes the reader's radiation with its own code, which is subsequently received by the reader. Access control systems, for the most part, work exactly on this principle.

Interactive control systems are required, for example, in the field of logistics. In them, the reader emits modulated oscillations, in other words, forms a request. The label "decrypts" the request and, if necessary, generates a response.

Interactive systems have been designed to be able to work with more than one tag. For example, during the receipt of goods at the warehouse, when it is required to read all the labels located in the package with the goods at once. Under such conditions, it is difficult to do without the anti-collision mechanism (preventing the superposition of radio waves). Thanks to it, it is possible to carry out selective sequential work with several tags located in the same field of the reader. If there is no such mechanism, then the identifier signals will overlap. Thanks to anti-collision, the reader can determine all the tags by serial numbers, and then process them one by one.

Writable identifiers

For access control and pallet counting systems, tags with unique numbers are sufficient. But there are also such tasks when the label must contain additional data reflecting the movement of the technological process. In such cases, rewritable identifiers are used, which are equipped with additional non-volatile memory. Such tags differ in that the information in them is stored even in the absence of power. The amount of memory can vary from bits to kilobytes depending on the tasks.

Frequency bands and standards

RFID systems use identifiers classified by read distance:

Proximity are cards or key fobs that provide identifiers for reading from short distances - from about 10 cm. They are used in access control systems and in some transport applications;
Vicinity are identifiers with an extended reading range (about 1.5 meters). They are used to identify products primarily in logistics applications;

If we consider tags with respect to their operating frequencies, then the main ones are:

125 or 134 kHz - low frequency range
13.56 MHz - midrange
800 MHz - 2.45 GHz - high frequency

The low frequency range is used in most cases in access control systems and for the identification of metal objects and animals.

The most popular is the midrange. It is ideal for transport and other similar applications that require work with rewritable labels. The basic standard in such systems is ISO 14443. It is used by almost all smart cards. For tags used in this range, EPC and ISO 15693 standards are relevant. The latter will be used in the manufacture of rewritable tags with wide functionality. EPC (electronic product code) has a simpler structure and is an electronic analogue of barcodes.

The high-frequency range began to be used not so long ago, but it is interesting because the radiation power in it of passive identifiers reaches a range of up to 4 to 8 meters, which is convenient for warehouse applications. In this range, 2 standards are considered the most common: ISO 18000 and also EPC. It should be noted that the EPC standard, applied both in the mid and high frequency bands, is the most promising, especially for logistics applications.

To overcome the technical challenges associated with developing an international standard in RFID systems, major manufacturers of RFID systems have formed a working group within the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This group is developing international standards for RFID systems for goods management. A special subcommittee, which is part of this working group, is working on labeling goods with bar codes. In general, the RFID Working Group has 4 subgroups: Data Syntax, Application Requirements Profiles, RFID Unique Tag Identification, and Air Interface. All of them are aimed at developing international standards for solving general issues regarding the use of RFID systems, think over the content of the radio frequency tag and its management system and other tasks regarding the communication and operation of the tag and the information reader. The result of the work of these subgroups should lead to the creation of a series of international standards that will solve problems regarding the compatibility of components of RF systems from different manufacturers.

To make it easier to choose RFID systems according to their functionality, the development of standards is carried out for several frequency ranges: below 433 MHz, 13.56 MHz, 860 - 960 MHz, 2.45 GHz and 135 kHz. It is expected that RFID systems based on these frequencies will be able to meet all the needs of their users. The development of international standards is carried out with the approval of national standardization bodies that take part in this process. The International Organization for Standardization provides for six stages of approvals at different levels. To date, the developed projects have overcome the most difficult part of their journey, which allows us to take this as a sign that international standards for RFID systems will be created in the near future.

Features of modern RFID standards are given in Table. one.

Table 1. General characteristics of RFID technology

Currently, the most interesting are the standards of the ISO 18000 series, the main features of which are given in Table. 2.

Table 2. ISO 18000 Series RFID Standards

RFID standard	Name	Main content
ISO 18000-1	Part 1: Definition of parameters to be standardized.	Determining the parameters to be standardized
ISO 18000-2	Part 2: Parameters for air interface communications below 135 kHz	Parameters for contactless communication interface below 135 kHz
ISO 18000-3	Part 3: Parameters for air interface communications at 13.56 MHz	Parameters for contactless communication interface at 13.56 MHz
ISO 18000-4	Part 4: Parameters for air interface communications at 2.45 GHz	Parameters for 2.45 GHz contactless communication interface
ISO 18000-6	Part 6: Parameters for air interface communications at 860-930 MHz	Parameters for contactless communication interface on 860 - 930 MHz
ISO 18000-7	Part 7: Parameters for Active Air Interface Communications at 433 MHz	Parameters for contactless communication interface at 433 MHz

Advantages of RFID technology:

to collect data from the media does not require direct visibility or contact with the reader;
RFID tags provide fast and accurate collection of information;
RFID tags are suitable for use in harsh environments and can be read through paint, dirt, water, steam, wood, plastic, etc.;
passive RFID tags have an unlimited service life;
RFID tags allow you to encode a large amount of information;
RFID tags are hard to fake;
RFID tags can be used not only for reading, but also for writing information.

Applications of RFID technology

For some time, RFID systems cost more than barcode contactless identification systems. After the tags were technologically improved, they began to be used in areas where only a barcode was previously used. However, RF systems still continue to compete with barcode systems not only in terms of functionality, but also in terms of price. It should be noted that it provides solutions for working in poor visibility conditions. The RFID chip acts as a talking barcode that transmits data to the reader. printed bar codes well read by a laser scanner, but for its correct operation, line of sight is required. And with RFID technology, the scanner can decode information from media, even when it is hidden (for example, sewn into clothes or built into the body of the product). At the same time, even a very small label can contain several times more information than a barcode. In addition, RFID tags can be read from various packages or directly from a shopping cart.

The results of the comparative analysis of these two methods of contactless identification are given in Table. 3.

Table 3. Comparative characteristics of two methods of contactless identification

Characteristics	RFID	barcode
Object identification without direct contact	Yes	No
Identification out of view, hidden objects	Yes	No
Data storage over 8Kb	Yes	No
Ability to re-write data and reuse the information store	Yes	No
Identification range over 1m	Yes	No
Simultaneous identification of several objects	Yes	No
Resistance to mechanical impact	Yes	No
Temperature resistance	Yes	No
Chemical resistance	Yes	No
moisture resistance	Yes	No
Security	Yes	No
Identification of moving objects	Yes	No
Durability	Yes	No
Susceptibility to interference in the form of electromagnetic fields	Yes	No
Identification of metal objects	Yes	No
Using handheld terminals for identification	Yes	No
Use of fixed terminals for identification	Yes	No
Automatic recording of information in Non-Stop mode	Yes	No
Approximate cost of 1 label, $	1	0,01
Approximate cost of a stationary card reader, $	64	40
Information capacity	8 KB	100 bytes
Sensitivity to pollution	missing	high
Possibility of label forgery	impossible	light
Multiple simultaneous reading	maybe	impossible
Reading speed	low	high
Maximum reading distance	0.5 m	8 m

Currently, RFID systems are used in a variety of cases where prompt and accurate control, tracking and accounting of numerous movements of various objects is required. Typical applications:

electronic control of access and movement of personnel on the territory of enterprises;
management of production, commodity and customs warehouses (especially large ones), shops, issuance and movement of goods and material assets;
automatic data collection on railways, toll roads, freight stations and terminals;
control, planning and management of traffic, schedule intensity and selection of optimal routes;
public transport: traffic management, fare payment and optimization of passenger flows;
electronic payment systems for all types of transport, including the organization of toll roads, automatic collection of tolls and transit fees, paid parking lots;
security (in combination with other technical means of audio and video monitoring);
protection and signaling on vehicles.

The scope of an RFID system is determined by its frequency (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Dependence of RFID system disadvantages on frequency

Considering the dependencies shown in Fig. 2, RFID systems can be conditionally divided into three groups.

High frequency (850 - 950 MHz and 2.4 - 5 GHz), which are used where long distance and high reading speed are required, such as control of railway cars, cars, waste collection systems. For these purposes, readers are installed on gates or barriers, and the transponder is fixed on the windshield or side window of the car. The long range makes it possible to safely install readers out of reach of people.
Intermediate frequency (10 - 15 MHz) - used where large amounts of data must be transmitted.
Low frequency (100 - 500 kHz). They are used where a small distance between the object and the reader is acceptable. The typical reading distance is 0.5 m, and for tags built into small “buttons”, the reading range is usually even less - about 0.1 m. A large reader antenna can somewhat compensate for this range of a small tag , but the radiation from high-voltage lines, motors, computers, lamps, etc. hinders her work. Most access control systems, contactless warehouse and production management cards use a low frequency.

Contactless Information Systems based on RFID technology are currently used when necessary:

a sharp reduction in data entry costs and the elimination of errors associated with manual data entry;
high efficiency of registration information;
a high degree of automation of property management, warehouses, transport, people's access to premises;
fully automatic registration with subsequent computer processing of the results (example: a system for registering passengers of a fixed-route taxi or bus with automatic collection of fares);
improving quality control in production, storage and transport operations;
reduction of accounting paperwork and labor costs.

All these and many other tasks can be successfully solved with the help of RFID systems.

Let us consider in more detail the main applications of RFID technology.

Transport applications

For transport applications, the use of Philips branded Mifare cards is mainly (about 80%) typical. This type of cards will also be used as travel tickets in suburban trains, in the Moscow metro and for other vehicles. Cards are made in accordance with the third level of ISO 14443 A and are supplemented with a special cryptoprotection mechanism. This mechanism eliminates the falsification of transport cards. Similar identification cards are also used in club systems, gas stations and other areas that require contactless technology, as well as protection from unauthorized use.

Warehouse and logistics

There are three main RFID standards in use in this area – EPC and ISO 15693 (mid-range) and ISO 18000 (high-frequency). The emergence and application of the popular EPC standard in this area is due to the fact that rewritable tags of the ISO 15693 standard are unprofitable in situations where the product only needs to be identified. In addition, their use violates the principle of privacy, which at one time led to several scandalous proceedings. As for the EPC standard, it is an analogy of a bar code in terms of data format, which is relevant for a warehouse. In addition, such labels can be deactivated when they are no longer needed. High-frequency tags are also useful in warehouse and logistics applications, as they allow data to be written and read at a distance of up to 10 meters, which provides additional convenience in the inventory management process.

Electronic Documents

The use of electronic documents is considered a new, but very promising direction in the use of RFID technology. High reading speed, high protection against unauthorized access, reliability - all these advantages have become an impetus for the introduction of electronic tags in different kinds documents - into driver's licenses, passports, air tickets, etc. Already today, the EEC countries have switched to passports, which integrate RFID tags. Entry visas are issued with the same technical "stuffing". ICAO - the international association of air carriers - also plans to start using e-tickets. It should be noted that not only the usual information about the owner (full name, year of birth, etc.) is entered into the memory of such a label, but also including biometric features and a digital color photograph.

Access control and management systems (ACS).

In ACS systems, RFID technology has been used for a relatively long time. Today, most offices and enterprises use contactless plastic cards such as proximity for access. Initially, this solution based on this technology was quite expensive compared to the then popular magnetic cards. But due to the convenience and reliability that RFID provides, proximity cards quickly became in demand and within a few years forced out competing technologies applicable in access control systems from the market. Most readers and cards for ACS operate in the passive mode in the 125 kHz frequency range. There are no specific established standards in this area yet, but the most popular and widespread are the formats of companies, HID, EM Marin and Motorola. Recently, smart cards according to the ISO14443 standard (13.56 MHz) have also been used in access control systems, in view of the many advantages they provide, and also due to the fact that in many countries these cards have already been put into mass operation.

Readers

Readers used in access control systems are mainly produced for Mifare, HID and EM Marin card formats. By design, RFID readers can be equipped with a plastic case (with or without a keyboard) or a metal one. By purchasing a unified reader, the user can, through simple manipulations, choose the data format he needs, as well as the way to control the indicators. Note that each reader is equipped with sound and two-color LED indicators. Also, many models support the function of prohibiting reading data from cards, which is usually used when creating gateway access algorithms, etc. When working with identifiers at medium and long distances, readers are made in the form of a frame (for EM Marin type cards); models are also produced for working with active tags in the 2.45 GHz band, and devices for working with transport cards adapted to ISO 14443 A and B formats, including Mifare.

In a word, for each field of application, its technological and design solutions are produced. The modern market offers RF readers of various designs - desktop, as well as frameless for the possibility of embedding them in equipment. For objects that were equipped with readers discontinued from production, appropriate modifications are provided that are compatible not only in terms of dimensions, but also in terms of the exchange protocol. For those applications that are associated with the identification of baggage, goods, correspondence and other various products, readers are produced with a certain set of parameters for their maximum efficiency in each specific case.

So, the main types of RFID readers used today in various applications are:

desktop readers;
frameless built-in readers;
readers with remote antennas for medium and long range;
manual readers equipped with a keypad and LCD.

Cards

On fig. 3 shows a typical design of a proximity card with contactless RFID identification.

Rice. 3. Typical design of a proximity card with contactless RFID identification

RFID cons

Consumers against RFID chips

After the Wal-Mart Corporation began to use RFID tags on all products sold in its supermarket chain, a wave of indignation from consumers surged over it, to the point that human rights activists began to prepare a corresponding draft law. As a result, the human rights organization CASPLAN was put forward to protect the personal rights of consumers, as well as a legislative project, according to which all goods with such labels must be labeled accordingly. The draft law also states that the use of information obtained from tags should be limited. And despite the fact that in this area the use of RFID technology has begun recently, consumers believe that it is better to start protection now.

RFID technology does not meet all security measures

Regarding RFID in recent months of its large-scale use, experts have expressed the opinion that this technology represents an insufficient level of security. RFID tags, which are used for small calculations, marking of sales packages, and also functioning car anti-theft systems, in reality turned out to be not so reliable against the simplest methods of hacking using cheap devices with processors. The vulnerability of RFID chips is that they can be hacked even without direct contact. The attacker just needs to be around. Therefore, until the developers of encryption standards improve RFID tags in terms of security properties, their use in areas where hacking the system will entail significant losses is considered unsafe.

Gillette refuses product with rfid tags

The use of radio frequency technology has not been successful in Gillette's experience either, as consumers have not appreciated this initiative. It should be noted that in many countries, consumers have protested against the use of labels on products. As a result, the first shipments of Gilette products with RFID tags to the Tesco store in Cambridge were subjected to a public boycott. After evaluating the reaction of consumers, the company stopped testing and stopped supplying the product with tags to the store.

Walmart will no longer have RFID tags

Marketers say that RFID technology has the potential to revolutionize the retail industry by allowing for a more personalized customer experience and more efficient product inventory. But even in this area, not everyone is happy with this “innovation”. Another well-known company, Walmart, was forced to stop the experiment using RFID tags due to customer dissatisfaction. Walmart management announced that the large-scale application of RFID tags, which was supposed to be implemented soon, is being canceled. But, nevertheless, this situation cannot be considered the ultimate victory of consumers. Tags are still planned to be used, if not in stores, then in warehouses and distribution centers. Therefore, it can be assumed that consumers, to some extent, will still be subjected to encroachment on their private information.

Threats to reader privacy in libraries

US libraries are also expected to use RFID tags instead of barcodes. When leaving the library with books, they will presumably have to be deactivated (turned off). But then it turns out that a person can be tracked down with the help of books that are in his bag, since no one guarantees that the marks cannot be turned back on later. In this regard, some US citizens are concerned about the provision of the adopted Patriot Act, according to which bailiffs now have access to data on visits to libraries by readers.

Subcutaneous chipping

Subcutaneous use of RFID chips is being considered by some US corporations. In this case, they would replace passports, conventional credit cards and other documents. The main advantage is that they cannot be lost, and the disadvantage is that unauthorized tracking of the owner of the chip can be carried out through them. It must be said that such a system has already been developed and is called VeriPay. It is based on the use of a miniature subcutaneous chip. The manufacturer focuses on the fact that this solution will solve the problem of losing magnetic cards, as well as create additional barriers to deliberate theft and generally make life easier for the user. In response to negative statements about the negative aspects of using such a chip, the company assures that such a chip can be withdrawn at any time. But at the same time, the company does not provide security guarantees for such a system, because if thieves have sophisticated equipment, they will probably be able to catch signals from the chip so that their devices can later reproduce them. Moreover, thieves can remove the chip by force. To promote the "novelty", the owners of the VeriPay system offered to register those who wish to receive such a chip - for the purpose of statistics.

RFID tags are a game changer

At the moment, the use of RFID tags is approaching the status of one of the most popular technologies used in the retail industry. Its inhibition on this path is caused by several negative factors. Despite the fact that RFID tags are analogous to high-tech barcodes, characterized by the ability to read from a distance and through walls, some potential buyers are convinced that RFID is completely unfinished and at the same time expensive to release to the masses. On the this stage, RFID tags are mainly aimed at marking containers and pallets, and not on each item individually.

So, in conclusion of the review on the future development of RFID technology and its use at the moment, we can draw certain conclusions.

Previously, the introduction of RFID technology was hampered by such factors as the high cost of the system, undeveloped international standards, as well as negative reviews from public organizations aimed at protecting consumer rights. Currently, the RFID tag has an affordable price, which varies depending on the functionality from a few tens of cents to several tens of dollars. At the same time, its mass production makes it possible to further reduce its price, but there is a possibility that its cost is unlikely to reach the cost of a paper label with a barcode, which is supplied with every product today. In this regard, radio frequency tags are used mainly for marking those objects, the price of which significantly exceeds the cost of the tag. Radio frequency identification is also used today to track returnable containers in the form of kegs, containers, pallets and other containers for transportation; Vehicle; garbage containers; for marking and identification of rare varieties of wines; rental items (bicycles, books, etc.), hospital records, animals and instruments.

Gradually, the RFID system is also being introduced in the retail sector for labeling individual products and stock control. In this regard, it can be predicted that over time the price of an rfid tag will reach a level that will allow it to be used on all types of products. The only condition for such a prospect is the existence of a single standard, since the production of RFID systems today is carried out in several countries. Therefore, the systems must be unified and compatible so that not only RFID tags, but also readers from different manufacturing companies can interact with each other without problems. These standards have already been developed and are currently being adopted.

The main, and so far the only significant obstacle to the mass introduction of RFID technology is the resistance of the society that defends the rights of consumers. However, based on the experience of introducing modern technologies into our lives, we always have to sacrifice something on the way to progress. At present, developers are focused on finding a compromise between the positive and negative aspects of using RFID technology. Considering that, thanks to its capabilities, it was possible to eliminate the weakest link - the human factor - in the environment of automated control systems, in the near future it is likely to make a real revolution in the industrial sector, as well as in the fields of agriculture, transport and others, including the development of a new special technology. Now, in view of the prospects for the development of RFID technology, it has no serious competitors.

And many others.

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It was actively used by the Allies during the Second World War to determine whether an object in the sky is their own or someone else's. Similar systems are still used in both military and civil aviation.

Another milestone in the use of RFID technology is the work of Harry Stockman ( Harry Stockman) under the title "Communication by means of a reflected signal" (eng. "Communication by Means of Reflected Power" ) (IRE papers, pp. 1196-1204, Oct.) . Stockman notes that "...considerable research and development work was done before the main problems in reflected signal communication were solved, as well as before the applications of this technology were found" .

The first demonstration of modern RFID chips (based on the effect of backscattering), both passive and active, was carried out at the Los Alamos Research Laboratory (eng. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ) in 1973. The portable system ran at 915 MHz and used 12 bit tags.

The first patent associated with the name RFID itself was issued to Charles Walton ( Charles Walton) in 1983 (U.S. Patent No. 4,384,288).

Classification of RFID tags

There are several ways to organize RFID tags and systems:

By power source

According to the type of power source, RFID tags are divided into:

Passive
Active
semi-passive

Passive

RFID antenna

Passive RFID tags do not have a built-in energy source. The electrical current induced in the antenna by the electromagnetic signal from the reader provides enough power to operate the silicon CMOS chip in the tag and transmit the response signal.

Commercial implementations of low-frequency RFID tags can be embedded in a sticker (sticker) or implanted under the skin (see VeriChip).

The compactness of RFID tags depends on the size of external antennas, which are many times larger than the chip and, as a rule, determine the dimensions of the tags. The lowest cost of RFID tags, which have become the standard for companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, Tesco in the UK, Metro AG in Germany and the US Department of Defense, is approximately 5 cents per firm tag smart code(when buying from 100 million pieces). In addition, due to the variation in the size of the antennas, the tags have different sizes - from a postage stamp to a postcard. In practice, the maximum reading distance of passive tags varies from 10 cm (4 inches) (according to ISO 14443) to several meters (EPC and ISO 18000-6), depending on the selected frequency and antenna size. In some cases, the antenna may be printed.

Production processes from Alien Technology entitled Fluidic Self Assembly, from smart code - Flexible Area Synchronized Transfer (FAST) and from Symbol Technologies - PICA aimed at further reducing the cost of tags through the use of mass parallel production. Alien Technology currently uses the FSA and HiSam processes for tag fabrication, while PICA is a process from Symbol Technologies- is still under development. The FSA process produces over 2 million IC wafers per hour, while the PICA process produces over 70 billion ICs per year (if improved). In these technical processes, ICs are attached to tag wafers, which are in turn attached to antennas to form the complete chip. Attaching ICs to wafers, and later wafers to antennas, are the most spatially sensitive elements of the manufacturing process. This means that with a decrease in the size of the IC, mounting (eng. Pick and place) will become the most expensive operation. Alternative manufacturing methods such as FSA and HiSam can significantly reduce the cost of tags. Standardization of production industry benchmarks) will eventually lead to a further drop in tag prices when widely adopted.

Non-silicon tags can be made from polymer semiconductors. Currently, they are being developed by several companies around the world. Lab-made tags operating at 13.56 MHz were demonstrated in 2005 by companies PolyIC(Germany) and Philips(Holland). In an industrial environment, polymer tags will be produced by rolling printing (a technique similar to printing magazines and newspapers), making them cheaper than IC-based tags. Ultimately, this could end up making tags as easy to print as barcodes for most applications and just as cheap.

Active tags usually have a much larger read radius (up to 300 m) and memory capacity than passive tags, and are capable of storing more information to be sent by the transceiver.

semi-passive

Semi-passive RFID tags, also called semi-active tags, are very similar to passive tags but have a battery that powers the chip. At the same time, the range of these tags depends only on the sensitivity of the reader's receiver, and they can function at a greater distance and with better characteristics.

By type of memory used

According to the type of memory used, RFID tags are divided into:

RO(English) Read Only) - data is recorded only once, immediately during manufacture. Such labels are only suitable for identification. No new information can be written into them, and they are almost impossible to fake.
WORM(English) Write Once Read Many) - in addition to a unique identifier, such tags contain a block of one-time writeable memory, which can later be read many times.
RW(English) Read and Write) - such labels contain an identifier and a memory block for reading/writing information. The data in them can be overwritten multiple times.

By operating frequency

LF band marks (125-134 kHz)

RFID tag 125 kHz

Passive systems in this range are low priced and, due to their physical characteristics, are used for subcutaneous tags in animal, human, and fish microchipping. However, due to the wavelength, there are problems with reading over long distances, as well as problems associated with the appearance of collisions in reading.

HF band tags (13.56 MHz)

13MHz systems are cheap, have no environmental or licensing issues, are well standardized, and have a wide range of solutions. They are used in payment systems, logistics, personal identification. For a frequency of 13.56 MHz, the ISO 14443 standard (types A / B) was developed. Unlike Mifare 1K in this standard a key diversification system is provided, which allows you to create open systems. Standardized encryption algorithms are used.

Based on the 14443 B standard, several dozen systems have been developed, for example, a fare collection system public transport Paris region.

For the standards that existed in this frequency range, serious security problems were found: there was absolutely no cryptography in cheap card chips Mifare Ultralight, introduced in the Netherlands for the fare system in urban public transport OV-chipkaart, later the card, which was considered more reliable, was hacked Mifare Classic.

As with the LF band, systems built in the HF band have issues with reading over long distances, reading in high humidity environments, in the presence of metal, and problems with read collisions.

UHF band tags (860-960 MHz)

Labels of this range have the greatest range of registration, in many standards of this range there are anti-collision mechanisms. Originally oriented for the needs of warehouse and production logistics, UHF range tags did not have a unique identifier. It was assumed that the identifier for the tag would be the EPC number ( Electronic Product Code) of a product that each manufacturer will enter into the label independently during production. However, it soon became clear that in addition to the function of the carrier of the EPC number of the goods, it would be good to assign the function of authentication control to the label. That is, a requirement has arisen that contradicts itself: to simultaneously ensure the uniqueness of the label and allow the manufacturer to record an arbitrary EPC number.

For a long time there were no chips that would meet these requirements completely. Issued by the company Philips The Gen 1.19 chip had an immutable identifier, but did not have any built-in functions for password-protecting the memory banks of the tag, and anyone with the appropriate equipment could read the data from the tag. Subsequently developed chips of the Gen 2.0 standard had the functions of parsing memory banks (password for reading, for writing), but did not have a unique label identifier, which made it possible to create identical clones of labels if desired.

Finally, in 2008, NXP released two new chips that today meet all of the above requirements. The SL3S1202 and SL3FCS1002 chips are made in the EPC Gen 2.0 standard, but differ from all their predecessors in that the TID memory field ( Tag ID), in which the tag type code is usually written during production (and it does not differ from tag to tag within one article), is divided into two parts. The first 32 bits are reserved for the code of the tag manufacturer and its brand, and the second 32 bits are for the unique number of the chip itself. The TID field is immutable and thus each label is unique. The new chips have all the benefits of Gen 2.0 tags. Each memory bank can be protected from reading or writing by a password, the EPC number can be written down by the product manufacturer at the time of marking.

In UHF RFID systems, compared to LF and HF, the cost of tags is lower, while the cost of other equipment is higher.

Currently, the UHF frequency range is open for free use in the Russian Federation in the so-called "European" range - 863-868 MHz.

RF near field UHF tags

Compared to portable readers, readers of this type usually have a larger reading area and power and are able to simultaneously process data from several dozen tags. Stationary readers are connected to a PLC, integrated into a DCS or connected to a PC. The task of such readers is to gradually record the movement of marked objects in real time, or to identify the position of marked objects in space.

Mobile

They have a relatively shorter range and often do not have a permanent connection with the control and accounting program. Mobile readers have internal memory, into which data from the read tags is written (then this information can be downloaded to a computer) and, like stationary readers, are able to write data to the tag (for example, information about the control performed).

Depending on the frequency range of the tag, the distance of stable reading and writing data to them will be different.

RFID and alternative methods of automatic identification

In terms of functionality, RFID tags, as a method of collecting information, are very close to barcodes, which are most widely used today for marking goods. Despite the reduction in the cost of RFID tags, in the foreseeable future, the complete replacement of barcodes by radio frequency identification is unlikely to take place for economic reasons (the system will not pay off).

At the same time, barcode technology itself continues to evolve. New developments (for example, the two-dimensional Data Matrix barcode) solve a number of problems that were previously solved only by using RFID. Technologies can complement each other. Components with fixed usability can be permanently tagged with optical recognition technology that provides information about their release date and usability, and RFID tags can be tagged with changeable information, such as a specific order recipient on a returned reusable package.

Advantages of RFID

Overwriting capability. RFID tag data can be overwritten and updated many times, while barcode data cannot be changed - it is written immediately when printed.
No need for line of sight. The RFID reader does not need a direct line of sight to the tag to read its data. The mutual orientation of the tag and the reader often does not play a role. Labels can be read through the packaging, which makes them possible to hide them. To read the data, it is enough for the tag to get into the registration zone at least for a short time, moving, among other things, at a fairly high speed. In contrast, a barcode reader always needs a direct view of the barcode in order to read it.
Greater reading distance. An RFID tag can be read at a much greater distance than a barcode. Depending on the tag and reader model, the reading radius can be up to several hundred meters. At the same time, such distances are not always required.
More data storage. An RFID tag can store much more information than a barcode.
Support reading multiple labels. Industrial readers can simultaneously read many (more than a thousand) RFID tags per second using the so-called anti-collision feature. The barcode reader can only scan one barcode at a time.
Reading tag data at any location. In order to ensure automatic reading of the barcode, standards committees (including EAN International) have developed rules for placing barcodes on product and shipping packaging. These requirements do not apply to RFID tags. The only condition is that the tag is in the reader's coverage area.
Environmental resistance. There are RFID tags that have increased durability and resistance to harsh working environments, and the barcode is easily damaged (for example, by moisture or pollution). In those applications where the same object can be used an unlimited number of times (for example, when identifying containers or returnable containers), an RFID tag is a more acceptable means of identification, since it does not need to be placed on the outside of the package. Passive RFID tags have an almost unlimited lifetime.
Intelligent Behavior. An RFID tag can be used to perform other tasks besides being a data carrier. A barcode is not programmable and is only a means of storing data.
High security. The unique immutable identifier number assigned to the tag during production guarantees a high degree of protection of tags from forgery. Also, the data on the label can be encrypted. The RFID tag has the ability to password-protect the operations of writing and reading data, as well as to encrypt their transmission. A single label can store public and private data at the same time.

Disadvantages of RFID

Label health lost with partial mechanical damage.
System cost higher than the cost of an accounting system based on barcodes.
The complexity of self-production. The barcode can be printed on any printer.
Interference susceptibility in the form of electromagnetic fields.
Mistrust users, the possibility of using it to collect information about people.
Installed technical base for reading barcodes is significantly superior in volume to solutions based on RFID.
Insufficient openness of the developed standards.

Technology characteristics

Based on Sandeep Lahiri's book RFID. Implementation Guide»

Technology characteristics	RFID	Barcode
The need for line-of-sight tags	Reading even hidden marks	Reading without line of sight is impossible
Memory	10 to 10,000 bytes	Up to 100 bytes
Ability to overwrite data and reuse the label	There is	Not
Registration range	up to 100 m	up to 4 m
Simultaneous identification of several objects	Up to 200 marks per second	Impossible
Resistance to environmental influences: mechanical, temperature chemical, moisture	Increased strength and resistance	Depends on the material to be applied
Label lifespan	Over 10 years	Depends on the printing method and the material of which the marked object consists
Security and counterfeit protection	Fake is almost impossible	It's easy to fake
Work when the tag is damaged	Impossible	Difficulty
Identification of moving objects	Yes	Difficulty
Susceptibility to interference in the form of electromagnetic fields	There is	Not
Identification of metal objects	Possible	Possible
Use of both fixed and handheld terminals for identification	Yes	Yes
Possibility of introduction into the human or animal body	Possible	Difficulty
Dimensions	Medium and small	Small
Price	Medium and high	Low

Criticism

RFID and human rights

Debra Bowen, California State Senator, at a 2003 hearing

The use of RFID tags has caused serious controversy, criticism and even boycott of goods. The four main problems of this technology related to are as follows:

The buyer may not even know about the presence of an RFID tag. Or can't remove it
Data from the tag can be read remotely without the knowledge of the owner
If the tagged item is paid for by credit card, then it is possible to uniquely associate the tag's unique identifier with the buyer
Label system EPCGlobal creates or involves the creation of unique serial numbers for all products, despite the fact that this creates privacy concerns and is completely unnecessary for most applications.

The main concern is that sometimes RFID tags remain operational even after the item is purchased and taken out of the store, and therefore can be used for surveillance and other unseemly purposes not related to the inventory function of the tags. Reading from short distances can also be dangerous if, for example, the read information accumulates in a database, or a burglar uses a pocket reader to assess the wealth of a potential victim passing by. Serial numbers on RFID tags can provide additional information even after the goods are disposed of. For example, tags in resold or donated items can be used to establish a person's social circle.

Security experts are opposed to using RFID technology to authenticate people based on the risk of identity theft. For example, attack "man in the middle" makes it possible for an attacker to steal an identity in real time. At the moment, due to limitations in the resources of RFID tags, it is theoretically not possible to protect them from such attack models, since this would require complex data transfer protocols.

Standards

The negative attitude towards RFID technology is exacerbated by the gaps that exist in all current standards. Although the process of improving the standards has not ended, there is a tendency in many to hide some of the label commands from the public. For example, the command Authentication in proprietary technology Philips MIFARE , which uses the ISO / IEC 14443 standard, after which the label must encrypt its responses and accept only encrypted commands, can be neutralized by some command that the developer company keeps secret. After executing this command, it is possible to successfully use read block, fictitiously encrypted with a constant (which is used to calculate the CRC in the ISO/IEC 14443 standard). This way you can read the MIFARE card. Moreover, by analyzing the current consumed by the card, a circuit engineer can read all access passwords to all blocks of a MIFARE card (due to the relative gluttony of EEPROM cells and the circuit implementation of memory reading in the chip). So, the most common RFID cards may initially contain a bookmark.

Part of the suspicion about RFID can be removed by the development of complete and open standards, the absence of which causes suspicion and mistrust of the technology.

The use of microwave band tags in the Russian Federation is currently regulated by SanPiN 2.1.8 / 2.2.4.1383-03, approved by the Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation No. 135 of 06/09/2003. the electromagnetic field strength or power flux-density radiated by the equipment is taken into account, and not output power device, as it was established in SanPiN 2.2.4 / 2.1.8.055-96, which became invalid from 06/30/2003; actual values for limit calculation acceptable level UHF equipment actually existing in Russia is approximately 10-20 times lower than those established by sanitary and hygienic standards.

Development of the RFID market

According to experts, the RFID systems market in Russia is still in its infancy, so the supply in this segment significantly exceeds the demand. Because of this lag, the domestic market is developing at a faster pace - the cumulative average annual growth rate in the period from to 2010 exceeds 19%. Whereas the average annual growth rate of the global RFID market (CAGR) exceeds 15%.

According to market participants, the volume of the global RFID products market in 2008 amounted to $5.29 billion. It is expected that by 2018 it will grow more than 5 times. The volume of the Russian RFID market is just over one percent of the world market, and amounts to $69 million.

All RFID systems are being introduced in Russia for the first time. A company installing an RFID system does not need to drag along outdated equipment and frequencies, adjust the equipment already available at the facility to the task, and have the opportunity to implement the most advanced developments.

Due to its high cost, RFID in Russia is mainly used for logistics operations, in the subways of large cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan) and in library systems. However, according to Rosnano General Director Anatoly Chubais, in the coming years, a transition to nanochips is possible for bank cards with RFID, with the help of which the technology will be widely used in retail.

Application

Book lending station in the library of St. Petersburg State University

At the moment, RFID technologies are used in a wide variety of areas of human activity:

Medicine - monitoring the condition of patients, monitoring the movement of the hospital building.
Libraries - automatic lending stations, quick inventory.
Baggage management system
Real-time Object Localization System

First of all, the following RFID functionality is used:

Information about the object, its properties, qualities, etc.
Information about the position of the object.

RFID is just beginning to be used in retail - in logistics and inventory control, as well as on the sales floor to prevent theft.

In April 2012, the electronics and household appliances retailer Media-Saturn Russia (Media Markt and Saturn chains) announced that, together with the Metro Group Innovation Center (Germany), it is working on a pilot project to introduce RFID technology in the company's stores. Testing will begin at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd quarter of 2012 and will be held on the basis of the "Multimedia" department of one of the Moscow Media Markt stores. Thus, Media-Saturn Russia will become the first retail company in the home appliances and electronics segment in the Russian market to start testing RFID in logistics, warehouse accounting and at the sales floor level.

By analogy with the use of RFID tags in hospitals, in the future it is possible to implant such a tag in a person at a certain age for unambiguous identification. This will replace many paper documents with a small chip, for example: passport, individual tax number, birth certificate, driver's license, medical contraindications, blood type, and others. The advantage of this technology is compactness, reliability (it is more difficult to lose an implant than a document), and the convenience of identifying a dead person or an unconscious person in case of injury, accident, accident, or other life-threatening events.

In addition, it will allow you to abandon the tags on the body in the morgue.

Standards

Main article: RFID standards

International RFID standards, as an integral part of automatic identification technology, are developed and adopted by the international organization ISO together with IEC. Preparation of projects (development) of standards is carried out in close cooperation with initiative interested organizations and companies.

Standards Development Organizations

EPCglobal

A.I.M. Global is an international trade association representing providers of automatic identification and mobile technologies. The association actively supports the development of AIM standards through its own Technical Symbology Committee, Global Standards Advisory Groups and RFID expert group, as well as participation in industry, national (ANSI) and international (ISO) development groups.

In Russia, the development of RFID standards is entrusted to the UNISCAN/GS1 Russia Association.

GRIFS

ISO 11784 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Structure of codes"
ISO 11785 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Technical concept"
ISO 14223 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Advanced transponders"
ISO 10536 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards»
ISO 14443 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards. Cards with a short reading distance»
ISO 15693 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards. Medium Range Cards»
DIN/ISO 69873 - "Data carriers for tools and clamping devices"
ISO/IEC 10374 - "Identification of containers"
VDI 4470 - "Product protection systems"
ISO 15961 - "RFID for product management: Control computer, tag functional commands and other syntactic features"
ISO 15962 - "RFID for product management: data syntax"
ISO 15963 - "Unique RFID Tag Identification and Owner Registration for Uniqueness Management"
ISO 18000 - "RFID for Merchandise Management: Wireless Interface"
ISO 18001 - "Information Technology - RFID for Merchandise Management - Recommended Application Profiles"

Notes

Section of the site dedicated to RFID (eng.). Eff. archived
Retelling of the content of the Appeal of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to the authorities of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States of October 6, 2005 (rus.). Official website of the Moscow Patriarchy (October 17, 2005). Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
Hacking Exposed Linux: Linux Security Secrets & Solutions (third ed.). McGraw-Hill Osborne Media. 2008.pp. 298. ISBN 978-0-07-226257-5.
RFID technologies at the service of your business = RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems / Troitsky N. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2007. - P. 47. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8
google books - links to Stockman's work
History of Technology (Russian). scale company. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
google books - search by patent number
ISBN 5-91136-025-X chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.1 "Label" and its subparagraphs
Klaus Finkenzeller, RFID Handbook, 2008, 496 pages, illustrated, ISBN 978-5-94120-151-8, Dodeka-XXI Publishing House, 2008
rfid-news.ru
Hitachi Unveils Smallest RFID Chip. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
Hitachi has developed the smallest RFID chips (rus.) . CNews (February 21, 2007). Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
Manish Bhuptani, Shahram Moradpour RFID technologies at the service of your business = RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems / Troitsky N. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2007. - P. 70. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8
Mark Roberti A 5-Cent Breakthrough. RFID Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
Polymer technology opens up new fields of application for RFID in logistics . PRISMA press release (January 26, 2006). archived
Daniel M. Dobkin RFID Basics: Backscatter Radio Links and Link Budgets. The RF in RFID: Passive UHF RFID in Practice. www.rfdesignline.com (February 10, 2007). Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
Manish Bhuptani, Shahram Moradpour RFID technologies at the service of your business = RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems / Troitsky N .. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2007. - P. 65. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8
Locating, Responding, Optimizing in Real Time. RFID System for the Locating. Siemens. - wherein this system in terms of power, it is rather a radio transmitter with a radiation power atypical for active RFID tags. In the usual case, active tags emit up to 10mW, operate at a distance of about 100 m. The mentioned system in the building works at the same distance. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
Kiwi Bird Little secrets of big technologies (Russian). Computerra (February 17, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Kiwi Bird It's clear that it's not safe (Russian) . Computerra (March 30, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Kiwi Bird And thunder struck (Russian). Computerra (March 28, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Tao Cheng, Li Jin Analysis and Simulation of RFID Anti-collision Algorithms (eng.) (pdf). School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
Ivan Boyenko Uniqueness or versatility? (Russian). magazine "Information Security" №3 for April-May 2008. Archived
On April 28, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation L.D. Reiman held a meeting of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) (rus.). archived
Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) (rus.). - On amendments to the decision of the State Committee for Radio Frequencies of 07.05.2007 No. 07-20-03-001 “On the allocation of radio frequency bands to short-range devices” (decision of the State Committee for Radio Frequencies No. 08-24-01-001). Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
Claire Swedberg A Shift to UHF Near-Field Predicted for Pharma. RFID Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
EPCIS and RFID Validated for European Pharmaceuticals (Russian) . UNISCAN/GS1 RUS (09.02.2009). Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Sandeep Lahiri. RFID. Implementation Guide = The RFID Sourcebook / Dudnikov S. - Moscow: Kudits-Press, 2007. - 312 p. - ISBN 5-91136-025-X chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.2 and its subparagraphs
ideas international 2/2007 pp.12-13. ISSN 1619-5043 Publisher: Siemens AG
Alorie Gilbert, Staff Writer Privacy advocates call for RFID regulation. CNET News. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
"Anti-theft". Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Open letter. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
In crisis.ru - the whole truth about the victims
Leonid Volchaninov IT in commerce: RFID will go mainstream after all. Cnews. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2009.

RFID: the controversial technology of the future

It is unlikely that at least one of the people who follow technical innovations has not yet met the abbreviation RFID. Today, RFID technologies penetrate into various areas of our lives. They open up great opportunities, but also fraught with many unknown dangers. Meanwhile, even many electronics engineers find themselves in a quandary when asked to explain how RFID chips work. Let's figure it out together.

Definition

RFID (from the English Radio Frequency IDentification, radio frequency identification) is a method of automatic identification of objects in which data stored in so-called RFID tags are read and / or written using radio signals. Any RFID system consists of a reader (reader, also known as a reader) and an RFID tag. An RFID tag consists of two parts:

Integrated circuit (microchip) for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio frequency signal;
- antennas for receiving and transmitting a signal.

History

In 1948, Harry Stockman outlined the theoretical foundations of RFID technology in his work "Communication by Means of Reflected Power". The theory was put into practice in 1973, when in the United States Mario Cardullo received a patent for a "Passive radio transmitter with memory" - in the patent, in fact, modern RFID technology was described. The Cardullo patent provides for the use of radio waves, light and sound as a means of transmitting information.

The first demonstration of working prototypes of modern RFID chips (based on the backscattering effect), both passive and active, was held at the Los Alamos Research Laboratory in 1973. The portable system ran at 915 MHz and used 12-bit tags. The first patent to explicitly mention the acronym RFID was issued to Charles Walton in 1983.

There are several ways to organize RFID tags and systems - by operating frequency, power source, memory type and form factor. For example, the following RFID tags are distinguished by the type of memory used:
- RW (Read and Write) – such tags contain an identifier and a memory block for reading/writing information. The data in them can be overwritten many times;
- WORM (Write Once Read Many) – in addition to a unique identifier, such tags contain a block of write-once memory that can be read many times in the future;
- RO (Read Only) - data is written only once, during manufacture. Such labels are only suitable for identification. No new information can be written into them, and they are almost impossible to fake.

Active and passive RFID tags

Today, the most widely used passive RFID tags do not have a built-in power source. The operation of the silicon CMOS chip of the tag and the transmission of the response signal are provided by the electric current induced in the antenna by the electromagnetic signal from the reader. Passive low-frequency RFID tags are usually embedded in a sticker (a sticker on a product in a store) or implanted under the skin. The maximum reading distance of passive tags is from 10 cm to several meters, depending on the selected frequency and antenna size.

Passive RFID tags can be very small: in 2006, Hitachi developed a passive µ-Chip (mu-chip), measuring 0.15x0.15 mm (excluding antenna) and thinner than a paper sheet (7.5 microns). This level of integration has been achieved with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The µ-Chip can transmit a 128-bit unique identification number written into the chip at the time of manufacture. The number cannot be changed in the future, that is, it is strictly tied to the object in which this chip is embedded. Hitachi µ-Chip Reading Range - 30 cm.

Another advantage is their cheapness. The minimum cost of RFID tags, which have become the standard for retail chains, is approximately 5 cents per SmartCode tag (when buying from 100 million pieces).

Cheap non-silicon passive tags are made from polymer semiconductors. Tags operating at 13.56 MHz were demonstrated in 2005 by PolyIC (Germany) and Philips (Holland). In industrial conditions, polymer tags are made by rolling printing (the technology resembles printing). As a result, in the near future, for most applications, tags will be printed as easily and cheaply as barcodes.

Active RFID tags have their own power supply, that is, they do not depend on the energy of the reader. Accordingly, the signal from them is read at a great distance, and the chips themselves are large and can be equipped with additional electronics.

Active tags are more reliable than passive tags because they use special communication sessions between the tag and the reader. In addition, active tags, having their own power supply, provide a higher output level than passive tags. This allows them to be used in water, the body of people and animals, metals (ship containers, cars), for long distances in the air.

At the same time, active tags are more expensive to manufacture ($3-15 per piece) and are larger - usually like a tablet.

Advantages and disadvantages of RFID

Advantages:

Possibility of rewriting. The data stored in RFID chips can be repeatedly overwritten and supplemented, thereby maintaining its relevance. - Large amount of stored data. An RFID tag can store many times more information than a barcode. On a chip with an area of 1 cm2, up to 10,000 bytes of information can be stored, while barcodes can hold units of bytes.

No need for line of sight. Unlike a barcode, the mutual orientation of the tag and the reader does not play a role - it is enough for the tag to get into the registration area for a short while, moving at a rather high speed as well. The tags can be read through the packaging, allowing them to be placed discreetly.

Long reading distance. An RFID tag can be read at a much greater distance than a barcode. Depending on the tag and reader model, the reading radius can be up to several hundred meters.

Resistance to external factors. Special RFID tags are highly durable and resistant to harsh work environments. In those applications where the same object can be used many times (for example, when identifying containers), the RFID tag is the most cost-effective means of identification. Passive RFID tags have an almost unlimited service life.

Intelligence. An RFID tag can not only transfer data, but also perform other tasks. The data on the label can be encrypted. The RFID tag can password-protect data read and write operations, as well as encrypt their transmission. A single label can store public and private data at the same time.

Disadvantages:

Relatively high cost of the system.
- Vulnerability to electromagnetic interference.
- The possibility of using RFID to illegally collect information about people.
- Insufficient openness of existing standards.

Application

RFID is used to associate some physical object with its digital attributes. In this sense, RFID is similar in function to a barcode, but has significant operational advantages and allows the use of more complex, cryptographically secure protocols. According to analysts at Deutsche Bank Research, by 2010 the global market for RFID systems will amount to 22 billion euros. One of the sources of growth is the use of RFID technologies in passports and other personal documents, as well as in medicine and veterinary medicine. In addition, the mass application of RFID technologies in retail stores has already begun. retail chains.

Logistics

The use of RFID systems allows you to optimize outgoing and incoming logistics. In logistics, there are examples of complex developments using RFID - for container shipping. Each container is equipped with an RFID tag containing information about the cargo and combined with sensors (for example, opening, oxygen content, etc.) and transmitting data to a central data collection station on board the container ship, which in turn transmits data via satellite. So the owner of the cargo gets the opportunity to track the location and safety of the cargo.

Public transport

Payment T-money cards are used in public transport in Seoul and surrounding cities. In some cities in South Korea, the T-money system has been replaced by the Upass system using MIFARE. This system was first used for transport payments in 1996. In Japan, the Suica (Super Urban Intelligent Card) system is used to pay for rail fares. In Hong Kong, transportation is paid using an RFID technology called the Octopus Card. It was launched in 1997 to collect tolls, but has grown to become a regular payment card that can be used in vending machines and supermarkets. The card can be topped up at special machines or in shops. In Singapore, public transport buses and trains use passive RF cards called EZ-Link. Traffic to high-traffic business districts is regulated by variable fees collected through active tag systems and stored value cards (CashCard). In Malaysia, RFID is being used to pay fares on the Malaysian Expressway System. The system is called Touch "nGo. In the Moscow Metro, RFID smart cards were introduced in 1998.

Trade

In Germany, RFID tags are being implemented in all stores of the Metro AG hypermarket chain. In the future, manual readers at cashiers will practically cease to be used. In the case when the goods are marked with RFID tags, the buyer, having collected the products into the cart, transports it through a special turnstile at the cash desk. Scanners automatically read all the information about the product in the basket over the air, and a check is immediately printed. If the buyer pays with a payment card, then the presence of a cashier is not required at all. Similar systems are being implemented in other major retail chains in the world (Wal-Mart, DoD, Target, Tesco).

Libraries

The introduction of RFID in libraries speeds up the inventory and search of books, automates book lending and helps fight theft. One of the largest library applications of RFID to date is the Vatican Library, which has over two million books in its collection. In general, more than 700 largest libraries in the world already use or implement RFID technologies.

The medicine

In maternity hospitals, RFID bracelets are used to identify the baby with the mother. In conventional hospitals, they are used to quickly find a patient who has left his ward, requiring constant supervision (for example, with Alzheimer's disease), or an urgently needed doctor.

The tags themselves or the database, the key to which is the ID number of the tag, can contain the data necessary for treatment - blood type, allergy information, prescribed medications, etc. And Siemens AG has developed an RFID chip with a built-in temperature sensor that can withstand sterilization and pasteurization, as well as acceleration up to 5000 g, developed on a centrifuge. The chip is intended, in particular, for use in blood banks.

Passports

In many countries, RFID chips are used as part of passports and driver's licenses. The first RFID passports (e-passports) were introduced in Malaysia in 1998. In addition to the information stored on the visual page of the passport, Malaysian e-passports also contain the history (time, date and place) of entry and exit into the country.
The standards for RFID passports are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO standards state that e-passports can be identified by a standard logo on the front of the e-passport.
RFID tags are also included in the new UK, German and some other European passports. The US has produced up to 100 million e-passports; the chip embedded in them contains the same information as the printed version, as well as the digital signature of the owner. Passports include a thin metal spacer that makes it difficult to read when the passport is closed (the metal shields the radio signal).

Remote control

Since the 1990s, RFID has been used as a vehicle key. Many car manufacturers use RFID ignition keys as an anti-theft system. If the reader of the car does not "see" a certain identifier in its coverage area, the motor simply will not start. The key contains an active RFID chip that allows the machine to identify it from a distance of up to 1 meter from the antenna. The owner can open the door and start the car without taking the key out of his pocket.

Agriculture

RFID tags allow tracking animals on the way from the farm to the consumer, checking the timeliness of mandatory vaccinations and treatment. By connecting the scanner to a computer, it is possible to automate the maintenance of records of animal health, procedures applied, breeding and feeding. Nowadays, microchips of the FDXB type, 12x2 mm in size, are usually implanted under the skin with a syringe, covered with biologically inert glass and having no moving parts and batteries. Stationary scanners located at livestock passages are connected to a computer that controls the movement of animals using electric gates.

Animal identification

Identification of animals using implantable microchips (or tags with microchips) is used to simplify their accounting, for moving across the border, for insurance, and to exclude substitution during breeding.

The total "chipping" of pets in the very near future will become a mandatory practice in Europe, America and Australia. Not so long ago, the European Union completely banned the import of non-chipped animals. In Russia, the use of microchips in the breeding of breeding animals is recommended by law.

Implantable RFID

One of the most controversial issues with RFID technology is that implantable RFID tags, designed for marking animals, are starting to be used on humans. A lot of noise in 1998 was made by the British professor of cybernetics Kevin Warwick, who implanted a label in his hand. Shortly thereafter, iconic nightclubs in Spain, the Netherlands and the US began using an implantable RFID tag to identify their patrons, who in turn used them to pay at the bar. In 2004, the Mexican Department of Justice implanted a VeriChip into its employees to control access to sensitive data rooms.

There is a possibility that in the future in different countries mandatory and universal marking of people with RFID chips will be introduced with the assignment of a unique personal number for the purpose of "combating international terrorism" or "ensuring the security of the individual." These are no longer idle fictions of science fiction writers: examples " social advertising"implantable RFID chips to control people were shown in the sensational documentary "Zeitgeist". RFID chips are inserted under the skin once and for life, since it is almost impossible to remove them from the body without breaking the glass protective shell - this can lead to serious consequences.That is, a person practically cannot get rid of a radio tag with identification number. Many religious people associate RFID tags with the "sign of the Beast" (Rev. 13:16-17): "And he will make sure that everyone - small and great, rich and poor, free and slaves - will be put on the right hand them [implantation of the mark] or on their foreheads [in the absence of right hand or for the "safety and longevity" of the mark], and that no one shall be allowed to buy or sell, except one who has this mark, or the name of the Beast, or the number of his name."

Fortunately, the human body contains various fluids, which strongly shield the radio signal. Therefore, the range of the implanted RFID does not exceed 5 cm (for passive tags).

Denis Lavnikevich

By operating frequency - by type of memory

By type of power source - by design

Depending on the operating frequency used, RFID tags are divided into:

Low frequency - LF, operating frequency: 125 - 134 kHz - ultra high frequency - UHF, operating frequency: 860 - 960 MHz

High-frequency - HF, operating frequency: 13.56 MHz - microwave - operating frequency 2.45 GHz.

A wide range of operating frequencies of RFID tags is due to significant differences in the propagation of electromagnetic waves in various environments depending on the signal frequency. The higher the frequency, the greater the identification distance of the tag in the RFID system. Low-frequency tags work well on metal surfaces, they are also used to identify animals, fish and humans by implanting transponders under the skin. HF tags are relatively cheap, well standardized (ISO 14443, ISO 15693), and have a wide range of solutions. They are used in payment systems, logistics, personal identification. They use standardized encryption algorithms. Labels of this range have the greatest range of registration, in the standards of this range there are anti-collision mechanisms. UHF transponders are usually cheaper than LF and HF tags. The UHF frequency range is open for use in Russia in the so-called "European" range: 863 - 868 MHz.

According to the type of power source, RFID tags are divided into:

passive
active
semi-passive

Passive RFID tags do not have a built-in power source. Electricity induced in the tag's antenna by an electromagnetic signal from the reader provides the necessary energy for the operation of the RFID chip located in the tag and the transmission of a response signal. The maximum reading distance of passive tags, depending on the selected frequency and antenna size, varies from 10 cm (for ISO 14443) to several meters (EPC and ISO 18000-6 standards).
Active RFID tags have their own power supply and do not depend on the energy of the reader, as a result of which they are read at a greater distance than passive ones, have about Larger dimensions and can be equipped with additional electronics. Active tags provide more reliable data reading/writing than passive tags due to a special communication session between transponder and reader. Active RFID tags, due to their own power supply, generate a more powerful output signal compared to passive tags. This allows these transponders to be used in environments that are more aggressive for the RF signal: water (including people and animals, which mainly consist of water), metals (ship containers, cars), for long distances in the air. Most active RFID tags allow you to transmit a signal over distances of hundreds of meters with a battery life of up to 10 years. Some active RFID tags have built-in sensors, for example, to monitor the temperature of perishable goods, humidity, vibration, etc. Such transponders are capable of storing more information, but they are more expensive than passive ones, and their batteries have a limited operating time.
Semi-passive (semi-active) RFID tags are equipped with their own power supply, which powers the chip only after receiving a signal from the reader. Thus, such tags can be read at the same distances as active ones.

According to the type of memory used, RFID tags are divided into:

RO (Read Only) - data is recorded only once, immediately during manufacture. These labels are read-only. No new information can be written into them, and they are almost impossible to fake.

WORM (Write Once Read Many) - in addition to a unique identifier, such tags contain a block of one-time writeable memory, which can later be read many times.

RW (Read&Write) - such labels contain an identifier and a memory block for reading/writing information. The data in them can be overwritten multiple times.

By design, RFID tags are divided into:

case transponders
RFID labels (smart labels)
RFID cards (contactless smart cards)
RFID tags
other designs (bracelets, key chains, etc.)

Transponders, in which the RFID chip and RFID antenna are placed in a rigid case, they are called case-based RFID tags. The transponder housing protects the chip and antenna from mechanical damage, temperature effects, moisture, dust and electrostatics. Case RFID tags are used in industrial RFID systems.
RFID labels are a transponder in the form of "Inlay", with the front side in the form of paper or synthetic film. Smart labels come with both self-adhesive and dry back (Dry Inlay). RFID labels are usually cheaper than case transponders, but they cannot work in such harsh conditions as the latter. They are the basis of RFID technologies used in warehouse accounting, trade, libraries, etc.
RFID cards are an RFID chip and an RFID antenna placed in a plastic case in the form of a card, usually 86 × 54 mm in size. Contactless smart cards are used for personal identification, vehicle identification and as a secure information carrier (specifications, etc.).
RFID tags they are an RFID chip and an RFID antenna placed in a plastic case in the form of a plastic tag used to mark live trees (see " Marking and accounting of wood»).
Many other specialized designs exist
RFID tags in the form of various bracelets, key fobs etc. used: for personal identification in hospitals, fitness centers, ski resorts, access control systems and for solving many other problems.

All about mobile technology

Where is RFID technology used?

Application of RFID technology:

How RFID works

Benefits of RFID technology

The RFID system consists of:

RFID tags: classification

Source of power

Execution

Memory type

Operating frequency

Varieties of RFID tags

Peculiarities

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RFID or not RFID? THAT IS THE QUESTION

Writable identifiers

Frequency bands and standards

Applications of RFID technology

Transport applications

Warehouse and logistics

Electronic Documents

Access control and management systems (ACS).

Readers

Tags

ISO 15693 and EPC labels

ISO 18000 labels

Tags for glass and cardboard

Tags for metal

"Smart" fillings

MAIN DIRECTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT OF RFID TECHNOLOGY

Application of RFID tags in accordance with EU regulations

RFID for priceless manuscripts

TESCO switched to RFID tags

Anti-counterfeiting with RFID

Reducing the risk of child abduction

Application of RFID in healthcare

Solution for hotels

RF chips on euro banknotes

RFID cons

Consumers against RFID chips

RFID technology does not meet all security measures

Gillette refuses product with rfid tags

Walmart will no longer have RFID tags

Threats to reader privacy in libraries

Subcutaneous chipping

RFID tags are a game changer

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Classification of RFID tags

By power source

Passive

semi-passive

By type of memory used

By operating frequency

LF band marks (125-134 kHz)

HF band tags (13.56 MHz)

UHF band tags (860-960 MHz)

RF near field UHF tags

Mobile

RFID and alternative methods of automatic identification

Advantages of RFID

Disadvantages of RFID

Technology characteristics

Criticism

RFID and human rights

Standards

Development of the RFID market

Application

Standards

Standards Development Organizations

EPCglobal

GRIFS

see also

Notes

Depending on the operating frequency used, RFID tags are divided into:

According to the type of power source, RFID tags are divided into:

By design, RFID tags are divided into:

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