Radio frequency identity (RFID) chips are tiny computer chips connected to miniature antennas that can be placed on or in physical objects. They are used in a wide variety of applications where “contactless” authentication is desired, including contactless payment, supermarkets without tills, safely located luggage.
Many businesses consider RFID a technology of the future. The abbreviation stands for Radio-Frequency Identification. The system uses radio waves to identify RFID chips. These rfid chips are already found in devices like credit cards and electronic car keys
How does RFID work?
RFID systems consist of a rfid chip, also called a tag, and a transponder, reader or scanning device. Most of the rfid chips we use in everyday life are passive RFID chips. They are small and light with a short antenna and can be attached to goods as stickers or labels. But they can only store a little bit of information. And their range is just a few centimetres. Furthermore, passive RFID tags do not have their own power supply. To become active they need to receive radio signals from a transponder.
Then there are active RFID tags. They usually have their own power supply and can store much more data. Even without a reader they are able to send and receive data. Active tags can be as big as a book, have a bigger antenna, and their signal can reach several kilometres.
What uses are there?
RFID technology is especially widely used in production and logistics. It allows companies to track their entire supply chain easily. They can ensure things like an uninterrupted refrigeration chain, and they can identify missing goods instantly.
RFID tags also save a lot of time: goods with RFID tags can be automatically scanned just by passing transponders. Painstakingly recording every single item with a bar code is no longer necessary.
RFID systems can also help in eCommerce. Fashion companies like Zara and Gerry Weber use the technology to track products. This way RFID makes stocktaking quick and easy.
