MOTOROLA PRODUCTS

Radio Frequency Identification RFID

Radio frequency identifi cation (RFID) is an automated data collection (ADC) system that enables businesses to wirelessly capture and move data using radio waves. A typical system consists of “tags” with an embedded, unique identifi er for the product or object being moved; “readers” designed to decode the data on the tag; and a host system or server that processes and manages the abundance of information gathered.

What is RFID? Radio frequency identifi cation enables companies to assign unique identifi ers to individual products or items. From the time a product is manufactured to when it is consumed, RFID offers real-time visibility into shipments and inventory in motion. Using radio waves, data is captured and moved wirelessly to and from the point of business activity — in real time. This unique identifi cation is utilized to match information about the product with the information from a company’s database or host system.

With RFID, items can be read or tracked with minimal human intervention. This has the potential to reduce supply chain inventory levels, operating expenses and provide unequaled supply chain visibility. These aspects — expense reduction and real-time visibility — have attracted companies to deploying RFID systems.

Electronic Product Code (EPC) — the RFID Standard EPCglobal™ is a joint venture between the Uniform Code Council (UCC) and the European Article Numbering (EAN) Association. This is the main organizational body involved in the standardization of the electronic product code (EPC), which is widely used and accepted for RFID systems.

Initially, two classes of EPC tags — Class 0 and Class 1 — existed. An important development has occurred; EPCglobal member companies have defi ned a single tag standard — UHF Class 1 Generation 2 (commonly referred to as Gen 2).

ABOUT MOTOROLA PRODUCTS SYMBOL RFID