RFID Technology…

Trends and Challenges

April 2006By

Nalini Mahadeo

RFID Technology…Opportunities and challenges

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• To educate, inform and share information on a rapidly growing technology.

• To create a forum for discussion.

• To facilitate development of a network amongst RFID stakeholders.

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• RFID History

• RFID system components– Tags, Readers, Spectrum, Antennas

• RFID Models

• Regulatory Considerations

• Market Trends

• Challenges– Standards, Security, Privacy, Societal impact

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• Radio Frequency Identification or RFID refers to the set of technologies that use radio waves for identifying objects or people.

Identification System

Wireless Link

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Item to identify

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• Does not require line of sight

• Can withstand harsh environments

• Can be reused

• Can be read in groups

• Allows for data security

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Three Main Components:• Tags (or transponders) - carry identifying

data

• Readers (or transceivers) - read/write tag data & interfaces with system

• Back-end infrastructures - process the data

RFID Basics

RS485 Serial Interface

Computer

ID Tag

Reader

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• Communicate with RFID tags.

• Also called an interrogator because it “interrogates" the tag.

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Tags• Passive Tags

• Semi-Passive Tags

• Active Tags

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Active33% (2004)

Passive67% (2004)

Semi-Passive

Battery Yes (used for communication)

No Yes(not used for communication)

Distance ~ 300ft 4” - 15ft < 150 ft

Price > 37 TTD > 0.7 TTD > 7 TTD

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• World smallest RFID chip– 2.45 GHz – Passive transponder– 30 cm reading distance– Battery-less– Secure (ROM) – Simplicity

0.4 mm x 0.4mm x 0.15mm

approx. 50mm

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• Radio Spectrum -limited Resource for RFID

• FCC Part 15 (NA)- 902-928 MHz (50 channels)

• ETSI 208 (EU)- 865.6-867.6 MHz (10 channels)

• Reader signal and Tag signal need to be separate

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100%

20

04

125

KHz

6.78

MH

z

13.5

6 M

Hz

433

MH

z 868/

915

MH

z

2.45

GH

z

LF HF VHF UHF μwave

Car

d ke

y, a

cces

s

cont

rol

Bagg

age

hand

ling,

track

ing

hosp

ital

equi

p Supp

ly c

hain

, mat

eria

ls

man

agem

ent

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Frequency, Antenna & Range

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• Usage of channel– Industrial, Scientific, & Medical (ISM) Bands– Primary service– Secondary service

• Narrowband or Spread Spectrum

• Power limits

• Equipment certification

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Miniaturization and declining prices

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• Governance of resources– Control of UIDs

• Standards-setting and interoperability– ITU to coordinate

• Data Protection and Consumer Privacy– Integrity of data and its use

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• Animal – ISO 11784, ISO 11785,ISO 14223

• Smart card– ISO 10536, ISO 14443, ISO 15693

• Item management– ISO 18000 series, EPC Global, GTAG initiative

• Test methods– ISO 10373 (Smart Card)

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Standards Organisations

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

IEEE INCITS

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

International TelecommunicationsUnion (ITU) (United Nations)

TC 122/104 JWGSC Apps RFID

TC 8Ships & Marine Tech

SC 31Automatic Data Capture

ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1(JTC 1)

ITU-T (fka CCITT)Telecommunications

ITU-R (fka CCIR & IFBR)Radio-frequency Issues

ITU-D (fka BDT)Telecommunications Development

ECMAComité Européen Normalisation(CEN)

Comité Européen NormalisationElectrotechnique (CENELEC)

Comité Européen Postal &Telegraph (CEPT)

TC 104Freight Containers

International

Regional

NationalStandards Assoc of

China (SAC)AFNOR

Deutches Institutfur Normung (DIN) JISCANSIBritish Standards

Institution (BSI)

AIMMHI GS 1 CEA

Industry

Other

DoD ATA CEA AIA HIBCC AIAG GS 1 Other

WG 1 - Symbology

WG 2 - Data Content

WG 3 - Conformance

WG 4 - RFID

Universal Postal Union (UPU) (United Nations)

T6 B10

SC 17IC Cards

VDA

ODETTE

WG 5 - RTLS

TC 122Packaging

SC 6Telcom & info exchbtwn systems

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• Technology

• Data Content

• Conformance

• Network

• Application Standards

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• Unauthorized disabling tags

• Spoofing and Impersonation

• Passive signal interception of signals from the RFID tag or Reader

• Unauthorized reading of RFID tag

• Hacking tool for RFID tag is available on Internet

• More elaborate cases of attacking RFID tags

• Privacy infringement

Data Protection

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• Impact of consumer concerns over Privacy

• Is being addressed

• Lack of clarity– How to avoid divide– How to convince users to progress

PRIVATE

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Privacy

Socio-ethical

•Consumer rights

•Public Awareness

•Disclosure

•Consumer advocacy

Economic/Market

•Self Regulation

•Codes of Conduct

•Privacy certification

•Consumer education

Technical

•Encryption

•ID Management

•Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs)

Legal/Regulatory

•Consumer consent

•Collection limitation

•Use limitation

•Openness

•Accountability

Privacy Protection

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BusinessBusiness

LifeLife

InfrastructureInfrastructure

Potential to change lifestyles

( Physical distribution, Inventory control )

( Guidance for handicapped people or tourists )

( Food safety, Products traceability )

Potential Impact of RFID

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• Expected to be most dense, customer installed radio network

• Data deluge- another internet/cellular communication system

• Sensors and item level tagging may take us from mission critical retail to revolutionary lifestyles

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Ms. Nalini Mahadeo

Wireless Engineer

Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

Phone: 675-8288

Fax: 674-1055

Email: rfid@tatt.org.tt