Friday, December 01, 2006

USING RFID: MAJOR PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

There are many issues in using RFIDs - each of which will need time and focus to resolve:

* Tag choice and affixing method (some tags are not readable through liquids)
* Reader/Tag interaction - acceptable reading distances can be up to 2m (7 feet)
* Antenna design and spacing - where are the antennas in relation to the package
* Rate of movement and quantity of tags - readers use special anti-collision software to identify different tags in their viewing area
* Choice of Middleware - the software used to manage the flow of data from readers and integrate with back-end systems
* Integration into the Global EPC database structure, using open source systems such as Savant to link to the "home" database for the product
* Integration into existing back-end management and inventory systems
* Sheer quantity of data if every item is tagged - puts pressure on databases and network components

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