RFID Systems and Operating Principles

Vlad Krotov DISC 4397 Section 12977

University of Houston Bauer College of Business Spring 2005
Presentation Source: Finkenzeller, 2003 Image Source: Checkpoint Systems

Announcements:

Feb 7 class (Monday) will be held in room 290G

Last class
13.56MHz RFID Systems (HF) 400-1000MHz RFID Systems (UHF) 2.4GHz RFID Systems (Microwave)

Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)

Why EAS?
Shoplifters steal more than US$10 billion a year from U.S. retailers ($60 billion worldwide) Shoplifting means:
lost sales higher inventory costs tighter margins

Source: Checkpoint Systems, 2005

Evolution of EAS
RFID = Identification + EAS Most RFID system (identification) also carry the functionality for theft prevention Shrinkage reduction:
POS Warehouse

1-Bit Transponders
A bit is the smallest unit of information that can have only two states:
1 = transponder in interrogating zone 0 = no transponder in interrogating zone

EAS system architecture

Reader antenna Security element (tag) Deactivation device Activator device

Radio Frequency
The radio frequency (RF) uses LC resonant circuits adjusted to a particular frequency Tags: Modern Systems employ coils etched between foils in the form of a stickon label

Radio Frequency
The reader generates a magnetic field in the radio frequency range When tag is moves into the vicinity of the magnetic alternating field, energy from the alternating field induces voltage in the tags coil (Faradays Law) If the frequency of the readers field corresponds with the frequency of the tags circuit, the tags circuit produces a sympathetic oscillation (also starts to oscillate)

Radio Frequency
The current that that flows in the tags circuit, as a result of the sympathetic oscillation, ultimately acts against its cause the magnetic field of the reader This resistance leads to a small voltage drop in the readers coil and ultimately leads to decrease in magnetic field strength To ensure better detection rate, the reader may sweep across frequencies

Radio Frequency
In order to deactivate an item, the item is placed into deactivator Deactivator generates a sufficiently high magnetic field that the induced voltage destroys the foil capacitor of the circuit The breakdown of the capacitor is irreversible

Radio Frequency
The detection rate can be as low as 70% The detection rate is heavily influenced by certain materials (especially metal) Both reader antenna and tag must have adequate size to ensure adequate data transmission

Microwave
Tag received frequency wave from the reader Then the tag multiplies the frequency and sends it back to the reader After receiving the multiplied frequency signal, the system is able to detect the presence of the tag

Microwave
If the signal is modulated (ASK, FSK), then interference from other signals can be prevented Microwave EAS systems are less sensitive to metal parts Microwave systems are typically used to protect textiles

Frequency Divider
The procedure operates in the long wave range at 100125.5 kHz Tag contains a microchip and a resonant circuit coil made of wound copper The resonant circuit is made to resonate at the operating frequency of the EAS system Tag derives power from the magnetic field The frequency received from the reader is divided by two by the microchip and send back to the reader The tag has to be removed from a product after purchase

Electromagnetic EAS
This type of EAS operates using strong magnetic fields in the range from 10 Hz to around 20kHz Tag contains a strip of a soft magnetic metal Through magnetization, the strip emits osculation at the frequency of the system The tags are usually in the form of self-adhesive magnetic strips with lengths ranging from 2cm to 20cm To deactivate a tag, the cashier runs a strong permanent magnet along the metal strip magnetization of the element Due to the extremely low frequency, electromagnetic systems are the only systems suitable for products containing metal However, system performance depends on tag position

Acoustomagnetics
Tags come in the form of small, thin plastic boxes The box contains two metal strips
Hard metal strip Strip made from amorphous metal (can vibrate)

The strip vibrates at the frequency of the system One advantage of this system is the strip continues to oscillate even after the readers field is switched off higher sensitivity of the system To deactivate the tag, it has to be demagnetized

Transmission Procedures
In the half duplex procedure (HDX) the data transfer from the transponder to the reader alternates with data transfer from the reader to the transponder In the full duplex procedure (FDX) the data transfer from the transponder to the reader takes place at the same time as the data transfer from the reader to the transponder In the sequential systems (SEQ), the transfer of energy from the reader takes place for a limited period of time. Data transfers occur in between these energy pulses

Advantages of SEQ Systems

The available operating voltage is up to twice that of a comparable half/full duplex systems The energy available to the chip can take, theoretically any value

Data Transmission
AKS: amplitude shift keying FSK: frequency shift keying PSK: phase shift keying
Most systems use ASK