In general, liquids tend to absorb UHF RF energy while metals tend to reflect it. 

Liquids:  As stated above, liquids absorb UHF RF energy.  What is important to note is that the liquid does not have to actually be in liquid form.  If the item has the ability to hold or attract moisture, you will have to take that into consideration.  For example, a large paper manufacturer found out that because paper has a high moisture content, their large rolls of paper proved more challenging than expected.

Metals:  In most cases, metals reflect UHF RF energy.  This can be a positive or a negative.  In some cases, the metal may reflect the signal in random and unwanted directions. If done correctly, it can help reflect the signal back to the antenna thereby improving performance.  There are many items that have metal content that are not easily apparent.  For example, the shiny packaging you see on grocery items is metallic. 

Therefore, it is important to test your RFID solution thoroughly in your environment with your items as liquids (or high moisture content) and metals (or mineral compounds) will definitely affect the UHF RF energy.  Neither of these should stop you from implementing RFID technology.  With proper system design and engineering, the issues can be addressed and overcome.

I sometimes wonder how successful companies got that way when I see some poor choices they make.  In my previous post I discussed why the RFID market has not seen the dramatic growth that was predicted.  There was another factor that has lead to the slow growth.  The companies who tried to implement RFID and failed for all the wrong reasons.  They hired a systems integrator or a consultant that was not a RFID expert. 

BlueBean receives calls frequently from panicked project managers that has a failed RFID project on his or her hands and needs to be rescued.  At this point their budget is usually busted, the project is not near completion and the read accuracy is poor.  The only out for this project manager is to blame the technology.  He tells his boss that RFID technology is not ready. 
Result: RFID gets the bad rap for a company hiring an inexperienced RFID vendor

The lesson is that RFID projects require an experienced RFID consultant or systems integrator. Companies beware of bar code companies or IT shops pretending to be RFID experts. They can hide behind their technical expertise and be convincing but RFID is a very different animal.  I would recommend asking questions like:
1. What percentage of your annual revenue is from RFID projects?
2. How many complete implementations have you done?
3. How long have you been implementing RFID?
4. Do you have any RFID certifications?

There are few pure RFID consulting and integration companies in the United States.  BlueBean is one of them with over 150 clients.

We have all heard and witnessed that RFID has not exploded onto the scene like initially predicted.  It has seen steady growth but no big breakthroughs...why?

We need to look back a couple of years and look at the market in 2003.  Proprietary RFID equipment (RFID Readers and RFID Tags) were being sold in small quantities but obviously no company was going to invest a large amount of money in proprietary RFID hardware - result: no market movement

In 2005 the EPCglobal Gen 2 standard was passed. Finally the RFID market would explode...wrong. It took most of this year to get the Gen 2 compliant RFID equipment into the hands of integrators and early adapters.  Intermec was claiming it owns the RFID patents and wants everyone to pay royalties - result:unsteady market and only pilot programs

In 2006 the results are being published of tests performed with the first release of  Gen2 compliant RFID Readers and RFID Tags.  The test results are not spectacular.  Wal-Mart slows its roll-out plans - result: slow market growth

In 2007 (of late 2006) the second generation of RFID Hardware was released. Performance was much  improved  and  prices have dropped for both readers and tags - result: closed loop applications have become more common

In 2008 what will happen? The performance of RFID equipment is excellent for pallet and case applications.  RFID Tag and Reader prices have dropped and are very affordable.  Performance is good enough for item level applications to be considered.  What is the key to unlock the door that is holding back the RFID market?  One word...Volume!  If you talk to any of the RFID chip companies (i.e. Alien, Impinj...).  They need volume to drive down prices.  It is no longer an issue of technology it is an issue of economies of scale.  They need volume to drive down tag prices thus making item level applications (pharma, clothing ...) become cost justifiable. Wal Mart, DoD and other retailers need to keep the pressure on and the FDA needs to mandate that all drugs sold in the United States be serialized with a RFID tag. 


Wow!  Looking back on what I just wrote I was only planning on writing a quick post but I really got into this topic:)

As Americans, we all remember 9/11 too well.  The great thing is that the Freedom Tower is now being built where the Twin Towers once stood.  And, did you know that RFID is an integral part of that building process?

 

Active RFID tags are being placed in the concrete foundation so that the builders can monitor the concrete’s complicated curing process. Different grades of concrete are being used in the Tower and each cures differently.  And, the concrete must be cured before it can bear a load.  For some types of concrete and curing process can take weeks.

 

Prior to the use of RFID tags being placed in the concrete, mathematical models were used and they unfortunately had a high error margin so builders would err on the side of caution and let the concrete sit longer to make sure it was definitely cured.  Now, a handheld reader is used to read the tags and make sure the concrete is ready.

 

Another cool use of RFID!  So, now when you visit the Freedom Tower in NYC you’ll know that RFID was an integral part of its construction.  God Bless America!

 

 

In the early days of RFID, RFID tags were placed haphazardly on the cases and packages with no thought on how it would affect the read range.  Now we know better!

We now know that there are locations on every package that are hostile to RF and others that are friendly.  This is important to not only the individual package, but also when the packages are stacked or in a line.  Why does this happen?  Packaging material and item materials play a major role.  For example, if you have a case of liquid laundry detergent, the tag will perform better when away from the liquid.  There is software that shows you the RF-friendly locations (in green) and the RF-hostile locations (in red).

This is a small but critical step in any RFID solution.  After all the time, money and resources utilized in the design and implementation of an RFID solution, wouldn't it be a shame if the warehouse personnel placed the tag right in that big red spot?

Next time I will discuss the challenges of metals and liquids.

While BlueBean mainly focuses on EPCglobal Gen2 RFID applications and some active RFID solutions the recent announcement from Hitachi about a new  RFID Powder is very interesting.  Leveraging the semiconductor  industry advances in manufacturing smaller and smaller IC's Hitachi has managed to strip out all unnecessary circuits to create the smallest RFID tag - .05 x.05 mm - WOW!

Their target market is mainly financial - anti-counterfeit - bonds, currency...

You could easily see where this technology could be embedded in different paper products.  Legal companies, accounting companies and hospitals could take advantage of having RFID tags in every piece of paper.  These organizations all face mountains of paperwork. 

What about the jewelry industry?  Another great opportunity for "Powder" RFID Tags.

It will be interesting to see what form factor the RFID Readers will take to read these little RFID tags.

Hitachi says the RFID Power will be commercially available in 2-3 years.

 As RFID technology matures and the capabilities of RFID equipment improves new and interesting applications arise.  BlueBean has recently started a project using active RFID for a electronics retail chain that wants to correlate the amount of time its sales people spend on the show room floor in their respective departments to actual sales.

Hmmm...who would have thought that RFID could drive more sales?  We all know how Wal Mart is improving out of stocks by utilizing passive RFID to improve its supply chain but to improve people utilization is an interesting idea.  If you have have not spent
time in electronics retail you would be surprised how real-time it is.  Managers look at sales and other metrics by the hour so adding an additional metric of sales people location utilization to this mix will allow them to keep optimizing the same resources to drive more sales.  MAN I LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY!

Let’s talk now about how RFID is being used to improve healthcare and how RFID can be used in hospitals.

 

The RFID technology allows verification of the patient and procedure as well as surgical site.  This can be verified pre-op and in the operating room.

                        

We hear about it on the news all to often that the surgeon performs an operation on the wrong appendage or even performs the wrong operation. 
This use of RFID technology would eliminate any confusion.  This is good news for people like you and me.  Now, the question is, does your hospital use RFID at all?  You may want to check into it!

 

And, by the way, if your hospital doesn’t currently use RFID, BlueBean has great solutions for healthcare systems looking to use RFID in their facilities.  To find out more, check out RFIDHealthcare.com.

So, we’ve talked about how RFID works and how you can get the technical help you need.  Now, let’s talk about a really great RFID product that is simple and easy to use (even for a non-techie!).

                                                         

The BlueBean Simple Conveyor Portal is a radio frequency identification (RFID) conveyor portal/tunnel solution that is specifically designed to be used with existing conveyors.  The portal uses T-slot technology (if I can do it, so can you!) for easy modifications and assembly.  It’s so easy that only one hand-tool is required and it’s even included with your kit!

 

And the best part is that you can use your existing RFID equipment to get this portal up and running.  And, if you don’t have existing RFID equipment, you can order that at RFIDSupplyChain.com too!

 

Additionally, the BlueBean RFID Simple Conveyor Portal Solution kit allows for adjustable antenna mounts and four-side read capability  -- that means less errors and greater productivity.  Even better, the BlueBean RFID Simple Conveyor Portal Solution can be customized for your specific application.  Now that is simple!

With RFID UHF tags, there is a general rule of the thumb:  The larger the tag, the longer the read range.  This is generally true when comparing tags from the same time period.  As with any technology, performance improves while the size decreases over time.  Therefore, a 4' x 4" tag from 2005 will generally not perform as well as a 2" x 2" tag from 2008.

A critical component is the antenna design.  Unfortunately, there is no one best antenna design.  The optimal design is dependent on the application which includes form factor, size limitations, dielectric characteristics of the material to which it is being attached, frequency optimization, etc.


Another general rule of thumb is that a single dipole tag properly lined up with a linear antenna will have a longer read range than a dual dipole tag with a circular antenna.  In my earlier post about RFID antennas, I discussed the difference betwen linear and circular antennas.

Although this is a high-level view, the basic RFID tag factors which affect read range are:
     1.  size
     2.  antenna design
     3.  type

The next in this series will discuss how the item itself affects the read range.

I was chatting online with one of my fellow bloggers the other day.  He was telling me that the warehouse he works in is going to be receiving and processing RFID-tagged items in the near future.  Being somewhat of a non-techie himself, especially where RFID is concerned, he asked me if I knew how this might work and if I could explain it in non-techie terms.  Well, the first thing I told him was that I had to sit down because no one had ever asked ME for RFID advice before!  But seriously, I did know of a great RFID solution for his company…The BlueBean EasyInbound.

 

The EasyInbound is a RFID case receiving line, specifically designed and engineered to efficiently and accurately process both RFID labeled and non-RFID labeled cases.  As the boxes move down the BlueBean EasyInbound RFID case receiving line, the conveyor’s zones control spacing between boxes which allows for proper separation.  The box then passes through a lightweight RFID conveyor portal that is framed with RF-reflective mesh screens and over RF-transparent conveyor rollers to ensure bottom read capability.  These components provide highly accurate RFID receiving read rates.

 

Once the box goes through the portal on the EasyInbound RFID case receiving line, the status lights will indicate whether or not the box had an RFID read.  If the RFID tag on the box was successfully read, the green status light illuminates and it continues down the line. If the RFID tag was not successfully read, the red status light illuminates and it is automatically pushed off the line and down a conveyor specifically for non-RFID labeled cases or RFID labeled cases that failed to read.

 

So, now, I tell my friend, his warehouse can process both RFID-tagged and non-RFID shipments.   Awesome and, dare I say it, Easy(Inbound)! 

 

So, there you have it, my first bit of RFID advice.  Keep those questions coming, fellow bloggers.  And, if I don’t know the answer, I’ll check in with one of my fellow RFID techies and attempt to translate to something us non-techies can understand!  Looking forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, check out BlueBean's EasyInbound in action...

Looking for just the right gift for Valentine's Day for the technology-savvy person in your life?  Well, check out your local Ford dealership...they now have trucks available with RFID to keep track of your tools and other assets!

According to RFIDUpdate, The newest mobile RFID reader is more than six feet wide, 17 feet long, weighs a few thousand pounds, and is known more for its horsepower than its MHz. Ford's popular F-150 pickup trucks are now available with an RFID reader integrated in the bed to monitor cargo. ...Ford Work Solutions is a series of software and services for vehicle, worker, and asset management. It is targeted to contractors and other customers who use their vehicles for work. The applications rely on an in-dash computer now offered as an option for 2009 model year F-150 and F-Series Super Duty pickups and E-Series vans....Customers receive a supply of specially designed Gen2 RFID tags to apply to the tools, toolboxes, containers, or other items they want to track.

So, how cool is that?  Your truck can actually track your assets for you and before you leave a site you can check to make sure you have everything you came with!

If this is a little out of your price range, remember that flowers, cards and chocolate work well too!  Happy Valentine's Day.

Contrary to Tina Turner, frequency like love has everything to do with it.  RFID technologies operate at many frequencies, but I will only cover the most common passive ones here:  low-frequency (125 MHz), high-frequency (13.56 MHz) and ultra high-frequency (860-960 MHz).

Low-frequency (LF) passive solutions operate around 125 MHz, use less power and are less susceptible to liquids.  Read ranges are in inches.

High-frequency (HF) passive RFID solutions operate around 13.56 MHz, use more power and are less susceptible to metals.  Read ranges are at most a few feet.

Ultra-high-frequency (UHF) passive RFID solutions operate between 860-960 MHz (depending on the country), uses the most power of the three and are less likely to pass through materials.  The data transfer rate is faster than LF and HF and the read ranges can be as high as 30 feet or more.

As you can see, frequency plays a role in determining the read range of a solution.  Next time I will continue with the role the reader and antennas play.

This is a three part series covering the three main pieces to an RFID system: 

Three main Components:

Hardware (1/3)     
Middleware (2/3)     
Back - End Software (3/3)

Middleware (2/3):     {Getting the Tag ID and Reader info. to your system}

All systems need to be equipped with a middleware application.  Middleware is software that talks to the RFID readers.  It is this application that bridges the RFID system.  The middleware connects the reader to possible back - end software , while managing the system data and business logic

Most middleware programs are add - ons to an application server. 

“An application server (or app server) is a component-based product that resides in the middle-tier of a server centric architecture. It provides middleware services for security, state maintenance, along with data access and persistence.”          (Courtesy of Barry and Associates)

Price becomes a factor when choosing the right middleware to use.  Larger companies who are already using advanced applications may be able to find an add-on or tool-kit for their system; however, a smaller company may need to look into the open-source market.

Integrating the RFID middleware is an extensive project that may require software solution consulting.



A few examples of RFID middleware apps. (* signifies open source)

** Blue Bean offers RFIDSimpleware which is an easy way to connect quickly and effectively to your RFID reader, they can further deliver middleware needs as required **

SunRFID* - Sun Microsystems 
Microsoft - Biz Talk  - Article Covering Business Aspects
Oracle* 
IBM Websphere
Singularity*

Wow, we have covered lots of ground on the different parts of the RFID system the additional components.  Now, let's talk about software.

RFID software makes reading and retrieving the tag data easier.  Products like BlueBean's RFIDSimpleware, which comes in a few different version for different readers, allows you to easily retrieve tag data without having to write any code yourself (hey, is that perfect for us non-techies or what?)

Other software, such as Integral RFID's Hotspot assists the user in determining the best place to place the tag on your products to optimize readability.

Once again, although not a necessary component of the RFID system, it certainly can make RFID implementation easier.

Stay tuned for more non-techie RFID talk coming to a blog near you soon!

I don't know about you, but this Super Bowl had to be one of the most exciting games I've ever seen.  If I had a vote on the MVP, it would have to go to Steve Spagnuolo, Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants.  Although there were many players that played exceptionally well, it was the defensive plan of Spagnuolo that won the game. 

So what does this have to do with RFID?  Bear with me while I try to explain.  Any implementation is as only as good as the plan - whether we are talking football or RFID projects. 

Many clients call because they have an issue that they feel RFID can help.  Some clients try to do the design of the RFID project themselves - or they hire a company that offers RFID consulting as one of many services in their portfolio.  I've heard many people say that they are technical so they should not have a problem.  Would someone be able to do your job properly if he only did it once with no experience?  As you can imagine, the resulting "plan" is not solid and problems multiply as time goes by.

For this reason (and others), it is valuable to hire a RFID consulting and systems integration companythat focuses only on RFID technology for at least the design phase.  That way you are guaranteed a plan that will best meet your needs and allows you to triumph over your competition!

As a Vikings fan, I patiently await for next season...

This is a three part series covering the three main pieces to an RFID system: 

Three main Components:

Hardware (1/3)     
Middleware (2/3)     
Back - End Software (3/3)


Hardware (1/3):
The hardware is the RF - analog side to the RFID system.  It is here where the tag information will be read and sent to the interrogator for analysis.

Readers:

Readers handle the tags and also manage the power, number of reads, and also I/O's that may be added to the system.

Readers come in many flavors and the right reader is a preference to the application’s needs.

- - An ALIEN 9800 reader is being used for my RFID project - -

Tags:

There are many ways to read and represent an RFID tag, and the technology continues to grow and advance.  The fundamental ways to read a tag is to have the tags passively or actively perform.  The active tag is equipped with an internal power source as to transmit who it is when it is needed.  The passive approach may use power from the reader, or could also manipulate the readers signal as to distinguish its identity.  Class 1 Generation 2 tags are a newer more secure class for tagging.

- - Class 1 Generation 2 is being used in the project - -

Antennas:

Antennas are what send and receive the RF information.  Most systems use at least two antennas to handle the transmitting and receiving.  The pattern of the antennas transmission and reception is design to get the most reads for the amount of power being used; providing the largest reception band possible.  The most popular pattern is a circular pattern, to create a spherical zone of interrogation.

Recently I was an expert moderator for a 400 level RFID class at a university and a student posted an interesting question:

"How do you communicate to upper management the benefits of using RFID?" 

This is a very good question.  I typically break down the benefits into three categories:

1. Intangibles - benefits of implementing a RFID system where no dollar savings can be calculated (Better costing, improved charge audit capabilities, improved job satisfaction...)

2. Soft Savings - you can calculate a dollar savings but it will not be used as part of the ROI calculation (i.e. improvement in nurses productivity by improving out of stocks so the nurse doesn't need to search for supplies - 5% improvement * 40 nurses = $210,000/yr in productivity.  This is a soft savings because the number of nurses does not decrease.)

3. Hard savings - you can calculate a savings and it will reduce expenses or increase revenue (reduction in inventory shrinkage, reduction in headcount....)

It is important to note that for some projects the soft savings could be included with the hard savings to calculate a ROI for the project.  The other part of the ROI calculation is the cost piece...RFID Equipment, RFID Middleware, RFID Tags, Consulting & Design Services.

Alien Technology has recently introduced what they call a game changer when it comes to RFID Readers.  They introduced the ALR-9650, a single Gen2 reader with an integrated antenna. They introduced a very different form factor then what we expect from RFID readers.  Typical readers have four or eight antenna ports and cost $1500-$2000 each and if you add in one antenna it would cost an additional $200.  The ALR-9650 is a single unit that is a reader and antenna which makes it perfect for single read point applications. Just in case you need a two read point reader it allows for a second external antenna.  The ALR-9650 can be purchased for around $850.

The ALR-9650 takes up little space; at only 9 inches square it uses less than half the real-estate of a typical reader and antenna system. This unit is nice to use in applications where the reader is visible to the consumer or general public since there are no antenna cables and is rather stylish. Colleges and universities could create cost effective labs for students to get some hands on experience.

Alien has again shown that it can compete against the big RFID hardware suppliers such as Motorola and Intermec.  They continue to innovate and are quicker to the market with innovative products like the ALR-9650.


.

Invariably, every discussion about an RFID solution comes down to the same question:  How far will I be able to read the tag?  And, of course, everyone expects a quick and reliable answer.  For those of us that deal with RFID every day, we know that this seemingly innocuous question is anything but. 

For passive RFID (where the tag does NOT have its own power source), there are many variables that affect the read distance including:

• the frequency of the RFID hardware 
• the RFID reader 
• type of antenna 
• placement of antenna 
• type of tag 
• placement of tag 
• item being tagged 
• what the item is made of 
• what the items contains 
• the packaging around the item 
• presence of metal 
• presence of liquids 
• temperature 
• humidity 
• other RF interference 

You get the picture.  It is easy to now see why there is no exact answer to this question without testing in your envirornment.  In following posts, I will discuss some of these points in additional detail.