RFID

Radio Frequency IDentification

By: Jeremy Yager

RFID - Overview

 RFID, as the name suggests, uses RF devices

to communicate identification information.
 This is achieved by using small devices known
as tags to carry unique identification for the
object, person, or animal carrying the tag.
 In most applications, a second device, known
as a reader, polls the RFID tag for its
identification information.
History of RFID
 IFF: Identification, Friend or
Foe. Developed in WWII by
British to distinguish returning
Allied aircraft from invading
German bombers.
 In 60's and 70's RFID gained
usage in inventory and access
control of radioactive/nuclear
materials.
Private Sector and Research
 In 1977, RFID technology was transferred to the
private sector. The first applications were cattle
identification and monitoring--to replace branding--and
in railroad car inventory management.
 RFID also began to see use in wildlife monitoring and
research. RFID tags can be used to monitor animal
movement without adversely affecting the animal,
giving researchers more data to understand behaviors
that may be difficult to observe directly.
Uses of RFID Today

 Inventory tags: Small size and low cost of tags

allows widespread usage in inventory control.
For example, Walmart now requires top 100
suppliers to include RFID tags on all
merchandise.
 Shipping containers: In addition to inventory,
tags can be used to monitor history, condition
and security of container.
Uses in Manufacturing

 Manufacturing: RFID tags are used to track material

and processes on shop floors.
 In a newer application, tags embedded in the floor
give location information to mobile equipment (i.e.
forklifts) to navigate autonomously around the shop.
 These uses in industry center around the
management buzzword ‘Supply Chain Visibility’
Other Uses of RFID
 No-stop toll booths to improve traffic flow
 Cashless payment
 Security/Access Control
 Supermarkets
 Medical monitoring
 Theft deterrent, e.g car-key RFID tags
 Any application requiring unique identification of
objects in an inexpensive and unobtrusive way…
Types of RFID Tags

There are three types of RFID Tags:

 Active Tags
 Passive Tags
 Semi-Passive Tags (actually, technically a
subset of passive)
Active RFID Tags

Active RFID Tags use a radio transceiver to

communicate with tracking system. This
requires the inclusion of a battery with the unit.
 Pros: Longer range than passive. Battery
allows much more sophisticated control logic.
 Cons: Larger and heavier due to battery.
Currently more expensive than passive tags.
Passive RFID Tags
Passive tags use backscatter modulation of reader field
to communicate with reader. Purely passive tags use the
reader’s field to power onboard logic through power
scavenging techniques.
 Pros: Very small. Can be millimetric in dimension. Does
not require a battery. Can be very inexpensive (<$0.25
each in large quantities)
 Cons: Antenna system used for power scavenging and
communication is difficult to design and to attach to the
device. Readable range is very limited. Onboard logic
capability is very limited.
Backscatter Modulation?!
 Antenna theory: A tuned receiving antenna
retransmits a portion of incident RF energy.
This retransmission is known as scattering--
backscattering if it is in the direction of the
original transmitter. This backscattering can be
detected by another antenna.
 By continuously tuning and detuning an
antenna element, the amount of backscattering
can be controlled.
Backscatter Modulation, Continued
 By changing the antenna element tuning in a well-
defined manner, backscattering from antenna can be
modulated to transmit information. The signal is actually
the amplitude of the backscattering from the tag
antenna. This method is used by all passive tags.
 Care must be taken with design, however. When
antenna is detuned, the tag is no longer receiving power
from the reader’s field. If the antenna spends too much
time in the detuned state, the tag will exhaust its energy
storage and lose power without a battery backup.
Semi-Passive RFID Tags
Semi-passive tags use battery power for logic like an
active tag, and backscatter modulation for
communication like a passive tag.
 Pros: Antenna design can be optimized for
communication, as in active tags, rather than
compromise design for both power scavenging and
communication. Can have more sophisticated onboard
logic. No radio transceiver required, as in passive.
 Cons: Readable range is still quite limited. Size and
weight of battery.
Communication Protocol
Design Decision: Who starts communication, the reader
or the tag? Be careful, this has known to degenerate
into somewhat of a religious war!
 Tag Talks First: Tag communicates as soon as it
detects reader field. Simplifies tag logic, but less secure
because tag doesn't care what it is communicating with,
as long as sufficient field strength is available.
 Reader Talks First: Tag waits for interrogation by reader
before transmitting information. Opposite pros and cons
versus ‘Tag Talks First’.
Frequency Bands of RFID
 LF band: 125 and 135 kHz
 HF band 13.56 MHz
These frequency bands can be used freely worldwide.
The low frequencies here optimize transmission
distance by minimizing free-space losses.
 UHF band: 915 MHz
 MW band: 2.4 GHz
These frequency specifications are for the US only,
Europe and Japan have different frequency
specifications for UHF/MW.
Issues in RFID

 Tag Security: On-tag encryption can defend

against eavesdropping, but this increases size
and power requirement of tag logic.
 Illegal/unethical monitoring of RFID tags: This
is a major controversy surrounding RFID right
now.
 Embedding of RFID tags in humans: This has
been proven to work, but should it be done?
Tag Security/Tag Lifetime

 Tags can remain functional long after original

intent (inventory) is no longer needed--
especially passive tags that can essentially
work forever.
 Tags often use Tag-Talks-First model, allowing
anyone with the correct tag frequency and a
high-gain antenna to eavesdrop on
unsuspecting tag carriers.
Ethical Issues in RFID Tagging
 Passive RFID tags could conceivably used for surveillance
of unsuspecting tag carriers
 More than ten states have passed legislation limiting
and/or requiring conspicuous notice of the use of an RFID
tag.
 "How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized
your underwear was reporting on your whereabouts?” —
California State Senator Debra Bowen, at a 2003 hearing
 "Spychips" -- Katherine Albrecht, founder of CASPIAN, a
consumer privacy group
RFID Tags in Humans
 Successful embedding of passive RFID tags
in/under the skin has taken place.
 Applications include high-level security, and
location monitoring of mental patients.
 Skin-embedded RFID can lead to ultimate in
privacy intrusion. (Big Brother, realized?!)
 As RFID becomes more popular, this issue
must be addressed.
Conclusion

 RFID, like any technology, has a variety of

different uses for which it is well suited.
 RFID tags will only become cheaper and more
powerful with improving technology and design
experience
 However, the potential for abuse of this
technology is vast and requires careful
consideration to avoid.
Questions?
Credits

 Picture credits:
http://www.b17sam.com/
http://www.globalsecurity.org/
 Wikipedia
 Larry Martin, “The $1 Wireless Interface”,
Circuit Cellar, Issue 163, February 2004