How to Choose RFID Tags? A Beginner’s Guide

With the wide range of RFID (radio frequency identification) tags readily available in the market, it can be quite perplexing when trying to choose the right one for your desired applications. Choosing the right tag is an intimidating task, and it needs a thorough understanding of how interrogators and tags work. Also, it is important to have a detailed briefing of the business processes performed on the objects to be tagged.

The first step to take is having a detailed picture of what needs to be accomplished or what the problem is that needs to be solved. Having a better understanding of the requirement of business requirements, scope, budget, and other aspects, one can easily choose the best RFID tag.

The following write-up serves as a guide on the elements you must consider when selecting a tag. The most significant factors that impact tag selection include the types, reading range, and frequency.

Types of RFID Tags

According to the experts providing top-notch RFID warehouse software, RFID can be divided into two categories - passive and active tags. Each holds definite features which simply differentiate in its applicability.

· Active tags have an incredible reading range - 300 feet or 100 metres. Reading ranges can vary based on the manufacturer and the product. Due to the battery and construction of the active tags, they are larger and usually designed as smart labels. Active tags last a few years and must be replaced if the battery has been exhausted.

Active tags can be further divided into beacons and transponders. Beacons generate specific data between three to five seconds. Transponders are incredibly efficient since they preserve the battery life when the tag is not inside the reader.

· Passive tags are pricier than active tags. When the tag is not in the interrogation zone, it does not function and has no power. The tag derives power from the electromagnetic waves emitted by the RFID reader. A passive tag has an internal antenna and an integrated circuit. It can carry and transmit small quantities of information.

Reading Range

The professionals providing RFID personnel tracking systems said high-frequency, and low-frequency tags have short reading ranges and are perfect for the applications like payment systems. A higher range, unfortunately, poses an immense security risk.

Using a long reading range just creates interference. There are different factors that affect the range of the RFID tag. In order to develop a successful system, it is imperative to establish the requirements or specifications for range reading.

Creating a line for, say, in the sand and then establishing the fact that you need a reading range of X is crucial in choosing the most appropriate RFID tag. The ultra-high frequency tags are perfect for applications that need a large reading range, like tags in a supply chart. For the extreme ranges, an active tag might be considered instead.

Environment Conditions

Integrated chips are moderately delicate and can be stored in materials to protect them under even some of the most difficult conditions. In given steady conditions, like tagging books in a library or book store, modest storage can offer adequate safety for the electronic components of every tag.

At the other end of the spectrum, tags used in different industrial applications must perform instead of great exposure to severe heat or cold, vibration, physical impact, moisture, as well as chemical agents.

Evaluate ecological circumstances in the facility and any given setting where the tag passes through during the lifetime. Reports suggest that the environment settings affect the RFID tag's reading range or reading rate. Businesses may need to use encapsulated tags to protect them from chemicals or abrasion in the environment.

Frequencies

The choice of tag frequencies rests on elements such as the material to be tagged, reading range requisites, and information rates. The high and low-frequency tags use magnetic fields for transmitting energy through induction.

As a consequence, the signal is properly defined but quite weak. Ultra-high frequency instead exploits the electric fields for transmitting energy through propagation. The range may be more, but the readings are ambiguous.

When choosing inventory management RFID solutions for any other purpose, make sure to rely on the best provider in your locality. The modern-day organizations that manufacture technological products use open standards instead of proprietary ones.

The cost of RFIDs may be alleviated due to the abundance, and the assistance for them has a greater chance to remain readily available for a prolonged period. That’s great. Be it active RFID or any other modern technologies with a similar kind of functionality have their own system and specific considerations.

Get in touch with industry experts to know which particular option makes the most suitable option for RFID tags. The experts will guide you in the best possible manner. Please feel free to share your thoughts regarding the post as well as your queries below in the comment section.