RFID Technology
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, also known as electronic tags or wireless radio frequency identification, is a communication technology that can identify specific targets and read/write related data via radio signals without the need for mechanical or optical contact between the identification system and the specific target.
Meaning of RFID
RFID is the abbreviation of Radio Frequency Identification, i.e., wireless radio frequency identification, commonly known as electronic tags.
Introduction to RFID Technology
Initially in the technical field, a transponder referred to an electronic module capable of transmitting and replying to information. In recent years, due to the rapid development of radio frequency technology, the transponder has gained new terminology and meaning, and is now also called a smart tag or tag. The reader (read/write device) of the RFID electronic elevator certificate communicates wirelessly with the RFID electronic tag through an antenna, enabling read or write operations on the tag identification code and memory data. A typical reader contains a high-frequency module (transmitter and receiver), a control unit, and a reader antenna. RFID radio frequency identification is a non-contact automatic identification technology that automatically identifies target objects and obtains related data via radio frequency signals. The identification process requires no manual intervention and can operate in various harsh environments. RFID technology can identify high-speed moving objects and simultaneously identify multiple tags, making operation fast and convenient.
RFID is a simple wireless system with only two basic components, used for controlling, detecting, and tracking objects. The system consists of an interrogator (or reader) and many transponders (or tags).
Basic Working Principle of RFID Technology
The basic working principle of RFID technology is not complex: when a tag enters the magnetic field, it receives the radio frequency signal emitted by the reader, and sends the product information stored in the chip using the energy obtained from the induced current (Passive Tag), or the tag actively sends a signal of a certain frequency (Active Tag). The reader reads and decodes the information, then sends it to the central information system for data processing. A complete RFID system consists of three parts: a reader, electronic tags (TAG), also known as transponders, and an application software system. Its working principle is that the reader emits radio wave energy of a specific frequency to the transponder to drive the transponder circuit to send out its internal data, after which the reader sequentially receives and decodes the data and sends it to the application for corresponding processing.
Based on the communication and energy induction methods between the RFID card reader and the electronic tag, it can generally be divided into two types: Inductive Coupling and Backscatter Coupling. Generally, low-frequency RFID mostly adopts the former, while higher-frequency RFID mostly adopts the latter.
Depending on the structure and technology used, the reader can be a read or read/write device, serving as the information control and processing center of the RFID system. The reader is typically composed of a coupling module, a transceiver module, a control module, and an interface unit. Information exchange between the reader and the transponder generally adopts half-duplex communication, while the reader provides energy and timing to passive transponders through coupling. In practical applications, functions such as collection, processing, and remote transmission of object identification information can be further realized via Ethernet or WLAN. The transponder is the information carrier of the RFID system. Currently, most transponders are passive units composed of coupling components (coils, microstrip antennas, etc.) and microchips.