What is RFID?
I have been in the RFID industry for nearly ten years, and this is probably the question I get asked the most.
The explanation of RFID on the Internet is easy to find, but it is often uninteresting after reading it, or it is a bunch of terms and explanations.
In fact, RFID is not only very common in our lives, but also a very interesting technology. Let’s ignore what RFID means for now.
In fact, as long as we use an example, we can understand him quite comprehensively.
what is RFID Card
Traffic card
We have all used the transportation card, it is a kind of RFID card. In fact, if you think about it carefully, the bus card is really a magical little thing.
First, he has no battery. A thin card, but it can be recharged and automatically deducted.
Second, it is very versatile. Almost any card reader on a bus or subway platform can read and write.
Third, his encryption must be very good. Otherwise, a powerful hacker can charge unlimited money to his bus card? We hardly hear such news, do we?
Fourth, he is not too expensive. If we return the card, we can get twenty dollars. Because the deposit for the Shanghai Metro Card is 20 yuan. It can be seen that his cost must be less than twenty dollars.
Fifth: He can read and write without touching. Sometimes you put the card in your bag or wallet, and you can swipe the card smoothly.
Sixth: information can be stored. The card reader on the bus is obviously not connected to the Internet, but this does not affect the fact that he can easily deduct the money from our card. It can be seen that, at least, the information such as how much money is in the card is indeed in the card.
Seventh: Uniqueness. There is a serial number on the bus card, that is, the card number, and all cards have their own identity.
When I was a kid, I used to wonder, why is this card so amazing, and what technology did he use?
I didn’t know until I entered the RFID industry that this is RFID technology.
RFID card and reader
RFID Functions
The bus card is a good interpretation of several main functions of RFID.
First: Passivity. Reading and modification of information can be done even without the need for batteries.
Second: generality. Different card machines and different cards can be easily read and written as long as a set of rules (or protocols) are formulated.
Third: encryption. His encryption level can be very high, as high as the level of a bank card.
Fourth: economy. RFID tags can be very cheap.
Fifth: non-contact. He does not have to be in contact to read and write like a magnetic stripe card, and can read and write from a distance.
Sixth: storage function. Stores information
Seventh: Uniqueness. Thousands of cards, all with their own identity, are unique.
After learning about these magical and interesting functions of RFID, are you interested in having a further understanding of it?
Next I try to explain as much as possible so that everyone can understand.
RFID card inlay
Dismantling Text
The RFID dismantling text is actually composed of the abbreviations of three English words.
R is for radio, and everyone knows it means radio. Another meaning of his is “radio waves”. In fact, radio is radio waves, and then the meaning of radio is derived.
F is frequency, frequency. Radio waves have frequencies, and how many megazz the radio frequency we are familiar with refers to the frequency band of the radio.
Radio frequency is connected together and can be translated into “radio frequency” which is the frequency of radio waves.
ID is identification. Our ID card is called ID card.
RFID technology, that is, Radio frequency identification technology. Linked together is “identification technology through the frequency of radio waves” referred to as “radio frequency identification technology”.
So how does RFID technology realize encryption without batteries, and realize long-distance reading and writing?
How RFID works
In fact, RFID essentially uses a principle of physics: that is, radio waves and electrical energy can be converted into each other.
Take bus cards for example. You get on a bus, and the card reader on the bus is both a “transmitter” and a “receiver”. The credit card machines on the buses that are connected to the power supply are emitting radio waves all the time.
Our bus card actually has several layers of synthesis. If you take a bus card and take it apart with scissors, you can see that his middlemost layer is made up of several parts. First of all you can see a square coil, on one corner of the square coil, there is a small square the size of a grain of rice. This block is actually a microprocessor, and it also has built-in memory, which is a semiconductor module. When the bus card gets closer to the card reader, the signal he receives becomes stronger and stronger; and when the wireless telecommunication signal reaches a certain threshold, the semiconductor conducts electricity. The Cary’s coil (antenna) picks up enough radio energy to convert it into electricity, which instantly activates the circuit. With electricity, Cary’s tiny chips come into play. The “miniature brain” (chip) of the bus card understands the information sent by the card machine, such as deduction of two yuan. Then he will look up a balance in his card, oh, and ten dollars, that’s enough. That’s ok, agree to deduct two yuan, the bus card will convert the electric energy into radio waves again, and send a signal to the card machine to inform the card machine that the balance is sufficient and agree to deduct the fee. After the card machine receives the signal, it sends a message again to confirm that the deduction of 2 yuan has been implemented, and the chip has been received. Please confirm that 2 yuan has been deducted. At this time, the card machine made a beep and deducted “2 yuan”. In this way, 2 yuan is deducted from the bus card, and 2 yuan is added to the card machine. There are a lot of links, but in fact all the above processes are completed in less than a second.
Identity
An ID card is to give a person an identity. Through the ID number, everyone’s identity can be distinguished. The transportation card is to give the card an identity. Through the serial number of the card, the identity of each card can also be distinguished. Then, if a label is attached to the item, the identity of each item will be distinguished by the serial number of the label. This is the Internet of Everything.
With the update of technology.
Labels are getting smaller and can now be a few millimeters in size. Prices are getting cheaper and labels are now available for a few cents.
The reading and writing distance is getting farther and farther. At present, the label of a few cents can be read from 7 meters away.
The Internet of Things
Well, when most of the things around us are connected to the Internet of Things, we have entered an era of Internet of Things; all things we can know his origin, his shelf life, when they need to be replaced, and where they are now. For example, when all the items in your refrigerator are tagged with RFID, the era of smart refrigerators will really come. You can check what’s in the fridge with just one click from your phone. And their production date and shelf life, which items are to be reminded for replenishment, and which items need to be eaten as soon as possible. All this information can be seen at a glance through the display on your phone or refrigerator. Is it smarter and more practical than the current smart refrigerator?
Applications in other fields
In fact, RFID is widely used in many other fields besides payment. For example, in the field of warehousing and logistics, Walmart replaced all of their warehouse management barcode labels with RFID tags many years ago. This move has enabled them to increase the efficiency of the inventory point by more than ten times in a very short period of time, while saving two-thirds of the labor.
RFID has been more and more integrated into our life now, we have reason to believe that with the development of technology, it will usher in an infinitely broad future.
Keyword: RFIDHY Warehousing NFC tag RFID Solutions
Written by Li Shijun Shanghai RFIDHY
Original copy, please indicate the source
