RFID stands for Radio-frequency identification, which is a technology that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of three components: a scanning antenna, a transceiver, and a transponder. The transponder, also known as an RFID tag, contains a microchip that stores and processes information, an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals, and a substrate. The tag information is stored in a non-volatile memory. RFID provides a way for organizations to identify and manage stock, tools, and equipment without manual data entry.
RFID technology has been commercially available since the 1970s and can be found in various applications such as car keys, employee identification, medical history/billing, highway toll tags, and security access cards. RFID tags can store a range of information from one serial number to several pages of data.
RFID is similar to barcoding in that data from a tag or label are captured by a device that stores the data in a database. However, RFID has several advantages over systems that use barcode asset tracking software. The most notable is that RFID tag data can be read outside the line-of-sight, whereas barcodes must be aligned with an optical scanner.
RFID systems use radio waves at several different frequencies to transfer data. In health care and hospital settings, RFID technologies include inventory control, patient identification, and tracking medical equipment. The United States government uses two types of RFID technology for border management—vicinity and proximity.
In summary, RFID is a wireless technology that uses radio waves to identify and track tags attached to objects. It has various applications such as inventory control, patient identification, and tracking medical equipment. RFID tag data can be read outside the line-of-sight, making it more advantageous than barcode asset tracking software.
