Radio Frequency Identification Spring 2005 Semester CMPE 297 Research Presentation By RESCUE team Ashwin Venkatesh Gautham Mudra Srikanth Narayan Tsegu Yonas

Agenda What is RFID ? Components of RFID RFID Tags & Readers How does RFID work ? Applications of RFID Next-Generation RFID Security issues Advantages Cost Structure Conclusion Q & A

What is RFID ? RFID is a technology which allows an object or person to be identified at a distance, using radio waves to energize and communicate with some form of tag or card. RFID is an Automated Data Collection (ADC) technology that uses radio-frequency waves to transfer data between a reader and a movable item for identification, categorization, tracking, etc. RFID is fast & reliable, and does not require physical sight or contact between reader/scanner and the tagged item.

Components of RFID Transponder/Tag - Contains uniquely identifiable data about the item with RFID tag. Antenna - Transmits Radio Frequency signals between Tag & RFID Reader. Transceiver Receives Radio Frequency signals from RFID devices, and reads & passes data to the host for processing. Contains a decoder to interpret the data.

(Communicates with the RFID Reader) Components of an RFID System Host Computer Host Memory Space Antenna Customer-Specific Application Software Application Program Interface (API) Application Program Interface (API) RFID API Software (Communicates with the RFID Reader) Reader

Types of RFID Tags Active Tag transmits radio signal Battery powered memory, radio & circuitry High Read Range (300 feet) Passive Tag reflects radio signal from reader Reader powered Shorter Read Range (4 inches - 15 feet)

What is a “Dumb Reader” ? No intelligence besides reading and forwarding data Little or no filtering of data Floods the network with data Cheap, Single protocol/frequency 1011 0110 1 Applications 0001 1 RFID Middleware 1100 Tagged Assets 1 1010 Rely on middleware to perform the bulk of filtering Readers 1 1111 RFID Middleware could become point of failure; need robust middleware. 1 1101 0010 0101

What is a “Smart Reader” ? Smart Reader Management and Provisioning Central Management Server Firmware/Business logic upgrades S Reader Coordination High-Level Filtering/Aggregation S Applications S Tagged Assets S Built-in low-level filtering Smart Readers Dynamic config and updates Reduces network traffic by sending only relevant data Multiple protocol/Frequency

Interface to host computer (RS485, RS232/422, ethernet, 802.11, etc) How does RFID work ? RFID reader tag 01.43200B9.23AE1F.345C4D012 antenna Interface to host computer (RS485, RS232/422, ethernet, 802.11, etc) 1- The Reader sends an interrogation command, radiated by the antennas 2- The tag responds to the reader’s command by sending its tag identifier 3- The reader communicates the ID read to the host computer. ID: 01.43200B9.23AE1F.345C4D012

Applications of RFID Electronic toll collection Item management for retail, health care, etc Access control Railway & car identification and tracking Asset identification & tracking Animal identification

Portal Applications

Handheld Application Categories Batch Wireless Fixed Station

Next-Generation RFID Use of Gen 2 and UHF standards. Faster read rates (up to 1500 tags / second). Will be the defacto standard in retail sector (E.g. self-scanning ability, use of scan-it-yourself aisles, etc). Reduced level of interference even with multiple tags. Tags can be re-written multiple times. Increased security – password protection, encryption, authentication, etc in RFID systems. Contributors – Impinj Inc., Qualcomm, Unilever, UPS, etc.

Security Issues RFID poses security concerns where consumers are exposed. Scanner or sniffer can read entire data of purchase in supply-chain. Strong magnetic field can read valuable “badge” data leading to potential manipulation ability. Current RFID tags do not have enough computing power for performing encryption & imposing security. Too many reads or tags can cause conflicts.

Advantages of RFID No contact requirement Fast read/write capability Real-time response More durable than bar code Detection over distances

Cost Structure

Conclusion RFID must be more secure & restrictive. Excellent platform for RF research, to build new systems. Must encourage & support “Zombie” RFID tags. Newer standards are emerging such as UHF, Gen 2, etc. Standards will provide a more sophisticated outlook to RFID. Enriching learning experience – by RESCUE team.

Q & A