1. Exchanging Data Between RFID, Sensors and Bar Code in the IoT
Boston
4 May 2017
H. Sprague ACKLEY Honeywell
ESC Minneapolis

2. Overview Exchanging Data Between RFID, Sensors, and Bar Code in the IoT
Bar code data systems
RFID data systems
Sensor data systems
Latest developments
Encoding bar code data in RFID
Encoding sensor data in bar code
The future
ESC Minneapolis

3. Bar code data systems
Bar code data systems evolved from the concept of identifiers in 1981
Two main systems are in use today
Data Identifiers (DIs) are defined by ANSI MH10.8.2
An alpha or special character preceded by 0 to 3 numeric digits
For example “+” is healthcare data, 2P is a part number and S is a serial number
Application Identifiers (AIs) are defined in the GS1 General Specifications
2 to 4 numeric digits
For example 01 is a GTIN, 17 is an expiry date and 422 is Country of Origin
ISO/IEC places these two systems in the international arena
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4. RFID data systems
Initially, RFID only encoded a unique set of bits, i.e. not specific data
Later, users wanted to encode their own data leading to:
MIT Auto-ID labs  EPCglobal
ISO/IEC 15962
RFID data is always serialized (i.e., you cannot encode non-serialized data in RFID, or else, how would you know which tag you read?)
GS1 uses the EPC Tag Data Standard to encode AI data
The rest of the world uses ISO/IEC to encode DI data
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5. Sensor data systems
ISO/IEC for full-function sensors defines an IEEE-based methodology
ISO/IEC for simple sensors generally for use with RFID tags includes:
Temperature sensor with high and/or low out-of-range temperature alarm
Relative Humidity with high and/or low out-of-range relative humidity alarm
Impact sensor with an instance of out-of-range impact alarm
Tilt sensor with an instance of out-of-range tilt
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6. Latest developments Encoding bar code data in RFID
Encoding temperature sensor data in bar code
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7. Encoding bar code data in RFID
How RFID data ended up so different from bar code data
How to encode primary serialized bar code data directly into RFID
UHF Gen 2 (ISO/IEC ) has four memory banks (MB) and MB01 encodes primary serialized identity
GS1 encodes AI user data according to the EPC Tag Data Standard
ISO encodes DI user data according to ISO/IEC 15962
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8. MB01- Primary serialized identity
GS1 uses Electronic Product Code (EPC)
96 bits (12 bytes), very space efficient
All numeric
Requires buying a “GS1 Company Prefix”
ISO uses ISO/IEC 15962
Variable in length, less space efficient
Can be alpha-numeric
Low or zero cost enterprise identification
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9. MB01EPC from MIT Auto-ID labs
MIT scientists envisioned an “internet of things” where everything was unique
Part of their plan identified enterprises
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10. EPCglobal from MIT Auto-ID labs
GS1 (then UCC) first joined, then bought Auto-ID Labs, then replaced enterprise identification with their own system (i.e., “Company Prefix” as used in EAN/UPC)
GS1 established an independent company which they called EPCglobal
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11. EPCglobal
Early management actively resisted unifying EPC encoding with bar code
Method for encoding a unique item number broke GS1 rules in place for >25 years
Encoding methods actually prevented data in bar code symbols from being encoded in an RFID tag
Eventually GS1 decided to “fix” the inconsistencies
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12. EPC tag encoding overview
EPC is 12 bytes, e.g., in hex:
B F4 6D 5B
12 bytes is 96 bits
Bits are counted and assigned meaning. The first 14 bits:
EPC Header Filter Partition
length:
bits: (7-digits)
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13. EPC tag encoding overview
GS1 Company Prefix
bit length: 24 in this example, depends on Partition Value
bits:
digits:
Indicator Digit and Item Reference
bit length: 20 in this example
bits:
digits:
Note: GS1 Company Prefix can be 6 to 12 digits
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14. EPC tag encoding overview
Serial Number
bit length:38 (fixed)
bits:
digits:400
EPC
URI urn:epc:id:sgtin:
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15. Bar code to an EPC tag*
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16. Bar code to an EPC tag*
*Note: the number of digits in the GS1 Company Prefix is not known
*The Partition Value must be determined
* Leading digits of the GTIN determine the partition value (e.g. compare with a database of GS1 Company Prefixes)
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17. GS1 has fixed the GCP problem
2007 “60-Day Review” identified concerns about bar code / RFID interoperability
2008 GS1 Missing Identification Replacement (MIR) Work Group
2009 GS1 BarCodes & EPC Interoperability Requirements Work Group
2012 GSMP BC EPC Implementation Work Group
Result – a clear need for an offline tool to output the length of the GS1 company prefix (GCP)
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18. Length of Company Prefix tool
First meeting of an ad hoc BC EPC WG to develop an offline tool on 23 August 2012
It was decided that GS1 Global Office will provide an updatable consolidated table of ranges of Global Company Prefixes
First published 12 April 2016 (about 800kb)
Last updated 19 December 2016
Published table available at
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19. GCP Prefix Format List …
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20. MB01ISO/IEC 15962 First RFID data encoding standard
Developed with the idea that “RFID data was different” than bar code data
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21. ISO/IEC 15962
An elaborate system of “Object IDs” was invented so each piece of data was addressable
Different encoding methods are flagged by an Application Family Identifier (AFI)
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22. Example encoding FDA UDI data using ISO/IEC 15962
An Application Family Identifier (AFI) defines the encoding method
A particularly simple AFI (A1) is useful for encoding Data Identifier data, for example, FDA UDI data according to the HIBCC Issuing Agency
[ )>Rs06Gs25SRHH123DEV400RsEoT
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23. 15962 AFI A1 encoding overview
UDI = 25SRHH123DEV400
Where 25S is the UII Data Identifier (DI)
RH is the issuing agency ID
H123 is the Labeller Identification Code (LIC)
DEV400 is the item number and serial number combination
Each character is replaced by 6-bit ASCII
The bits are grouped into bytes (15x6=9012)
Pad to a full byte if necessary with some or all of the string “100000”
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24. 15962 AFI “A1” encoding overview
Replace each character with 6-bit ASCII value
Group bits into bytes and convert to hex
Insert AFI for final encoded data stream
A1 CB 54 D2 20 8C 72 CC D3 0C 20
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25. Encoding temperature sensor data in bar code
Temperature sensors are used on perishable items in the supply chain
When the product arrives at the point-of-use, the temperature safety data is needed, often without network connectivity
Many vendors produce color-change
temperature sensors
A need exists to be able to determine
product efficacy at point-of-use
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26. AIM TSC to collaborate with GS1
AIM, the bar code and RFID Industry Association, has just been tasked with developing a data system using GS1 AIs for optical sensors
The AI data will tell the scanner (e.g., a smart phone running an app) the sensor type and the temperature expiry parameters
The first meeting to discuss the new standard was 24 April 2017
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27. Temperature sensor example
This symbol encodes the previous AI data plus sensor data
In use, a scanner decodes the symbol and interprets the color
In this case, the red color indicates the product has been exposed to temperatures at and above 18.5°C
The smart phone can issue the appropriate warning, e.g.,
DO NOT USE – TEMPERATURE
THRESHOLD EXCEEDED 
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28. AIM TSC – GS1 project underway
Sensor standards fit with AIM’s IoT strategy
GS1 US proposes creating variable-length AI (NNNN) for all sensors
AIM TSC (Technical Symbology Committee) will lead an ad hoc Task Force to define the AI and to assign sensor AI data structures
AIM to act as external AI Registrar for users of this AI
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29. Will there ever be seamless multi-application data?
“Who the hell wants to watch movies with sound?“
Harry Warner, president of Warner Brothers Studios, 1918
It took nearly 20 years for the bar coded supermarket to become ubiquitous and it will probably be about the same for RFID and sensors
Applications changing from internal closed-systems to fully open systems such as IoT are forcing data interchangeability
Prediction: Within the five years, data in IoT applications will be data carrier independent
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30. Speaker/Author Details
H. Sprague ACKLEY
Fellow
Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions
th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA  USA
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31. Thank You!
Questions?
@ESC_Conf
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32. Exchanging Data Between RFID, Sensors and Bar Code in the IoT
Boston
4 May 2017
H. Sprague ACKLEY Honeywell
ESC Minneapolis