what is the rfid cloth​

Aku learned that retail giants like Decathlon, Uniqlo, and Zara now use RFID technology to streamline inventory and checkout—reducing manual work from minutes to seconds. But what is RFID cloth, and how does it work? This small classroom will unveil the mystery behind RFID!

An RFID cloth (or tag) is a tiny chip with an antenna, acting like a product’s digital ID card. When scanned by a reader, it transmits data wirelessly via radio waves, enabling lightning-fast tracking. Dive in to explore how tags, readers, and software transform retail efficiency!

Decathlon RFID fast self-checkout counter

RFID tags for apparel labeling

Guangzhou University Library RFID self-checkout and return equipment

What is RFID Cloth?

Radio frequency identification is radio frequency identification (Radio Frequency ldentification, RFID) for short.

We usually see in the clothing tag is composed of antenna and chip RFID tags, like each person's unique ID card, stored in the item's own identification information; want to read the item's “identity information”, you need to cooperate with the reader. Tags and readers through radio waves between the “mutual understanding”, can read the existing content of RFID tags, but also new information can be written into the label.

In general, a complete RFID system, there must be RFID tags, RFID readers and application software.

[RFID system of communication]

Talking about WeChat, some people like to type, some people like to send voice. RFID cltoh and readers also have two kinds of communication: inductive coupling and backscattering coupling, respectively.

Inductively coupled tags use passive waterproof transmission and require energy (power) from the reader. Based on the law of electromagnetic induction, the coupling is realized through the space high-frequency alternating magnetic field. Inductive coupling is generally suitable for high and low frequency operation of proximity RFID systems.

Backscatter coupling is based on the law of spatial propagation of electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic waves emitted to meet the target after reflection, so as to carry back the corresponding target information. Electromagnetic backscatter coupling is generally suitable for ultra-high frequency, microwave work of long-distance RFID system.

RFID system sectoral division of labor

According to the different operating frequencies, RFID system is divided into a few “departments”, their “functions” are different, the division of the “field” is also different.

(1) Low Frequency (LF, frequency range of 30 ~ 300 kHz): operating frequency below 135 kHz, the most commonly used is 125 kHz and 134.2 kHz.

(2) High Frequency (HF, frequency range 3~30 MHz): operating frequency is 13.56 MHz and 7 kHz.

(3) Ultra High Frequency (UHF, frequency range 300 MHz~3 GHz): operating frequency 433 MHz, 866~960 MHz. and 2.45 GHz.

(4) UHF (SHF, frequency range of 3~30 GHz): operating frequencies of 5.8 GHz and 24 GHz, but 24 GHz is basically not used at present.

The last 3 bands are ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) bands.ISM bands are frequency ranges reserved for industrial, scientific, and medical applications, and regulations may vary from country to country.UHF and SHF are both in the microwave frequency range, which ranges from 300 MHz to 300 GHz.

RFID system boss - application software

Application software as the RFID system in the “number one boss”, mainly responsible for the control of the reader, set up and read the tag information management applications.

Since it is the “boss”, nature will not be easy to “out”.

Like bus readers can be achieved independently of the ticket card reading and charging a small case, and is not worth the application software out; when the need for more than one reader constitutes the network architecture of the information system, the “boss” can be specific applications for RFID, more than one reader to obtain the data for effective integration, so as to achieve the query, History files and other related management and services. Further, through the processing, analysis and mining of data, application software can provide the basis for correct decision-making, which is known as the information management system and decision-making system.

Application software to “day-to-day management”, no two right-hand man how to do? This will have to introduce the RFID middleware.

RFID middleware, the right hand of the application software.

RFID middleware will be information from one program to another program or multiple programs, is located between the application system and the RFID system for the transfer of data and information. According to the different applications and architectures, RFID middleware work direction can be divided into two broad categories:

1, application-centered. This approach is designed by the RFID hardware vendors to provide APIs to add or subtract the way directly write specific RFID devices to read data Adapter, and transmitted to the back-end system applications or databases, to achieve the purpose of serialization with the back-end system.

2, centered on architecture. Enterprises use many application systems or complexity is too high, the enterprise can not do to increase or decrease the way for each application to write Adapter, at the same time may be faced with the problem of other standards. Enterprises need to consider and can provide standard middleware vendors to cooperate or use hardware vendors to provide standard specifications of RFID middleware.

RFID middleware sample diagram

RFID reader (RFID Reader), the face value of the RFID system

RFID reader as a tool to read, write tag information, also often become read-write; because it has the equivalent of the function of the base station, some people also call it a base station.

From the point of view of appearance, the readers are “tall, short, fat and thin” are different; in practical applications, generally divided into mobile and fixed read-write.

A few typical readers in kind

As the face of the RFID system, the reader has more than face value?

Although due to the frequency range, communication protocols and data transmission methods, a variety of readers in some aspects will be very different, but the reader should usually have the following functions:.

(1) Transmit energy to RFID tags by radio frequency;

(2) Read data from or write data to the RFID tag;

(3) complete the information processing of the read data and realize the application software interaction.

RFID tag composition diagram

There are three members in the RFID tag members are passive tags, semi-passive tags as well as active tags, the biggest difference between the three is that the energy source is different.

Passive tags: Passive tags are the type of tags that have no battery without feelings. Outside the reading range of the reader, the label is in a passive state, within the reading range of the reader, the label from the reader issued by the radio frequency energy to extract the electrical energy required for work. The use of inductive coupling method of labeling is mostly passive tags.

Passive Tags

Semi-passive tags: semi-passive tags are equipped with batteries, but the battery only plays an auxiliary role, it maintains the data of the circuit power supply or the voltage required for the label chip work for auxiliary support. Tag circuit itself consumes little energy, usually in a dormant state. When the label into the reader's reading range, by the reader issued by the RF energy incentive to enter the work state, it is the same as passive tags, for the transmission of communication RF energy from the reader

Semi-passive tags

Active tags: active tags work entirely from the internal battery power supply, while the internal battery energy is also partially converted into tags and readers to communicate with the RF energy required.

active label