New short-range tags provide a standard-based EPC solution for pallet/case-level and item-level tracking in the same product architecture
New York, NY — April 10, 2006 — Radio frequency identification (RFID) company SmartCode has debuted its new UHF EPC Gen 2 tags specially designed for item-level tagging, providing a standard-based EPC solution for pallet/case-level and item-level tracking in the same product architecture.
Designed for use with such products as pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, media and high-cost items, the new near-field EPC Gen 2 tags provide a low-cost solution for using the same EPC infrastructure when implementing RFID at the item level, SmartCode said.
By using UHF near field electromagnetic field, reading distance is reduced to one to three feet (up to one meter) and sensitivity in liquids and metals is greatly improved, according to the solution provider.
"Our new short-range, high-performance UHF EPC Gen 2 tags provide an excellent solution for item-level tagging and further complement our pallet and case tagging," said Avi Ofer, SmartCode CEO and president. "By using the UHF frequency for both long range and short range, we enable our clients to reduce total cost of operation by using EPC as a single, one-fits-all standard throughout the supply chain."
Far-field versus Near-field
Traditionally, UHF EPC Gen 2 tags were designed for the far-field radio frequency operation (10-25 ft.). Based on current demand from retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers for an item-level solution to work in the near field (1-3 ft.), SmartCode has developed a near field UHF tag to operate in short reading distance with reading capabilities of liquids and metals. Based on SmartCode tag antenna designs, the new near-field UHF tag operates using the existing EPC Gen 2 air interface but uses the near-field electromagnetic energy field instead of the regular far- field radio frequency field.
Near-field coupling is the electromagnetic effect that occurs within roughly one-wavelength of the antenna. In the near field, the energy field fluctuates outward from the antenna and then back in to the antenna in a "push-pull" manner. Beyond the near-field the electromagnetic energy simply radiates outwards (never "back in") and the power drops off based on the inverse-square law ("twice as far away = 1/4 as powerful".)
By using the new near field EPC UHF tags, SmartCode said that retailers can get the low cost benefits of EPC Gen 2 tags without compromising performance for short-range readings. In addition, the new near-field antenna design allows a better reading of liquids and metals in the product or package. When comparing with the HF solutions available at 13.56Mhz, the EPC Gen 2 UHF near-field tags provide a better read speed, up to 64 times when compared with 13.56 MHz, allowing the end users to read more tags in a given reading time or faster read times for a single tag.
Additional Articles of Interest
— RFID technology has the potential to change the way supply chains are managed, but in order to be effective businesses need to take a holistic look at the deployment. Read more in the SDCExec.com article "Time for RFID: Applying RFID in the Supply Chain."
— For a contrary view of the future of the RFID market, see the article "The O'RFID Factor: A 'No Spin' Look at Where Radio Frequency Identification Is Headed," in the October/November 2004 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
New York, NY — April 10, 2006 — Radio frequency identification (RFID) company SmartCode has debuted its new UHF EPC Gen 2 tags specially designed for item-level tagging, providing a standard-based EPC solution for pallet/case-level and item-level tracking in the same product architecture.
Designed for use with such products as pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, media and high-cost items, the new near-field EPC Gen 2 tags provide a low-cost solution for using the same EPC infrastructure when implementing RFID at the item level, SmartCode said.
By using UHF near field electromagnetic field, reading distance is reduced to one to three feet (up to one meter) and sensitivity in liquids and metals is greatly improved, according to the solution provider.
"Our new short-range, high-performance UHF EPC Gen 2 tags provide an excellent solution for item-level tagging and further complement our pallet and case tagging," said Avi Ofer, SmartCode CEO and president. "By using the UHF frequency for both long range and short range, we enable our clients to reduce total cost of operation by using EPC as a single, one-fits-all standard throughout the supply chain."
Far-field versus Near-field
Traditionally, UHF EPC Gen 2 tags were designed for the far-field radio frequency operation (10-25 ft.). Based on current demand from retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers for an item-level solution to work in the near field (1-3 ft.), SmartCode has developed a near field UHF tag to operate in short reading distance with reading capabilities of liquids and metals. Based on SmartCode tag antenna designs, the new near-field UHF tag operates using the existing EPC Gen 2 air interface but uses the near-field electromagnetic energy field instead of the regular far- field radio frequency field.
Near-field coupling is the electromagnetic effect that occurs within roughly one-wavelength of the antenna. In the near field, the energy field fluctuates outward from the antenna and then back in to the antenna in a "push-pull" manner. Beyond the near-field the electromagnetic energy simply radiates outwards (never "back in") and the power drops off based on the inverse-square law ("twice as far away = 1/4 as powerful".)
By using the new near field EPC UHF tags, SmartCode said that retailers can get the low cost benefits of EPC Gen 2 tags without compromising performance for short-range readings. In addition, the new near-field antenna design allows a better reading of liquids and metals in the product or package. When comparing with the HF solutions available at 13.56Mhz, the EPC Gen 2 UHF near-field tags provide a better read speed, up to 64 times when compared with 13.56 MHz, allowing the end users to read more tags in a given reading time or faster read times for a single tag.
Additional Articles of Interest
— RFID technology has the potential to change the way supply chains are managed, but in order to be effective businesses need to take a holistic look at the deployment. Read more in the SDCExec.com article "Time for RFID: Applying RFID in the Supply Chain."
— For a contrary view of the future of the RFID market, see the article "The O'RFID Factor: A 'No Spin' Look at Where Radio Frequency Identification Is Headed," in the October/November 2004 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
