With the explosive growth surrounding radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, it isn’t surprising that there is so much confusion about the different RFID standards. There continues to be tremendous innovation in RFID, RF and Near Field Communications (NFC), making it difficult to understand what each has to offer, especially when newer technologies are being positioned as better than older, slower technologies.
The truth is, there is no one RF technology that is best-suited for every application. Depending upon the needs of the application, one of the “older, slower” RFID technologies might prove to be the most reliable and cost-effective solution. The market is even seeing converged applications which combine two RFID technologies such as low frequency (LF) and active ultra-high frequency (UHF). Furthermore, as RFID gains inroads into new applications, highly integrated devices are becoming available to accelerate time to market and lower cost, such as RFID technology integrated with wireless charging and energy harvesting capabilities.
To help engineers navigate their way through what can seem like a jungle of standards and buzzwords, this white paper will explore the key RFID technologies, including their primary characteristics and typical applications. An in-depth discussion of the key selection criteria will show readers how they can select the right RFID technology to match the specific requirements of their application. Finally, the paper offers a detailed look at the wide range of hardware solutions, software and tools available to developers.
