Issues affecting the popularization of UHF RFID technology applications

Because RFID technology brings convenience and timeliness to people, that is, efficiency, there is no doubt that RFID technology will be ubiquitous. An RFID system generally consists of four parts: electronic tags, antennas, readers and application software. Since it is a wireless communication technology, it is susceptible to the interference of various wireless signals in the air and the influence of the space environment, so its application effect is related to the on-site space environment. So, what are the main problems affecting the popularization of UHF RFID technology application?

1. Cost

At present, barcode technology is widely used in various industries due to its low overall equipment cost, especially for low-value consumer goods. Although the price of RFID tags has gradually decreased with the expansion of the application range and the increase in usage, the price is still much higher than that of barcodes. If the price of the product in the application scenario is low, it is unacceptable to increase the cost due to the use of RFID electronic tags. At the same time, compared with barcode guns, the price of UHF RFID Readers is relatively high at present. If the number of RFID readers used in the application scenario is large, the increased cost will also be high, which makes many enterprises to RFID technology is prohibitive.

2. Customer awareness

Barcode technology, born in the 1920s, is widely used all over the world. The RFID technology was only commercialized in the 1980s. Some traditional industries or traditional enterprises that do not know much about information technology lack sufficient understanding of RFID technology. At the same time, RFID technology cannot be applied alone. It also needs to form a system suitable for enterprise business processes with network, database and other technologies to be effective. It also has certain requirements for the quality and knowledge level of relevant employees in the enterprise, so many companies have not used it for the time being. The impetus for RFID to replace barcodes.

3. Standardization

RFID standards are guidelines or specifications for RFID products. Each standard provides guidelines on how the RFID system works, operating frequency, data transmission method, and the working principle of communication between readers and RFID tags. At present, the global RFID standards have not yet been unified and the competition is fierce. At present, there are mainly five standard groups: EPCglobal, ISO/IEC, UID, AIM, and IP-X. These standards represent the interests of different organizations or countries, and everyone works independently, so it is difficult to achieve a unified standard on a large scale. The competition of RFID standards is a microcosm of the competition of high-tech standards, which is related to the realization of national interests and the implementation of national development strategies. In addition, the communication protocols of readers produced by various enterprises are also different, so it also brings some troubles to the development and versatility of the system.

4. Privacy issues

Since RFID is a non-contact technology and has the characteristics of long-distance reading, in practical applications, specific data can be remotely eavesdropped or read. For example, when a user carries some tagged goods, they may be monitored and leak personal information, preferences or location.