The development history of RFID technology

We use RFID-related products every day; sometimes we don't even know it, for example, the transportation cards we use when taking public transportation, the pasSports we use, and the electronic payments we use in Stores.

RFID – or Radio Frequency Identification – uses electromagnetic fields to identify and track objects with passive or active tags. RFID electronic tags are divided into active electronic tags and passive electronic tags. Passive electronics, as the name suggests, refers to RFID electronic tags that do not have a power supply. The way they work is to receive electromagnetic waves emitted by nearby reading and writing devices and obtain energy from them, and then transmit the information stored in the tag chip back to the nearby reader. middle. Unlike passive tags, which need to draw power from a nearby RFID Reader, active tags have their own power source to transmit their unique identification number, so readers can detect active tags over longer distances .

Like barcodes, RFID tags can be used to quickly identify objects, but unlike barcodes, RFID tags can scan multiple tags at once without having to see the tags with the naked eye, reducing inventory management time. RFID tags can also store more information than barcodes and create more specific identifications for items, logistics tracking, monitoring and data storage. Due to their small size, RFID tags have been widely used in daily items, such as passports, books , clothes and payment cards.

The birth and development of RFID

RFID is the technology that is also based on Near Field Communications (NFC), which is thought to have been created during World War II. One of the pioneers of this technology was the revolutionary electronic musical instrument developed by Leon Theremin. Because the electric waves generated by the instrument are at static frequencies, the instrument can be played without physical touch. The working principle of this instrument led to the invention of RFID technology after World War II.

In 1945, a group of boys from the Young Pioneers of the Soviet Union presented U.S. Ambassador Harriman with a hand-carved ceremonial seal. There is an antenna inside the seal that can be activated by radio waves. The Soviets activated the antenna inside the seal by transmitting radio waves to the seal, and used this method to monitor the conversations of personnel in the U.S. Embassy.

In the 1970s, RFID tags were used to inspect and manage railway carriages. Today, RFID tags are used by many organizations, including the UK’s National Health Service and large retail supply chains around the world, to track Assets, manage inventory or control production quality. Thanks to advances in technology, these tags can now be used to track almost any object, and all of these inventions and applications benefit from the simple idea of Theremin invented decades ago.

RFID was officially invented by Charles Walton in 1983, when he applied for his first patent under the term "RFID". NFC made headlines in 2002 and has been growing ever since.

RFID electronic chip

Application is slow

However, the technology has not been adopted quickly, especially in the Retail Industry. RFID technology has been around for nearly 20 years, but many companies have not seen the value of the investment due to its expense and lack of valuable data to prove its effectiveness. Also holding back retailers from adopting RFID are the technical challenges of integrating the technology into their current inventory management systems, as well as the cultural changes required to support its adoption.

However, in recent years, retailers such as Adidas, Decathlon, John Lewis, Tesco, Strand Island and M&S have introduced RFID into their company's production management system, and have all achieved good results, basically sales Both were up 5.5%, while inventories fell more than 13%.

Development of NFC

Near field communication (NFC) is a high-frequency (13.56 MHz) wireless communication technology that allows two electronic devices to interact with each other when they are in close contact (about 4 cm), making NFC more adaptable than RFID and Available to everyone via smartphone. It is already widely used for contactless payments and Access Control, for example in public transport. But one of the new opportunities for this technology lies in "smart packaging" and "smart marketing." NFC can be used to exchange digital content and also improve customer engagement. By placing NFC Tags in products, customers can scan the tag to learn more about the item, a feature that can make consumers more involved in using the product or make it easier for consumers to repurchase.

NFC is a unique security technology that delivers a great customer experience and is now available for Android and IOS, opening up endless opportunities for brands in terms of customer engagement and satisfaction.

Prospects of RFID Technology

RFID has been widely adopted in the retail sector and also brings effective solutions for asset tracking in air transportation, industrial or healthcare markets.

As diverse communications grow and demand from customers increases, the technology, especially NFC, also brings opportunities in other areas, such as secure authentication, smart locker rooms and connected packaging. Information marketers can benefit from a better understanding of their customers' habits through the use of RFID technology, so they can tailor their marketing strategies to their needs.

In recent years, RFID technology has also experienced rapid development in China. Many RFID hardware and system solution integrators have sprung up in various fields of industry, agriculture, and service industries, injecting new vitality into the development of China's economy. The company specializes in the production of electronic products. Labels, readers and writers, ABS anti-metal labels, Library labels, PCB anti-metal labels and other products, have a large number of advanced and professional production equipment and testing instruments, using imported printing machines for processing, modern manufacturing workshops, and composite die-cutting Equipment, rotary machines, ultrasonic machines, automatic glue dispensers, RFID detection machines, automated packaging machines and other machinery. Products are widely used in power grid power station management, library industry, retail industry, food industry, medicine and other industries. The products sell well in the domestic market and are also exported to many countries and regions.