Positive features of active RFID

RFID is changing and changing for the better, active tags are becoming easier to deploy on small items due to reduction in their size and cost. Gen 2 will enable reduced interference in the presence of multiple readers, interoperability between products, better read rates, authentication, etc. The tags will require less power and the “kill” feature will ensure that customer privacy is not compromised.

The Gen 2 standard was ratified by the EPCGlobal group in December 2004. Shipping of the Gen 2 tags has already commenced. The bulk of RFID tags are passive and use power form radio signals emitted from the reader.

Compared to active tags, which can have a range of hundred’s of feet, passive tags can have a range of only up to ten feet. As active tags are internally powered, they are larger in size because of a battery source, radio, and antenna. The large size and high cost, up to $ 80 per tag, limit the usefulness of active tags to high value and large-sized objects. As active tags get cheaper and smaller the advantages they offer will help increase their usage. Their advantages include two-way communication, sensor integration, increased visibility, etc. The active tags are compatible with the 802.11 networks and can therefore become a part of the existing IT infrastructure of most companies.