RFID Testing

What is RFID and Why Test It?

RFID, or radio frequency identification, is a technology that enables everyday “things” to be identified. RFID uses a system of readers and tags to communicate information. The most common approach is to use a unique number to identify each tag. Some of the most inexpensive RFID tags do not have any internal power source, but gather energy from the environment (specifically, the reader) and communicate by "reflecting" modulated RF signal, rather than transmitting one. Some of the advantages promised by the technology over competing technologies such as barcodes is that RFID tags can be read from further distances and not require a direct line of site between reader and tag.

A promising technology, RFID has been thrust into the forefront by recent mandates and recommendations in managing the supply chain for retailers, government agencies, and pharmaceuticals. Due to the newness of the technology and lack of widespread performance standards, there has been a lack of reliable, unbiased, independent information about the performance of differing RFID equipment. Some of the largest suppliers have grown in-house expertise and expensive laboratories as proving grounds to understand how the technology impacts their business. For most, this approach is simply too expensive. Without good information, companies are left to sift through rumors, marketing hype, and undergo expensive costs and risks without a good understanding of the technology, or an honest assessment of the alternatives.

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