Active radio frequency identification is an inventory-tracking technology that uses electronic tags that store data and transmit wireless beacon signals to a reader hundreds of feet away. The technology is primarily used to track vehicle trailers in yards, containers on a loading dock, and even livestock. Unlike so-called "passive RFID" technologies, active RFID usually requires a power source, such as a battery, to automatically broadcast the signal.
Background
RFID technology was first used during World War II, when the Germans used passive RFID systems to help identify whether approaching planes were allies or enemies. Later, in the 1970's, Los Alamos National Laboratory developed a system for tracking nuclear materials which involved putting a transponder on trucks and readers at security gates. That same technology was used to develop automated toll payment systems in the 1980s. Each of these were passive RFID systems, which meant that the RFID tag had no power source but contained chips that were energized and transmitted their data through electromagnetic waves to a reader at a short range. Eventually, battery-powered RFID tags were developed to help make inventory tracking more efficient.
Technology
Typically, RFID tags contain two components: an integrated circuit that stores and processes information and an antenna that transmits a signal. As passive RFID tags can transmit a signal up to only several meters, active RFID can monitor large numbers of items at distances up to 300 feet, eliminating the need to make routine, physical inspections or audits of inventory, allowing companies to meet compliance and security requirements. Active RFID tags typically have an on-board coin cell battery that lasts between three and eight years, and which intermittently broadcasts a coded signal which is decoded by a reader. Active RFID uses several types of wireless technology, including short-range radio, Wi-Fi and even cellular, to send signals.
Advantages
Active RFID systems are the preferred technology if a company needs to monitor a large number of assets over an extensive physical space, such as a warehouse or large stockyard. The beacon signal reports status information, such as temperature, where the item is physically located, and whether the item has been tampered with. Active RFID eliminates the need for companies to conduct manual inspections, which are subject to human errors and can be costly.
Uses
According to a 2007 article on Network World, a news site for information technology and network executives, the active RFID is expected to grow from 13 percent of the RFID market in 2007 to 26 percent in 2017. The growth is being driven by a need for real-time location systems for tracking and monitoring many types of items, and even people. One example is the health care industry, where active RFID systems can help locate hospital equipment and patients themselves.
Tags: passive RFID, RFID systems, RFID tags, active RFID, active RFID