A basic tag reading software could be an open-source project, whereas an integrated RFID to ERP enterprise application could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain.
While active RFID licensing costs are typically bundled with the software, passive RFID technologies often require ongoing licensing costs that go toward support and software upgrades. These can be quite expensive, so be sure to account for this cost before you select a passive RFID technology.
As mentioned above, passive readers are more complex than active readers due to their extensive cabling, antennas, etc. Active RFID systems are less complex, but their tags do include batteries. This means the tags will need to be maintained anywhere from a few months to every few years, depending on their life expectancy.
For an RTLS system deployment to be successful, all staff need to be trained initially and on an ongoing basis to fully realize the return on investment for such a system.
That said, integrators often have teams of experts available to help you select the best technology to fit your problem, which could make the additional expense worth it.
Some RTLS technology companies provide their own installation, design, and support services for their equipment. AirFinder often bundles these services into its ongoing system costs. Often, both systems can cost nearly the same when you consider all of the aspects discussed above. You need to strike a balance between system capabilities, location accuracy, number of tags, and ongoing maintenance and support to make the most of your investment.
Large enterprises—or companies with complex use cases—may choose standalone asset tracking software to run a number of tracking and sensing solutions. Compare with other websites. Passive RFID tags. Passive UHF tags. Printable passive tags. Active RFID tags. Active tags. High performance active tags. RFID antennas and cables.
This is called backscatter. The backscatter, or change in the electromagnetic or RF wave, is detected by the reader via the antenna , which interprets the information. Countless other types of passive RFID tags exist on the market, but all tags generally fall into two categories — inlays or hard tags. Hard RFID tags are durable and made of plastic, metal, ceramic and even rubber. They come in all shapes and sizes and are typically designed for a unique function, material, or application.
A few different groups work to further divide passive hard tags; however, some tags will exist within two or more groups. High Temperature — Certain industries, like healthcare, track the number of cycles that instruments undergo in punishing autoclaves. Specific passive RFID tags are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and accommodate for those types of applications, among others.
Rugged — Applications in outdoor environments or tough warehouses need a tag that can withstand snow and ice, dust and debris, or even the crushing forces felt under a tractor wheel. For these applications, a highly rugged passive tag is needed to make the application successful.
Size — Some applications have specific size constraints when tracking small or large items. Size is one of the more important questions to answer when choosing an RFID tag because there are many different sizes available. Materials — If an application requires tracking metal assets, UHF metal-mount tags may be the only option. These inlays are grouped into three main types:.
These inlays look like they have been laminated and come standard with no adhesive. Most of the time these inlays are clear and can be peeled off their roll and immediately stuck on an item. The protective material depends on the application. For example, employee ID badges containing RFID tags are typically made from durable plastic, and the tag is embedded between the layers of plastic. RFID tags come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are either passive or active.
Passive tags are the most widely used, as they are smaller and less expensive to implement. Unlike passive tags, active RFID tags have an onboard power supply e. Smart labels can be encoded and printed on-demand using desktop label printers, whereas programming RFID tags are more time consuming and requires more advanced equipment. Whether or not RFID compliance is required, applications that currently use barcode technology are good candidates for upgrading to a system that uses RFID or some combination of the two.
RFID offers many advantages over the barcode, particularly the fact that an RFID tag can hold much more data about an item than a barcode can.
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