Do you know how challenging can it be to design and implement a nontrivial RFID solution? Someone who has not implemented such an RFID system might think, “Not much at all! After all, what else do you need besides a few readers, antennas, cables, and some tags to build any RFID system?” The short answer is this: plenty. Suffice to say that designing and implementing a real-world, nontrivial RFID solution is not easy.
Therefore, if you are expecting to use a plug-and-play RFID solution for your business needs, be forewarned: The unique needs of each business and the involvement of several variables influence the appropriateness of an RFID solution. No single one-size-fits-all RFID solution exists. Depending on your business needs, you can find several solution components commercially available today from hardware and software vendors as well as integrators. The task is to know which of these components will provide the optimum solution and how you need to put these elements together to achieve the desired solution.
Some of the variables can prove difficult if not impossible to analyze using only pen and paper. Designers and implementers should be prepared to get their hands dirty by actually using RFID products in trial/pilot setups. This hands-on experience should help to determine the parameters that, in turn, will enable them to make the right technical decisions.
Listed below are some of the technical variables when designing and implementing an RFID solution, including the following:
– Frequency of operation
– Tags
– Readers
– Antennas
– Items to be tagged
– Operating conditions
In general, you can determine all the components of a physical architecture only after thoroughly analyzing the RFID technical variables.