Industrial production line use of radio frequency identification (RFID) has become increasingly popular, and the technology has become a hot-button topic. Why? Technology enhancements have advanced RFID far beyond its barcode counterparts—and gotten attention for return on investment (ROI) opportunities. While some companies may have argued that they could not afford to implement RFID into their operations, many now argue they cannot afford not to. Knowing the basics of how and when RFID can

improve ROI on the plant floor is central to understanding its relevance in your operation.
　　Basics of today's RFID
　　RFID was initially developed as a method for remotely gathering data through tags or transceiversCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, either attached to or embedded in the object from which data must be obtained. These tags employ internal circuitry and antennas to emit a radio frequency wave that is secured and analyzed by an RFID reader, and the system is often used for work-in-progress (WIP) in the industrial realm—tracking materials throughout the manufacturing process.
　　With its compact electronic design控制工程网版权所有, RFID tags can come in virtually any housing style—from extremely small, embeddable devices to flat labels or stickers. In the industrial realm控制工程网版权所有, RFID is often implemented within form factors that can be easily integrated into existing systems. For instance, manufacturers integrate RFID into sensor housings控制工程网版权所有, because plant engineers are already aware of how sensors are best mounted on the plant floor.

CONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, the product and its tag can be placed in virtually any orientation. Here, the tag is mounted in the lower cornder of the metal carrier. " src="http://www.cechina.cn/upload/article/497be223-0065-4ec1-b491-54c89191e180/1.jpg">

　　Because RFID readers do not rely on line-of-site to obtain data from tagsCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, the product and its tag can be placed in virtually any orientation.  Here, the tag is mounted in the lower cornder of the metal carrier.

　　Legacy RFID operates at 125 kHz, but its modern incarnation typically adheres to the 13.56 MHz standard—making its operability considerably faster than older systems. Also, while many legacy RFID systems allow only static read-and-write operations, modern systems are capabl