How to Choose the Right RFID System: A Step-by-Step Guide for Energy Companies
Number of pages: 37
Price: $295—$100 off the retail price
Energy companies face special challenges in choosing the proper radio frequency identification system for their needs because their operations are complex, and they often operate in harsh environments. The editors of RFID Journal have created this guide to explain the standards, performance characteristics and strengths and weaknesses of different RFID solutions for a wide variety of applications in the oil and gas, mining and utility sectors.
This report covers all of the many types of RFID technologies, including passive low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF) and ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) 433 MHz, 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz active systems; ultra-wideband (UWB); ZigBee; Wi-fi; and more. Plus, it features descriptions covering a wide variety of hybrid tags, including tags that combine RFID with infrared, GPS and sensors.
This guide was written to help energy companies choose the RFID technology that can best meet their needs in both the short and long term. It is designed to walk hospital executives through the process of determining their system requirements, and then matching those requirements to the proper RFID system.
No report can conclusively determine the right RFID system for an energy company's particular needs, but this guide will help those charged with selecting a system narrow the options. Our goal is to reduce the time businesses spend researching the appropriate system, and to provide the information they need to choose a systems integrator and, perhaps, hardware and software providers (a good systems integrator will help with the technology-selection process).
Table of Contents
Part 1
What Is RFID?
The Major Types of RFID Systems
Passive
Active
Battery-Assisted
Part 2
A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Right RFID System for Your Application
1. Determine whether you want to deploy RFID as a point solution to solve one problem, or as an infrastructure approach to solve multiple problems.
2. Determine which objects and/or people you would like to track.
3. Determine over what distance each object or person needs to be identified and tracked.
4. Determine the location accuracy required for each item being tracked, as well as the layout of the environment.
5. Create a table within which you can place each item on your list.
6. Consider other factors that might influence which system is most appropriate:
• How large is the asset?
• How critical is knowledge of the asset's location?
• Will the tagged object be exposed to extreme conditions?
• What other RF devices are in operation in the area in which the RFID system will be used?
• Do you need to monitor the item's condition?
• How much will deploying the system disrupt existing operational activities?
• Does the system need to be intrinsically safe?
• How important is data security?
• What is the total cost of ownership?
7. Prioritize the benefits of tracking and managing the objects, or groups of objects, on your list.
8. Engage the services of a good system integrator.
9. Pilot the system.
10. Roll out the system and expand it as needed.
Part 3 The Different Types of Passive RFID Systems
Passive
Low-Frequency
High-Frequency
Ultrahigh-Frequency
Passive Real-Time Locating Systems
Ultrahigh-Frequency
Ultra-wideband
Part 4 The Different Types of Active RFID Systems
Active
ISO-18000-7
RuBee
Proprietary Systems
Active Real-Time Locating Systems
ZigBee
Wi-Fi
Ultra-wideband
Proprietary Systems
Part 5 Battery-Assisted RFID Systems
Part 6 Hybrid RFID Systems
RFID and Infrared
Part 7 RFID Sensor Networks
Part 8 Chipless RFID Systems
RF-Resonant Fibers
RF-Resonant Inks
Part 9 Alternatives to RFID
Infrared
Ultrasound
2-D
bar codes
Appendices 1. The Components of an RFID System
2. RFID Energy Applications
3. Leading RFID Technology Providers
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