Asustek computer: RFID technology bottlenecks and future prospects

Decades ago, researchers have invented the RFID technology, but because at that time, the costs are very expensive, this technology has a special Department of Defense and research units.

In recent years due to the decline in prices, RFID allows for RFID news and research reports abound, all major research institutions agreed that RFID market will have explosive growth, many private companies have also begun thinking of whether to introduce RFID technology. But relative to the current widespread use of bar code technology, RFID prices remain relatively high and at least higher than 6-7 times, yet official universal. 2007 Global RFID market size output value of about $ 31 billion, according to market research company Frost & Sullivan recently published report indicated that the next 6 years in North America for manufacturing and logistics of the RFID market CAGR is close to 20%.

From the current application of Taiwan, medical areas is using RFID technology in the largest markets, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is Asia's first RFID application in the operating room of medical institutions; while Taiwan gorges en main public hospitals will also be RFID applications in patient management, because although the barcode machine cheaper but lack security processing, data processing and data protection, and so on performance; most large-scale use of RFID technology in case is the United States, Wal-Mart RFID technology used for the purchase will be to reduce the purchase time and personnel costs, etc; also, it is understood in mainland China will put RFID tags applied to identification, the expected usage for up to 20 billion, a drop in prices of RFID will have relative market growth rate.

According to the research and analysis, RFID at present mainly has encountered bottlenecks following items:

1. the price

The current price of RFID tags have been high into the largest RFID adoption.

Although the chip prices have fallen to a bottleneck, but RFID tags in addition to the chip and antenna outside of the package, the price is high costs are inevitable. Use the environment different RFID tag encapsulates material must be changed: imagine indoors, you can directly use paper or simple packaging; if outdoor use, the package must be based on the use of environmental design of a special kind of packaging materials, such as agriculture, fisheries and other special use environment.

2. antenna design

Adapt national norms and frequency and depending on the environment, the RFID frequency can be divided into the following several frequency bands:

A. 9～135 kHz

B. 6.78 MHz (6.765～6.795 MHz)

C. 13.56 MHz (13.553～13.567 MHz)

D. 27.125 MHz (26.565～27.405 MHz)

E. 40.68 MHz (40.66～40.7 MHz)

F. 433.92 MHz (430～440 MHz)

G. 869 MHz (868～870 MHz)

H. 915 MHz (888～889 MHz &902～928 MHz)

I. 2.45 GHz (2.42.4835 GHz)

J. 5.8 GHz (5.7255.875 GHz)

As shown in figure a, because the antenna will be based on the use of the frequency and size vary, so the label must consider the actual size of the selection of appropriate frequencies.

In addition because the design issues are causing their antenna efficiency changes accordingly.

　　

Figure 1: RFID with the use of the environment and uses a different frequency

3. interface software

Current RFID interface software in accordance with a different schema can be divided into four independent intermediary for software (Stand along Middleware), ERP system modules (the Middleware module ERP System), intermediary software core modules (Core ready Middleware), home (Home made Middleware), four by their designers in accordance with the use of environmental and financial situation and flexible, with independent intermediary software the first time.

4. the communication protocol

Current RFID use two ways, namely the passive (Passive mode) and active (Active mode).

These passive tags to no power supply chips (generally only Die raw Crystal forms), this tag is typically used for simple fields such as larvae, card, electronic wallets, etc; and active tags and readers are generally used in large amounts of data transmission.

5. national security norms and certification units in different

Because the individual national legislation norms open frequency vary, so in the United States applicable label does not necessarily apply in mainland China.

Current RFID certification unit has three, namely the EPCglobal, ISO/IEC and ECMA, the agreement also provided for are different, even in the same country and at the same frequency are using RFID mechanism may not be exactly the same.

6. optimization

Meet the five points above, also have to consider optimization problems.

RFID performance indicators include labels, tags, read and write speed in multiple reader environment work capacity, label, and the distance between the reader and the operating environment isThere is water and metal interference and air in the degree of interference of the same frequency, the above are using RFID to be an important consideration. For example the use of RFID in the supermarket checkout product, read the label of time must be less than 0.1 seconds otherwise very difficult to be read.

Based on RFID technology in consumer products in the future of Europe, Japan and mainland China, is the application of RFID in acceleration, Japan directly by the Sankei province develop policies, when the 2005 Korea has invested up to $ 2100, it is expected that the test 2008 annual meeting reaches the production value of NT $ 2200 million.

Although China is an investment of time relatively late, but we have a rich design capabilities and manufacturing capability, and look forward to our future RFID field.