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RFID and Barcode Glossary
Active Tags
Tags that use batteries as a partial or complete source of power
to boost the effective operating range of the tag and to offer
additional features over passive tags, such as temperature
sensing.
Alignment
The orientation of the tag in relationship to the reader.
Antenna
A device that conducts electromagnetic energy. In RFID, an antenna
radiates energy in the radio frequency spectrum to and from the
RFID tag.
Auto-ID Center
A non-profit organization which led the development of a global
network for tracking goods academia, that pioneered the
development of an Internet-like infrastructure for using RFID to
track goods globally.
Automatic Identification
The broad term which encompasses bar coding, RFID, and other
electronic technologies that electronically identify and track
goods. |
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Bar Code
A standard method of identifying items based on lines of varying
widths and spacing that are visually read by a scanner. The UPC
bar code standard provides a way of identifying manufacturers and
product categories. Other types of bar codes are used for shipping
and other kinds of item identification. See also Scanner and
Universal Product Code (UPC).
GS1 approved barcodes.
Bidirectional
In RFID, a tag that can be read or written from either side. |
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Capacity
The amount of information that can be programmed into a tag. This
may represent the bits accessible to the user or the total number
including those reserved to the manufacturer e.g. parity or
control bits.
CODABAR - A barcode symbol in which four bars and
three spaces are used to represent 0 through 9 and certain special
characters. This code is characterizied by four unique start/stop codes.
CODE 128 (UCC/EAN)
This is the recommended symbology
for most industrial applications today. The UCC and EAN (see GS1) have set standards
for barcodes using this symbology. The three different subsets (A,B & C)
within UCC/EAN Code 128 allow this symbology to encode all 128 ASCII
characters.
CODE 39
This barcode symbology is capable of encoding all
numeric characters, upper and lower case letters, plus several special
characters. It is used by AIAG, HIBC, and in many proprietary industrial
applications.
Controller
See Multiplexer |
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Data Transfer Rate
The rate at which data are transferred between the reader and a
tag, generally measured in bits per second (bps). |
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EAN International
The international organization responsible for administering bar
code standards.
Electronic Product Code (EPC)
An identification standard created by the Auto-ID Center that
provides additional information to existing bar codes. The EPC can
identify manufacturers, product categories, and individual items.
See also Auto-ID Center and Bar Code.
EPC Discovery Service
A service from the EPCglobal Network that allows companies to
search for every reader that has read a particular EPC tag. See
also EPCglobal.
EPC Information Service
A network infrastructure of the EPC Network that allows companies
to store EPC data in secure databases on the Web. Companies can
set the level of information access for different types of
organizations, from supply chain providers to manufacturers, to
everyone.
EPCglobal
A non-profit organization with the mission of commercializing EPC
technology. The Uniform Code Council and EAN International, which
set and maintain bar code standards in North America and
internationally, set up EPCglobal.
EPCglobal Network (or EPC Network)
The Internet-based technologies and services designed for EPCs.
Error Rate
The number of errors divided by the number of transactions.
European Article Numbering (EAN)
The bar code standard used throughout Europe, Asia, and South
America, administered by EAN International. |
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Factory Programming
The manufacturer’s setting on a read-only tag or chip or
peripheral device.
Field Programming
The programming of information into a tag after shipment by the
manufacturer, either by an OEM customer or end user. Field
programming is often related to the tag’s target application.
Firmware
Start up and input-output instructions “burned onto” a chip in
RFID-enabled printers and other devices.
Flat Panel Antenna
Flat antennas that are generally made of metal plate or foil and
embedded in a label or other material. |
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GS1
Standards setting organization responsible for barcode and RFID
standards. Formerly Uniform Code Council (UPC) /
International Article Numbering (EAN) organizations.
GS1 Databar
This is a single barcode which is composed of both
linear and 2D barcodes. This symbol, formerly named RSS
(Reduced Space Symbology), is now
called GS1 DataBar. |
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High Frequency Tags
RFID systems that operate at 13.56 MHz with a typical maximum read
range of up to 3 feet (1 meter). |
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I 2/5
Interleaved 2 of 5 is named for the 2 wide bars in every group
of 5. It is the ideal symbol for printing directly onto shipping
containers.
Inlay
RFID hardware mounted on label material. Inlays provide the RFID
portion of “smart labels”. See also Smart Label. |
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J
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary. |
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K
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary. |
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License Plate
A term that denotes a simple RFID technique that carries only a
serial number on tags. The serial number is associated with
information in a database.
Low Frequency Tags
RFID systems that operate at about 125 kHz with a typical maximum
read range of up to 20 inches (508 mm). |
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Misread
A mismatch between data as read by the reader and the data
programmed on the corresponding tag.
Multiplexer
An electronic device used to support multiple scanners or
antennas. Multiplexers essentially manage RFID traffic. Sometimes
spelled “multiplexor".
Multiread
The ability of a reader or other RFID device to read many
individual tags at the same time. |
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Nominal
The optimal level of operation for a system.
Nominal Range
The normal range at which a system can operate reliably, under
normal conditions. |
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Orientation
Placement of a tag in relationship to the reader or scanner. |
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Passive Tags
The most common RFID tags, in which a reader transmits an energy
field that “wakes up” the tag and provides the power for the tag
to operate.
PDF 417
A 2 dimensional barcode symbology developed
in 1989. Over 1800 alphanumeric characters or
over 2700 numeric digits can be encoded in a single PDF417 barcode. It can
be scanned using any scanning technology except wands. Up to 900
characters can be encoded per square inch. The Department of Defense has
recently (late 1996) declared PDF417 its "official 2-D symbology".
Penetration
Refers to the ability of a particular radio frequency to pass
through packaging and other materials.
Power Levels
A measure of the amount of RF energy radiated from a reader or
active tag, usually measured in volts/meter.
Printer/Encoder
The device used to generate smart labels. They both print
bar-coded labels and encode RFID tags embedded in the labels. See
also Smart Label.
Programmability
The ability to enter and store data into a tag.
Programming
Adding information to or changing information stored in a tag. |
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Q
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary. |
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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
A method of transmitting information using radio waves. RFID
systems typically consist of a tag that contains information
identifying an item or specifying a condition or state. A reader
communicates with the tag and reads the information programmed
into its memory.
Range
The distance at which a tag can be successfully read or written to
by the reader.
Read
The process of retrieving the information stored on an RFID tag.
Read Only
See Factory Programming.
Read Range
The distance from which a reader can communicate with a tag.
Read Rate
The maximum rate at which data can be read from a tag, generally
expressed in bits per second (bps).
Read/Write
Refers to tags that can receive new data while they are attached
to product, such as tags that store a record of shipment
information.
Readability
Refers to the ability of a reader to obtain data from a tag,
generally under difficult conditions.
Reader
The device that retrieves information from tags using radio waves.
Readers generally receive data from tags and transmit data to host
computers or peripheral devices, such as a printer.
Reader/Writer
A device that can both retrieve information from a tag and write
information to a tag. |
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Scanner
A device that reads bar codes.
Sensor
A device that produces an electronic signal in response to
something in the environment.
Separation
Refers to the distance between two tags or the distance between a
tag and a reader.
Smart Label
Refers to a label that usually contains both a traditional bar
code and an RFID tag. As bar codes are printed on smart labels,
information is also encoded into the RFID tag by the printer. |
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Tag
A combination of a microchip and antenna that can be programmed
with information to identify items and transmit that information
to a receiver. Some tags can also receive new information, such as
location information during shipment.
Transponder
See Tag |
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Ultra-High Frequency Tags
RFID systems that operate at multiple frequencies, including 868
MHz (in Europe), a band centered at 915 MHz, and 2.45 GHz
(microwave). Read range is typically 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters),
but systems operating in the 915 MHz band may achieve read ranges
of 20 feet (6 meters) or more.
Uniform Code Council (UCC)
The organization in the United States that sets and maintains the
Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code standard. See GS1
Universal Product Code (UPC)
The barcode standard used in North America. See also Uniform Code
Council. |
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V
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary. |
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Write
The transfer and, generally, verification of data to a tag.
Write Rate
The rate at which information is transferred to a tag, written
into memory and verified. |
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XML
eXtensible Markup Language (XML): A widely accepted way of sharing
information over the Internet in a standard, generic way.
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Y
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary |
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Z
No terms beginning with this letter are listed in this glossary. |
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