• Reader(Interrogator) functionality
• I/O capability
• Handheld interrogators
• Vehicle mount interrogator
• LAN/serial communications
• Firmware upgrades
• Software operation (GUIs)
• Configuration of interrogation zones
• Interrogator to interrogator interference
• Optimization
• System performance and tuning
• Travel speed and direction
• Bi-static/monostatic antennas
• Anti-collision protocols (e.g., number of tags in the field/response time)
• Dense interrogator environment issues (domestic/international)
• Understand how a dense interrogator installation is going to affect network traffic
• Installation of multiple interrogators, (e.g., dock doors, synchronization of multiple interrogators, antenna footprints)
Testing and Troubleshooting
• Troubleshoot RF interrogation zones (e.g., root-cause analysis)
• Analyze less than required read rate
• Identify improperly tagged items
• Diagnose hardware
• Recognize need for firmware upgrades
• Equipment replacement procedures (e.g., antenna, cable, interrogator)
• Identify reasons for tag failure
• Failed tag management
• ESD issues
• Contrast actual tag data to expected tag data
Standards and Regulations
• User requirements vs. standards
• Regulations, standards that impact the design of a particular RFID solution
• Differences between air interface protocols and tag data formats
• Regulatory requirements – globally and by region
• Safety regulations/issues regarding human exposure
Tag Knowledge
• Tag types
• Tag selection
• Pros and cons of tag types
• Tag performance
• Tag antenna to region/frequency
• Inductively coupled tags vs. back-scatter
• Active and passive tags
• Tag Placement
• Media and adhesive selection for tags
• Tag orientation and location
• Tag stacking (shadowing)
• Package contents
• Packaging
• Items
• Tags
• Labels
• Inserts
• Liquids
• Metal
• Polarization
Design Selection
• Performance of a given frequency and power (active/passive) as it relates to: read distance, write distance, tag response time, storage capacity
• System performance variables
• Antenna type
• Equipment mounting and protection
• Cable length/loss
• Interference considerations
• Tag type (e.g., active, passive, frequency)
Installation
• Best practices
• Grounding considerations (e.g., lightning, ground loops, ESD)
• Testing installed equipment and connections (pre-install and post-install)
• Site diagram of interrogation zone locations, cable drops, device mounting locations
Site Analysis (i.e., before, during, and after installation)
• How to read blueprints
• Sources of interference
• Use analysis equipment such as a spectrum analyzer
• Environmental conditions analysis
RF Physics
• RF propagation/communication techniques
• Antenna field performance/characteristics as it relates to reflective and absorptive materials
• Radiated power output from antenna based on antenna gains, cable type, cable length, interrogator transmit power
RFID Peripherals
• Installation and configuration of RFID printer
• Ancillary devices/concepts
• RFID printer encoder
• Automated label applicator
• Feedback systems (e.g., lights, horns)
• RTLS
The EPCglobal Network: Future Real-Time Supply Chain
• EPCglobal, Inc organization and its structure
• EPC (Electronic Product Code) – a global object numbering system
• EPC network architecture
• ONS (Object Naming Service) – “The Internet of Things”
• EPC-IS – Distributed EPC information system
• EPC-DS – Discovery service to track-and-trace objects
• ALE (Application Level Events) – software to manage RFID readers
• Benefits to supply chain
RFID Middleware Requirements
• Middleware components
• Middleware requirements
• Functions performed by RFID middleware
• Standards under development to share and protect the data across enterprises
• Scalability
• Selection and deployment of RFID middleware
