Tags characteristics and standards are very important for RFID's widespread adoption but RFID readers should be evaluated with equal if not greater care. Readers are the engines that make RFID work. They interrogate tags, sift through data and package it up for storage or use by other systems. Whereas tags typically pass through the system quickly, the readers must continue to work within the system for a long time. Topics for this session include:

• Tag Features
• Reader and reader antenna features
• Tag choice and affixing method (issues with materials like metals, liquids)
• Reader/Tag interaction - acceptable reading distances
• Antenna design and spacing - where are the antennas in relation to the package
• Rate of movement and quantity of tags
• Multi-protocol readers
• EPC Gen II standards for UHF tags

RFID demonstration in simulated working environments

• Environments like metal, liquid
• Moving Environments
• Stationary Environments
• Simulated Temperature environments
• Simulated Handling Environments
• Orientation demonstrations
• Read Distance Tests
• Write (if applicable) Distance Tests
• Accuracy Reports

• Quick review of RF basics: modulation, spectrum, and noise links and link budgets
• Antennas: gain, Friis equation scattering from metallic objects absorption / reflection of common materials
• Quick review of radio basics:
  • Baseband vs. carrier, frequency conversion
  • Selectivity and interferers
  • Unlicensed operation and frequency hopping
  • Linearity, distortion, and offsets
• RF for RFID:
  • Tag:
    • Passive power schemes and range effects
    • AM modulation
    • Chip requirements
    • Antennas and scattering vs. impedance
  • Reader:
    • Homodyne radio architecture
    • Signal complexity
    • Modulation schemes and impact on spectrum, power delivery
    • Antenna requirements
  • General:
    • Link budgets and range limitations
    • Security and interception

An introduction to the EPCglobal organization, EPC Network, its purpose, core components, and the capabilities it will deliver to supply chain management. This session will cover:

• EPCglobal organization and its structure
• Current and near future standards
• EPCglobal and other tag numbering systems
• EPC Network architecture
  • Electronic Product Code(EPC)
  • ID System
  • EPC Middleware
  • Discovery Services
  • EPC Information Services (EPC IS)

RFID produces a flood of real-time data – much of it extraneous – which means software must be able to sift through the information for exceptions. Any company evaluating RFID technology must re-evaluate existing software systems to see if they are compatible with the new technology. Moreover, in most cases, a middleware solution is required to bridge the legacy IT system with RFID hardware. This session discusses the role of RFID middleware and its selection and deployment in a RFID solution. We will cover:

• Currently available middleware platforms
• Scalability

Standards under development to share and protect the data across enterprises, customers, and suppliers. [ EPC Information Service, an EPC global working group that focuses on middleware integration and application standards, is expected this summer to debut this first set of standards]

This session identifies integration issues around RFID and enterprise systems, and provides an analytical framework based on different levels of integration. This framework is used to enumerate the technical architecture implications and software solutions for RFID and enterprise IT integration. We will cover:

• Various technologies, techniques and best practices used within typical RFID integration projects
• RFID Reader to RFID Software Integration, RFID Software to RFID Host System Integration, the Application Level Event (ALE) Interface, the EPC IS and RFID integration into a collaboration environment
• New solutions using RFID that have been successfully implemented

Just Wal-Mart alone will generate close to 8 million terabytes of data per day if all items in all its U.S. retail stores were tagged. The data gathered by RFID tags is only a portion of the information that will be generated by RFID system, which involves the broader use of sensors. These can include cameras, accelerometers and time and temperature sensors that deliver data about products and corporate assets.
The challenge will be identifying what needs to be stored and analyzed and what data can be safely discarded.

Understand how the performance of a RFID system is evaluated. We will cover the following topics in this session:

• Tags' Memory Capacity,
• Data Transfer Speed,
• Operating Range,
• Multiple-Tags-in-Field Capability,
• Operating Temperatures,
• RF Carrier Frequency of the Tag-to-Antenna Link,
• RFID System Connectivity.

See how RFID technology has been utilized in a variety of markets to date. From vending machines to wireless commerce, access control to warehouse logistics. Hear about the most compelling examples of the RFID value proposition in place today. Get valuable information on how RFID has helped businesses differentiate themselves from their competitors. Learn how a business can be built from the ground up using RFID.

• Applications
  • Supply Chain
  • Inventory/Asset Tracking
  • Theft reduction
  • Retail
  • ERP
• Challenges

This session will provide information on role of antenna in RFID system. The session will explore various types of antennas available and how to choose the right one for your installation. You will also learn on when to choose from standard vs. custom designs. We will discuss:

• Antenna properties
• Impedance, directivity, radiation patterns, polarization
• Types of Antennas
• The monopole
• The dipole
• The loop
• The folded dipole
• The slot
• Omnidirectional Antennas
• Monopole configurations
• Feed considerations
• Dipole configurations
• Ground plane considerations
• The impact of the surrounding environment on antenna performance
• Bandwidth improvement techniques
• Design trade-offs
• Circularly Polarized Antennas
• Achieving circular polarization
• The helix antenna
• The crossed dipole antenna
• Antenna Arrays
• Panels, Tunnels, patches, Beams - Design Characteristics

In this session, participants will have practical hands-on exercise with various product solutions from different vendors including the setting up and testing of RFID readers.

• Learn about reader protocols and reader architecture
• Learn how to program, configure and manage the reader
• Learn how to control & fine tune reader parameters for your application

In this session, you will learn a scientific approach to site inspection and planning, document site survey results and provide recommendations for RFID system installation. You will learn how to use a systematic approach to site inspection including how to leverage RF tools such as spectrum analyzer to identify possible RF interferences, and to provide an analysis of the operating environment.
You will also learn about -

• Antenna location and spacing
• How many antennas?
• How many readers?
• How to communicate from readers to the control computer?

Brief overview of FCC, ERO, ETSI and MPHPT regulations for UHF RFID.

This session will include practical hands-on experience in applying and using UHF tags on various types of bottles, boxes, and cartons. You'll explore the importance of finding good tag locations, and how orientation, placement, and reading environment interact to produce a successful procedure.