Asset tracking with RFID

In Range

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) originated in the logistics industry, but repeated attempts have been made in recent years to use the technology in asset tracking. One advantage of RFID tags is that the information they contain can be changed with most chip variants. Devices can record metadata such as purchase dates, asset IDs, or the last battery change date.

A complex topic like RFID is easier to understand if you start by looking at the hardware. The modules or cards, referred to as tags, are attached to individual assets and come in two variants: passive and active. Passive tags are available in the form of stickers, key rings, or HellermannTyton cable ties (Figure 1), whereas passive tags are larger, require maintenance, and need an energy source.

Tag Tech

The most important argument for passive tags is that they are generally maintenance free. Glued to the inside of a plastic housing, they become trackable "for life," because the energy comes from the reader.

Active tags differ from their passive counterparts first in that they are not maintenance free: They draw their energy from a (usually long-life) primary cell built into the tag, which inevitably leads to a

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