How much rfid system cost

Active RFID tags fall into two categories: transponders and beacons. Transponders - Transponders do nor actively radiate radio signals. Instead, they are activated when a radio signal is received and respond by sending a signal back. Because they do nor radiate radio signals constantly, transponders tend to have a longer battery life. Beacons - Unlike transponders, beacons are not activated by a reader's signal. Instead, beacons transmit radio signals at pre-determined intervals. Depending on the level of tracking accuracy required, beacons can be programmed to transmit signals every few seconds, or once a day.

Beacons are used to continuously track the exact location of an asset. Both types of active RFID tags have their own power source usually a battery and transmitter. Active tags emit their own signal to send the information stored on their microchips. Passive RFID tags tend to be smaller and less expensive than active tags, as they do not require a power source or transmitter.

Instead, passive systems use a tag chip and antenna to transmit a radio signal to the RFID system. The passive RFID tag powers on when a radio signal is received, and reflects the signal back to the reader. Passive RFID systems are commonly used to track inventory assets in retail applications, to monitor goods in a supply chain, to identify products such as pharmaceuticals, and to add RFID capability to a wide range of devices. Passive RFID tags can also be set up to monitor asset movement in distribution centers and warehouses.

Will not work for IT or metal assets. Required for servers or metal-equipment, especially in a data center. Active RFID is fully automated and highly accurate. Immediate notification as things move around or disappear.

Bottom line: The more you pay up front, the more automation you get. If labor is expensive and real time data is critical, invest in active RFID. This is quite a complex topic, but I hope the above gives you a high level view of the decisions you need to make. Other RFID companies are selling either active or passive, so they will tout the benefits of one over the other. This is why you should work with a company like ours that can help you compare and contrast all the options.

Author: Tom Watson. He began his career in high tech in , as a software engineer for his own software company, Market Matrix. This helped with me a lot! This helped a lot! Thank you so much doing this! I wish other providers of emergent technology were so clear with the costs.

Thank you heads. This information will help heaps in my up coming projects :D. Note: This article was previously posted at Retail TouchPoints. Labor shortages, stressed s More Best Practices ». More Case Studies ». FEC has gained full visibility into its work-in-p More Features ». More How-To Articles ». Address Line 1. Address Line 2.