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Development of a Development of a UHF Passive RFID System UHF Passive RFID System

LSCM Technology Transfer ForumLSCM Technology Transfer Forum

Science Park, Cyber PortScience Park, Cyber Port

Edward Kai-Ning Yung

City University of Hong Kong 25 August, 2010

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BudgetBudget

Innovation and Technology Fund, Hong Kong SAR GovernmentApril 2005 - March 2007 : $4,600,000

Industrial Sponsorship: $500,000

City University of Hong Kong: $920,000

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Industrial SponsorsIndustrial Sponsors

Surface Mount Technology Company Limited, Hong Kong

GoldTel Electronics Company Limited,Shenzhen

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AimsAims

Strengthen Hong Kong as the center of logistics management in the region

Demonstrate that Hong Kong is also a world-class center of technological innovation

Resurrect Hong Kong as a premium center of engineering supports

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RFID EraRFID Era

RFID has been identified by the national government as an area of intensive development

RFID has also been identified by the federal government of USA as an area of intensive development

RFID is the technology driver in the coming decades, similar to telephone, computer, network, and mobile phone in the last century

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From Strength to StrengthFrom Strength to Strength

Electronic article surveillance system for retail outlets: passive, 143.2kHz, 1-bit

Autotoll system, semi-active system, 2450MHz

Octopus system: passive, 13.56MHz

Container port & containers: active, 433MHz

Baggage handling system in the Hong Kong Airport: passive, 900MHz

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Hi-Tech in Hong KongHi-Tech in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an ideal site for field-testing novel applications of new technologies, such as RFID

Although all technologies are imported, some of the home-grown RFID systems have been recognized as the pioneer and the world leader in their respective areas

Without a home-grown technology, it is very difficult to export our system and recover part of the cost of development

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ObjectivesObjectives

Tailor-make a new RFID system for libraries

Develop a RFID reader with unique features

Design the needed antennas and other critical components/devices

Devise value-added features for libraries

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Design from ScratchDesign from Scratch

Develop a new RFID system from scratch with in-house developed critical components innovative modules with discrete components some of the key circuits packaged in RFIC system integration implementation, and in-situ field testing

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RFID LibraryRFID Library Books and multi-media disks are relatively

homogeneous in nature and in size, it is easier to implement a RFID system, comparatively

These items are not very expensive, a few errors are tolerable

They are not very cheap; thus, the high cost of implementation is justified

New features developed for libraries could be applied in other areas of logistics management

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Edges in CompetitionEdges in Competition

Besides an import replacement, our design is affordable, efficient, reliable, robust, user-

friendly, and culturally independent environmental friendly physically and psychologically safe downward and laterally compatible

Most important of all, there are ample rooms left for modification; thus, it could easily be adopted in other applications

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UHF verses HFUHF verses HF

UHF and HF technologies are equally mature

High-gain resonant UHF antenna is feasible

Unlike UHF ones, HF RFID tag could only be used for gaining access

With a longer range of coverage, UHF RFID makes detection, trace-and-track, real-time location/search, surveillance, eavesdropping, and other processes possible. Compared with a HF system, it is a role-reversal

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Active verses PassiveActive verses Passive

Compared with an active one, the pros and cons ofa passive RFID system are:

its tags are smaller, lighter, and cheaper; they could be used indefinitely without change of battery

its reader is large and very expensive its range of coverage is relatively short its operation decrees a strong EM field and the

feedback signal is vulnerable to noises; thus, it allows little room for modification

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UHF RFID MandateUHF RFID Mandate

With a unique ID number, UHF passive RFID is the natural extension of the popular bar-code system; it has been adopted by the EPC of the United States:

A passive tag is required in every pallet to be shipped to the States

The requirement is later extended to every carton Eventually, a tag must be embedded in every

item to be sold in retail stores

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Market SurveyMarket Survey

The readers are very expensive

Most readers are very large, so are the antennas

The take-it-or-leave-it reader allows no room for alteration

Early tags could not meet the market demands; they are frequently upgraded

New reader must be bought for every upgrade

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Potential Health HazardPotential Health Hazard

Without license, the output power of a reader could be as high as 4W for a range of 8 meters

For detection, the reader must be turned on at all time; thus, operators working in a library are subject to prolonged exposure to a strong non-ionization radiation

With the proliferation of wireless gadgets, the public is annoyed by the sight of many antennas and psychological illnesses are resulted

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ObservationsObservations

Some of the FCC requirements may have been over-specified for applications in Hong Kong, such as the capacity of 200 tags and the speed of 30 tags/sec

Most readers use one antenna for transmitting a high power for energizing the tags and for picking up the feedback signals. To separate the out-going and the in-coming signals of >60dB in rating, an expensive isolator is needed

As the waves scattered from the tags are very difficult to predict, the signal picked up by one antenna is not reliable

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InterferencesInterferences

For convenience, most readers are put on-top of a desk or installed on the wall of an entrance; thus, it is vulnerable to intra-system and inter-system interferences

Interruption of services may arise from the fixed-wire connection in terms of surge currents and static charges

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Access ControlAccess Control

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RemedyRemedy

A reader is custom-designed to handle the less demanding capacity and the slower speed of detection

The paths of transmission and feedback are separated after the synchronization process

While one antenna is used for energizing the tags, multiple antennas are strategically installed around the tag-to-be-detected for picking up the scattered signals, collectively

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Multi-Antenna ReaderMulti-Antenna Reader

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Critical ComponentsCritical Components

Expensive components such as the high power voltage-controlled oscillator are custom-designed in an application-specific RFIC

An efficient low-noise amplifier and other front-end components are packaged in another RFIC for installation near the pick-up antenna

Instead of putting all circuits in one RFIC, discrete components are used strategically such that later modifications are made possible

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New ConfigurationNew Configuration

The antenna is installed upside down

In this orientation, interferences from mobile phones and other wireless gadgets are reduced

The antenna is camouflaged as a decorative lighting for relieving the operator’s anxiety

The reader is turned on by a motion detector

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Accordion Helical AntennaAccordion Helical Antenna

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Interference ContainmentInterference Containment

High gain helical antenna with small side lobes is used to contain intra-system interference

Ferrite tiles are placed under the antenna to absorb the excessive electromagnetic waves

A middleware is included inside every reader for buffering the computer network in the library and our network of RFID readers

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Multi-Book Check Out SystemMulti-Book Check Out System

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Handheld ReaderHandheld Reader

A handheld reader is used to read tags missed by the array of fixed antennas

Communication between the principle reader and a handheld reader is established via a blue-tooth link

As the handheld reader provides no power of excitation, the required battery pack could be significantly reduced, and the resultant device is light in weight

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Value-added ServicesValue-added Services

Multiple-book check out system

Multiple-book return

Book sorter

Self service library

Smart book shelf/book bin

Compact book storage system

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Run-run Shaw LibraryRun-run Shaw Library

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Book SorterBook Sorter

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Self Service LibrarySelf Service Library

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Book BinBook Bin

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Book Storage & RetrievalBook Storage & Retrieval

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Principle of OperationPrinciple of Operation

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RetrievalRetrieval

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Putting BackPutting Back

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Thank YouThank You

Questions & AnswersQuestions & Answers