Next generation RFID tag is one step closer
Bob Trebilcock, Modern Materials Handling -- Modern Materials Handling, 2/19/2004
Specifications for the UHF Generation 2 RFID tag are one step closer to reality following a meeting in San Francisco of the Hardware Action Group of EPCglobal Inc. (www.epcglobalinc.org) in early February.EPCglobal is the not-for-profit organization developing the standards to drive the global, multi-industry adoption and implementation of the EPC Network. EPC stands for Electronic Product Code, which is the identifying code that will be carried by units of inventory being tracked by RFID. The EPC Network, which is currently in early stages of development, will provide companies visibility into the location and status of that inventory as it works through the supply chain.
UHF Generation 2 is the name given to a new RFID tag that will replace the Class O and Class 1 tags currently available. The standard for the new tag is scheduled to be ratified by the EPCglobal Inc. Technical Steering Committee in September 2004.
While Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense will accept Class 0 and Class 1 tags for now, both versions have their limitations.
A Class 0 tag is a 64-bit tag that is encoded during the manufacturing process. The Class 1 tag is a 96-bit tag with additional space that can be encoded at the point of use. Both tags can only be used in North America.
"Wal-Mart wants a single tag to replace Class 0 and Class 1," explains Steve Halliday, president, High Tech Aid (www.hightechaid.com), an RFID consulting firm. "They also want more area for data and a tag that will work around the world."
While the standards have yet to be written, the UHF Generation 2 tag is expected to be a write once, read many times tag with 256 bits of memory, including 128 bits of "lock memory" and 128 bits of user-defined memory. The new tag will meet global standards, not just those in North America.
The meeting in San Francisco was a procedural meeting. The attendees included representatives from Intermec (www.intermec.com), Philips (www.philips.com), Matrics (www.matrics.com), and Alien Technology (www.alientechnology.com). The group agreed on a framework for the development of the new tag, including the scope and schedule of the work to be done. Participating companies also signed the EPCglobal Intellectual Property Policy, which waives royalties and ensures that all companies subscribing to the organization have open, neutral access to the technology and standards for the benefit of the industry as a whole.
That set the stage for the real development work, scheduled to begin March March 17th and 18th at the EPCglobal summit in Orlando.
RFID tag markers expect to have a new tag commercially available by September 2004. "There's a fair amount of activity already going on," says Dan Bodnar, director of data capture for hardware and chip maker Intermec. "We expect that you'll see EPC generation 2 compliant product commercially available in the third quarter, possibly before the final spec is finalized."
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