An RFID system generally consists of four parts: electronic tags, antennas, readers and application software.

The electronic label is similar to the bar code in the bar code system, which integrates a rewritable chip for storing information. Electronic tags are divided into active and passive types according to whether they have batteries. Active electronic tags have batteries, and compared with passive electronic tags, the readable distance is longer;

Antenna: generally connected to the reader, used to receive/transmit electromagnetic waves;

Reader: used to read the data of the electronic tag and transmit it to the host computer application software system; some can also write data to the electronic tag;

Application software: a software system based on PC or PLC, used to process the data sent by the reader;

The working principle of the RFID system is as follows:

The reader sends electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency through its antenna; when the electronic tag enters the working range of the transmitting antenna, it generates an induced current and is activated, so the stored information is sent out through the internal antenna; the reader The antenna receives the carrier signal from the electronic tag and transmits it to the reader; the reader demodulates and decodes the received signal, and sends the processed data to the host computer or PLC processing system.

Long checkout lines at the grocery store are one of the biggest complaints about the shopping experience. Soon, these lines could disappear when the ubiquitous Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code is replaced by smart labels, also called radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. RFID tags are intelligent bar codes that can talk to a networked system to track every product that you put in your shopping cart.

Imagine going to the grocery store, filling up your cart and walking right out the door. No longer will you have to wait as someone rings up each item in your cart one at a time. Instead, these RFID tags will communicate with an electronic reader that will detect every item in the cart and ring each up almost instantly. The reader will be connected to a large network that will send information on your products to the retailer and product manufacturers. Your bank will then be notified and the amount of the bill will be deducted from your account. No lines, no waiting.

FID tags, a technology once limited to tracking cattle, are tracking consumer products worldwide. Many manufacturers use the tags to track the location of each product they make from the time it's made until it's pulled off the shelf and tossed in a shopping cart.

Outside the realm of retail merchandise, RFID tags are tracking vehicles, airline passengers, Alzheimer's patients and pets. Soon, they may even track your preference for chunky or creamy peanut butter. Some critics say RFID technology is becoming too much a part of our lives -- that is, if we're even aware of all the parts of our lives that it affects.