Sandip Lahiri

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology uses radio waves to automatically identify physical objects (either living beings or inanimate items). Therefore, the range of objects identifiable using RFID includes virtually everything on this planet (and beyond). Thus, RFID is an example of automatic identification (Auto-ID) technology by which a physical object can be identified automatically. Other examples of Auto-ID include bar code, biometric (for example, using fingerprint and retina scan), voice identification, and optical character recognition (OCR) systems. Before delving into a detailed discussion of RFID technology, you need to understand the fundamental terms and concepts associated with RFID. The following section serves as an RFID technology primer.