Toyota

An inside look: RFID and other tags. RFID technology in warehouses

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a way to ensure the storage and transmission of information from a convenient tag carrier to the right place, using special devices. Such identifier tags make it easier to recognize various objects: goods in a store, vehicles during transportation, help determine their location, can identify people and animals, not to mention the wide possibilities for identifying documents and property.

What is an RFID tag

The electromagnetic wave received by the RFID tag from the antenna activates it, and both writing data to the tag and reading data from the tag become possible. The antenna thus serves as a multifunctional communication channel between the transceiver and the tag, fully ensuring the processes of transmitting and receiving data.

Antennas of various shapes and sizes can be built into scanners, gates, turnstiles, - in various means for working with RFID tags, in order to provide access to information stored in the tags of goods, objects, people, vehicles, etc. - everything, that moves through the scanner antenna coverage area and has an RFID tag on it.

The antenna can operate continuously and constantly read tags in large numbers, constantly polling them, or it can turn on for a while upon a signal from the operator. The antenna with the transceiver and decoder are often located in one common housing, so that the signal from the antenna is immediately demodulated, decrypted and transmitted through a standard interface to a PC for further processing of the received data.

The tag itself usually contains an antenna, a receiver, a transmitter, and memory for storing data. The tag receives energy from the radio signal of the reader's antenna or from its own power source; after receiving an external signal, the tag responds with its own signal, which contains certain identification information. Thus, RFID tags are a kind of labels, only smarter.

Recording information on an RFID tag

Information can be written to a tag in different ways, depending on the design of the tag. Thus, RFID tags can be of the following types:

R/O - Read Only tags, when data is entered at the tag manufacturing stage and is no longer changed;

WORM - tags for writing once and then reading many times (Write Once Read Many), no data is entered into such tags in production, information is written by the user once, then can be read many times;

R/W - labels for repeated recording and subsequent repeated reading of information (Read/Write).

Passive and active RFID tags

A passive RFID tag is capable of operating without its own power source; it receives power for power only from the scanner signal. Such tags are smaller in size than active ones, lighter in weight, cheaper to produce, and have an unlimited service life - this is their main advantage.

A conditional disadvantage of a passive RFID tag is that it requires a reader with sufficiently high power. An active tag is distinguished by the presence of a built-in battery or the need for an attached battery.

Such tags interact with the scanner antenna at a greater distance than passive tags, since they require less power from the antenna during operation - this is the main advantage of active tags, they have a reading range 2-3 times greater than passive tags, and an active tag is also can move at high speed through the scanner's coverage area and still have time to trigger.

Both passive and active tags can vary widely in write/read, single/multiple write capabilities, regardless of power supply.

Receiver, transmitter, antenna and memory unit are the main parts of an RFID tag. Everything except the antenna is placed in the body of a small microcircuit - a chip, so at first glance it may seem that the tag consists only of a multi-turn antenna and a chip. Active tags have one more part - a power source, a lithium battery for example.

Advantages of RFID tags over graphic identifiers

The barcode is printed only once at the production and packaging stage, and the information on the RFID tag can not only be completely changed, but also supplemented. Tags can be read in large numbers at once thanks to the anti-collision mechanism, which is difficult to achieve for graphic codes.

Despite the fact that matrix codes can accommodate relatively large volumes of data, they require large areas for applying codes, for example, to write 50 bytes with a barcode, you will need an A4 sheet, while an RFID tag with a chip with an area of only 1 square centimeter can easily will hold 1000 bytes.

Writing to a tag is quite fast, and graphic codes must first be typed, then printed and pasted, and also maintain the integrity of the image.

With RFID identifiers everything is simpler, it is enough to “implant” the tag into the packaging at the production stage (not necessarily from the outside), then write the data in a contactless way, and the tag will be eternal (at least 1,000,000 interactions with the scanner antenna), the tag hidden inside the product is not afraid of dirt, no dust.

In addition, the data recorded on the tag, in whole or in part, can, if necessary, be protected from reading or overwriting with a password - this is a reliable way to protect against counterfeiting. In this case, reading occurs at any position of the tag in the scanner’s coverage area - this is more convenient than a graphic code that needs to be brought evenly to the scanner.

Frequencies depending on application

Where high reading speed is required, for example, for monitoring cars in motion, wagons on the railway, in waste collection systems, high frequencies of 850-950 MHz and 2.4-5 GHz are used. High-frequency scanners are mounted in gates or barriers, and an RFID tag (transponder) is installed, for example, on the windshield of a car. The range of interaction between the tag and the scanner is from 4 to 8 meters, which creates favorable conditions for people, since the reading device is located out of their reach.

Currently, the mid-frequency range of 10-15 MHz is very popular. It is used in transportation and other similar applications that require rewritable cards, smart cards, etc. Many current smart cards act as mid-wave RFID tags.

The low frequency range of 100-500 KHz operates at a short distance between the scanner and the object, no more than 50 cm, sometimes less than 10 cm.

A large antenna compensates for the short communication range, but interference from high-voltage lines, computers, and even energy-saving lamps can interfere with the system's operation. But still, in many access control systems (warehouses, checkpoints), low frequencies are used to work with contactless RFID cards. In addition, the low-frequency range is used for contactless identification of animals and metal objects, such as beer kegs.

Already known RFID applications (contactless cards in access control and management systems, long-range identification systems and payment systems) are gaining additional popularity with the development of Internet services.

History of RFID tags

The technology closest to this is the IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) recognition system, invented by the US Naval Research Laboratory in 1937. It was actively used by the Allies during World War II to determine whether an object in the sky was friend or foe. Similar systems are still used in both military and civil aviation.

Another milestone in the use of RFID technology is the post-war work of Harry Stockman ( Harry Stockman) under the title “Communication by means of a reflected signal” (eng. "Communication by Means of Reflected Power") (IRE reports, pp. 1196-1204, October 1948). Stockman notes that "...considerable research and development work was done before the basic problems in reflected communication were solved, and before applications for the technology were found."

The first demonstration of modern backscatter RFID chips, both passive and active, was conducted at the Los Alamos Research Laboratory. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory) in 1973. The portable system ran at 915 MHz and used 12-bit tags.

Classification of RFID tags

There are several ways to organize RFID tags and systems:

By power source

Based on the type of power source, RFID tags are divided into:

Passive
Active
Semi-passive

Passive

Passive RFID tags do not have a built-in power source. The electric current induced in the antenna by the electromagnetic signal from the reader provides sufficient power to operate the silicon CMOS chip located in the tag and transmit the response signal.

Commercial implementations of low-frequency RFID tags can be embedded in a sticker (sticker) or implanted under the skin (see VeriChip).

The compactness of RFID tags depends on the size of external antennas, which are many times larger than the chip and, as a rule, determine the dimensions of the tags. The lowest cost of RFID tags, which have become standard for companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, Tesco in the UK, Metro AG in Germany and the US Department of Defense, is approximately 5 cents per company tag SmartCode(for purchases of 100 million units or more). In addition, due to the variation in antenna sizes, tags have different sizes - from a postage stamp to a postcard. In practice, the maximum reading distance of passive tags varies from 10 cm (4 inches) (according to the ISO 14443 standard) to several meters (EPC and ISO 18000-6 standards), depending on the selected frequency and antenna dimensions. In some cases, the antenna can be printed.

Production processes from Alien Technology entitled Fluidic Self Assembly, from SmartCode - Flexible Area Synchronized Transfer (FAST) and from Symbol Technologies - PICA are aimed at further reducing the cost of tags through the use of mass parallel production. Alien Technology currently uses the FSA and HiSam processes to produce tags, while PICA is a process from Symbol Technologies- is still under development. The FSA process can produce over 2 million IC wafers per hour, and the PICA process can produce over 70 billion tags per year (if it is further developed). In these technical processes, ICs are attached to tag wafers, which in turn are attached to antennas to form a complete chip. Attaching ICs to wafers and subsequently wafers to antennas are the most spatially sensitive elements of the manufacturing process. This means that as the size decreases, IC installation (eng. Pick and place) will become the most expensive operation. Alternative production methods such as FSA and HiSam can significantly reduce the cost of tags. Standardization of production (English Industry benchmarks) will ultimately lead to a further drop in prices for tags when they are implemented on a large scale.

Non-silicon tags can be made from polymer semiconductors. Currently, several companies around the world are developing them. Tags manufactured in laboratory conditions and operating at frequencies of 13.56 MHz were demonstrated in 2005 by companies PolyIC(Germany) and Philips(Holland). In an industrial setting, polymer tags will be produced by roll printing (a technology similar to magazine and newspaper printing), making them less expensive than IC-based tags. Ultimately, this could result in tags being as easy to print as barcodes and just as cheap for most applications.

Active tags usually have a much larger read range (up to 300 m) and memory capacity than passive tags, and are able to store more information for sending by the transceiver.

Semi-passive

Semi-passive RFID tags, also called semi-active, are very similar to passive tags but have a battery that powers the chip. Moreover, the range of these tags depends only on the sensitivity of the reader’s receiver and they can operate at a greater distance and with better characteristics.

By type of memory used

Based on the type of memory used, RFID tags are divided into:

R.O.(eng. Read Only) - data is written only once, immediately during production. Such marks are suitable for identification purposes only. No new information can be written into them, and they are almost impossible to fake.
WORM(eng. Write Once Read Many) - in addition to a unique identifier, such tags contain a block of memory that can be written once, which can then be read many times.
RW(English Read and Write) - such tags contain an identifier and a memory block for reading/writing information. The data in them can be overwritten many times.

By operating frequency

LF range marks (125-134 kHz)

Passive systems in this range have low prices and, due to their physical characteristics, are used for subcutaneous tags when microchipping animals and humans. However, due to the wavelength, there are problems with reading over long distances, as well as problems associated with the occurrence of collisions during reading.

HF band tags (13.56 MHz)

13 MHz systems are cheap, do not have environmental or licensing problems, are well standardized, and have a wide range of solutions. They are used in payment systems, logistics, and personal identification. For a frequency of 13.56 MHz, the ISO 14443 standard (types A/B) has been developed. Unlike Mifare 1K, this standard provides a key diversification system, which allows the creation of open systems. Standardized encryption algorithms are used.

Several dozen systems have been developed based on the 14443 B standard, for example, the public transport fare payment system for the Paris region.

For the standards that existed in this frequency range, serious security problems were found: there was absolutely no cryptography in cheap card chips Mifare Ultralight, introduced in the Netherlands for the fare payment system in urban public transport OV-chipkaart, later the card, which was considered more reliable, was hacked Mifare Classic.

As with the LF range, systems built in the HF range have problems with reading from long distances, reading in conditions of high humidity, the presence of metal, and problems associated with the appearance of collisions during reading.

UHF band tags (860-960 MHz)

Tags in this range have the greatest registration range; many standards in this range contain anti-collision mechanisms. Initially oriented for the needs of warehouse and production logistics, UHF range tags did not have a unique identifier. It was assumed that the identifier for the tag would be the EPC number ( Electronic Product Code) of a product that each manufacturer will label independently during production. However, it soon became clear that in addition to the function of being a carrier of the EPC product number, it would be good to assign the tag also an authenticity control function. That is, a requirement arose that contradicted itself: to simultaneously ensure the uniqueness of the tag and allow the manufacturer to record an arbitrary EPC number.

For a long time there were no chips that would fully satisfy these requirements. Released by the company Philips The Gen 1.19 chip had an unchangeable identifier, but did not have any built-in functions for password-protecting the tag’s memory banks, and data from the tag could be read by anyone with the appropriate equipment. Subsequently developed chips of the Gen 2.0 standard had functions for password-protecting memory banks (password for reading, password for writing), but did not have a unique tag identifier, which made it possible to create identical clones of tags if desired.

Finally, in 2008, NXP released two new chips, which today meet all of the above requirements. The SL3S1202 and SL3FCS1002 chips are made in the EPC Gen 2.0 standard, but differ from all their predecessors in that the TID memory field ( Tag ID), into which the tag type code is usually written during production (and within the same article it does not differ from tag to tag), is divided into two parts. The first 32 bits are reserved for the code of the tag manufacturer and its brand, and the second 32 bits are for the unique number of the chip itself. The TID field is immutable, and thus each tag is unique. The new chips have all the benefits of Gen 2.0 standard tags. Each memory bank can be protected from reading or writing with a password, the EPC number can be recorded by the manufacturer of the product at the time of labeling.

In UHF RFID systems, compared to LF and HF, the cost of tags is lower, while the cost of other equipment is higher.

Currently, the UHF frequency range is open for free use in the Russian Federation in the so-called “European” range - 863-868 MHz.

RF UHF Near Field Tags

Compared to portable readers, this type of reader usually has a larger reading area and power and is capable of simultaneously processing data from several dozen tags. Stationary readers are connected to a PLC, integrated into a DCS or connected to a PC. The task of such readers is to gradually record the movement of marked objects in real time, or to identify the position of marked objects in space.

Mobile

They have a relatively shorter range and often do not have a constant connection with the control and accounting program. Mobile readers have an internal memory into which data from read tags is recorded (this information can then be loaded into a computer) and, like stationary readers, they are capable of writing data to a tag (for example, information about the control performed).

Depending on the frequency range of the tag, the distance for stable reading and writing data in them will be different.

RFID and alternative methods of automatic identification

Standards

The negative attitude towards RFID technology is compounded by the gaps that exist in all current standards. Although the process of improving standards has not ended, many have a tendency to hide some tag commands from the public. For example, the command Authentication in proprietary technology Philips MIFARE, which uses the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, after which the tag must encrypt its responses and accept only encrypted commands, can be neutralized by some command that the developer keeps secret. After executing this command it is possible to successfully use ReadBlock, fictitiously encrypted on a constant (which is used to calculate the CRC in the ISO/IEC 14443 standard). This way you can read the MIFARE card. Moreover, by analyzing the current consumed by the card, a circuit engineer can read all access passwords to all blocks of the MIFARE card (due to the relative gluttony of EEPROM cells and the circuitry of memory reading in the chip). Thus, the most common RFID cards may initially contain a bookmark.

Some of the suspicions regarding RFID can be removed by developing complete and open standards, the absence of which causes suspicion and mistrust in the technology.

The use of microwave range tags in the Russian Federation is currently regulated by SanPiN 2.1.8/2.2.4.1383-03, approved by Resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation No. 135 of 06/09/2003. Despite the widespread misconception about the non-compliance of this equipment with standards, in real calculations the strength of the electromagnetic field or the power flux density emitted by the equipment is taken into account, and not the output power of the device, as was established in SanPiN 2.2.4/2.1.8.055-96, which became invalid as of June 30, 2003; actual values for calculating the maximum permissible level in UHF equipment actually existing in Russia are approximately 10-20 times lower than those established by sanitary and hygienic standards.

Development of the RFID market

According to experts, the market for RFID systems in Russia is still in its infancy, so supply in this segment significantly exceeds demand. Because of this lag, the domestic market is developing at an accelerated pace - the cumulative average annual growth rate in the period from 2010 exceeds 19%. While the average annual growth rate of the global RFID market (CAGR) exceeds 15%.

According to market participants, the volume of the global market for RFID products in 2008 amounted to $5.29 billion. It is expected that by 2018 it will grow more than 5 times. The volume of the Russian RFID market is slightly more than one percent of the world market, and amounts to $69 million.

The state corporation is also creating in St. Petersburg mass production of devices and systems based on acoustoelectronic and chemisorption devices, including pressure and strain sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, high-frequency bandpass filters and gas detectors. The initiator of the project is JSC Avangard. The total budget of the project is estimated at 1.24 billion rubles, the contribution of Rusnano will be 550 million rubles. The start of production of finished products is scheduled for 2012. The project is expected to reach planned levels in 2015.

All radio frequency identification systems are being implemented in Russia for the first time. A company installing an RFID system does not need to drag along outdated equipment and frequencies, adapt existing equipment at the site to the task, and has the opportunity to implement the most advanced developments.

Due to its high cost, RFID in Russia is used primarily for logistics operations, in the metro of large cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg), ground transport (for example, in the Republic of Bashkortostan) and in library systems. However, according to Rusnano General Director Anatoly Chubais, in the coming years it is possible to switch to nanochips for bank cards with RFID, with the help of which the technology will become widely used in retail trade.

Application

Standards

Main article: RFID Standards

International RFID standards, as an integral part of automatic identification technology, are developed and adopted by the international organization ISO together with IEC. Preparation of projects (development) of standards is carried out in close cooperation with proactive interested organizations and companies.

Standards development organizations

EPCglobal

AIM Global is an international trade association representing providers of automatic identification and mobile technologies. The Association actively supports the development of AIM standards through its own Technical Symbology Committee, Global Standards Advisory Groups and group of RFID experts, as well as through participation in industry, national (ANSI) and international (ISO) development groups.

In Russia, the development of standards in the field of RFID is entrusted to [ ] Association UNISCAN/GS1 Russia.

GRIFS

ISO 11784 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Code structure"
ISO 11785 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Technical concept"
ISO 14223 - "Radio frequency identification of animals - Transponders with advanced functions"
ISO 10536 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards"
ISO 14443 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards. Cards with short reading distance"
ISO 15693 - “Identification cards. Contactless chip cards. Medium reading range cards"
DIN/ISO 69873 - “Data media for tools and clamping devices”
ISO/IEC 10374 - “Identification of containers”
VDI 4470 - “Product security systems”
ISO 15961 - "RFID for merchandise management: control computer, tag functional commands and other syntactic capabilities"
ISO 15962 - "RFID for merchandise management: data syntax"
ISO 15963 - "Unique identification of RFID tags and owner registration for uniqueness management"
ISO 18000 - "RFID for Product Management: Wireless Interface"
ISO 18001 - "Information technology - RFID for merchandise management - Recommended application profiles"

Notes

Section of the site dedicated to RFID(English) . EFF. Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived January 29, 2011.
Retelling of the contents of the Appeal of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to the authorities of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States of October 6, 2005 (Russian). Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate (October 17, 2005). Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived January 29, 2011.
Hacking Exposed Linux: Linux Security Secrets & Solutions (third ed.). McGraw-Hill Osborne Media. 2008. pp. 298. ISBN 978-0-07-226257-5.
"Alpina Publisher", 2007. - P. 47. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8.
Stockman, Harry(1948). "Communication by means of reflected power". IRE: 1196-1204. Stockman1948. Retrieved 2013-12-06.
History of technology (Russian). Scale Company. Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived January 29, 2011.
google books - search by patent number
, Chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.1 “Label” and its subparagraphs.
rfid-news.ru Archived April 6, 2010.
Hitachi Unveils Smallest RFID Chip(English) . Retrieved January 30, 2011. Archived August 23, 2011.
Hitachi has developed the smallest RFID chips (Russian). CNews (February 21, 2007). Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived January 29, 2011.
Manish Bhuptani, Shahram Moradpur. RFID technologies at the service of your business = RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems / Troitsky N. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2007. - P. 70. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8.
Mark Roberti. A 5-Cent Breakthrough(English) . RFID Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived January 29, 2011.
Polymer technology opens up new fields of application for RFID in logistics(English) . PRISMA press release (January 26, 2006). Retrieved February 5, 2010. Archived August 23, 2011.
Daniel M. Dobkin. RFID Basics: Backscatter Radio Links and Link Budgets(English) . The RF in RFID: Passive UHF RFID in Practice. www.rfdesignline.com (February 10, 2007). Retrieved February 5, 2010. Archived August 23, 2011.
Manish Bhuptani, Shahram Moradpur. RFID technologies at the service of your business = RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems / Troitsky N. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2007. - P. 65. - 290 p. - ISBN 5-9614-0421-8.
Locating, Responding, Optimizing in Real Time. RFID System for the Locating(English) . Siemens. - at the same time, in terms of power, this system is more likely a radio transmitter with a radiation power atypical for active RFID tags. In the usual case, active tags emit up to 10 mW and operate at a distance of about 100 m. The mentioned system in a building operates at the same distance. Retrieved November 26, 2008. Archived August 23, 2011.
Kiwi Bird. Little secrets of big technologies (Russian). Computerra (February 17, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Kiwi Bird. Clearly it's unsafe (Russian). Computerra (March 30, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Kiwi Bird. A Sound of Thunder (Russian). Computerra (March 28, 2008). Retrieved February 13, 2009.
Tao Cheng, Li Jin. Analysis and Simulation of RFID Anti-collision Algorithms(English) (pdf). School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University. Retrieved February 5, 2010.

From everyone’s favorite (at least I really hope so) series “A View from the Inside” - more than six months. It’s not that there wasn’t anything to write or talk about, it’s just that I was overwhelmed by things that will become the subject of one of my next articles on Habré (I hope that it won’t be scrapped, since it won’t be devoted entirely to IT topics). In the meantime, we have a free minute, let's figure out what RFID (Radio-frequency identification) is - they will be joined by simpler tags - or how one small step in technology has dramatically changed the lives of millions and even billions of people around the world.

Preface

I would like to make a reservation right away.

Before starting work on this article, I really hoped that from microphotographs, and especially from optics, information found on the Internet, and some knowledge from past publications, it would be possible to determine where and what elements of the microcircuit are located. At least at the “everyday” level: they say, this is memory, this is the power supply circuit, and here information processing takes place. Indeed, it would seem that RFID is the simplest device, the simplest “computer” that you can think of...

However, life made its own adjustments and everything that I managed to find: a general diagram of the device of a new generation of tags, photographs of what, for example, a memory should look like - I don’t even know why I didn’t pay attention to this (maybe there will be an opportunity to improve?! ), and scandals, intrigues, revelations of A5 processors from chipworks.

Theoretical part

By tradition, let's start with some introductory part.

RFID

The history of radio frequency recognition technology - perhaps this is how all conceivable and inconceivable variants of RFID (radio-frequency identification) can be called - goes back to the 40s of the 20th century, when the development of all types of electronic equipment was actively carried out in the USSR, Europe and the USA .

At that time, any product powered by electricity was still a novelty, so the scientists faced an unplowed field: wherever you poked, as in the Black Earth Region, a shovel handle - a tree would grow. Judge for yourself: Maxwell proposed his laws only half a century ago (in 1884). And theories based on these equations began to appear 2-3 decades later (between 1900 and 1914), including the theory of radio waves (from their discovery, to signal modulation models, etc.). Plus, the preparation and conduct of the Second World War left its mark on this area.

As a result, by the end of the 40s, “friend or foe” recognition systems were developed, which were somewhat larger than those described, but worked on virtually the same principle as modern RFID tags.

The first demonstration of close to modern RFID was carried out in 1973 at the Los Alamos Research Laboratory, and one of the first patents for this kind of identification system was received a decade later - in 1983. More details about the history of RFID can be found on Wiki and some other sites ( and ).

Due to the built-in battery, active tags have a significantly larger operating radius, dimensions, more complex “filling” (you can add a thermometer, hygrometer, or even a whole GPS positioning chip to the tag) and an appropriate price.

Tags can be classified in different ways: by operating frequency (LF – low-frequency ~130KHz, HF – high-frequency ~14MHz and UHF – ultra-high-frequency ~900MHz), by the type of memory inside the tag (read-only, write-once and write-once). By the way, NFC, so beloved and promoted by all manufacturers, refers to the HF range, which has a number of well-known problems.

Other tags

Unfortunately, the cost of RFID tags compared to other types of identification is quite high, so, for example, we still buy food and other “traditional” goods using barcodes (or barcodes), sometimes QR codes, and protection so-called anti-theft tags (or EAS - electronic article surveillance) provide protection against theft.

The three most common types (all photos taken from Wiki):

There are many wonderful discoveries ahead of us, sometimes completely unexpected and of course hard geek porn in the format HD!

If the theory is not enough for someone, welcome to this English-language site.

Practical part

So, what marks were found in the world around us:

Left column from top to bottom: Moscow metro card, Aeroexpress pass, plastic card for access to the building, RFID tag presented by the Perekrestok company at the RosNanoForum-2011 exhibition. Right column from top to bottom: radio frequency EAS tag, acoustomagnetic EAS tag, bonus ticket for Moscow public transport with a magnetic stripe, RFID visitor card of RosNanoForum even contains two tags.

The first to be announced is the Moscow Metro card - let's get started.

In the first circle. Moscow metro ticket

First, soak the card in plain water to remove the paper layers that hide the very heart of this “mark.”

Stripped map of the Moscow metro

Now let’s carefully look at it at low magnification using an optical microscope:

Microphotographs of a card chip for access to the Moscow metro

The chip is fixed quite firmly and I would like to point out that all 4 “legs” are attached to the antenna - this will be useful to us later for comparison with another RFID tag. By folding the plastic base in half where the chip is located and slightly shaking it from side to side, it is easily released. As a result, we have a chip the size of a needle eye:

Optical micrographs of the chip immediately after separation from the antenna

Well, let's play with the trick:

Changing the focus position from the bottom layer to the top layer

Now for a little intrigue.

There are rumors that Mikron is developing and producing chips for the Moscow metro in-house using similar Mifare technology (at least the attachment to the antenna is different - the legs are of a different shape). On August 22, without declaring war and treacherously sent an appeal to Mikron for clarification on whether this chip could in principle be seen somewhere, by 3.11 there was no response. One of the journalists (namely, Alexander Erlikh) on the IXBT forum was also going to clarify this information with Mikron representatives, but at the moment things are still there, that is, Mikron official representatives are avoiding answering the directly posed question.

The ticket discussed above was apparently manufactured (or just mounted on the antenna?) at the Mikron enterprise (Zelenograd) - see links below - using technology from NXP, a well-known company in RFID circles, which is clearly hinted at by 3 huge letters and the year of release of the technology (and maybe the year of production) on the top metallization layer of the chip. If we assume that 2009 refers to the year the technology was launched, and the abbreviation CUL1V2 is deciphered as Circuit ULtralite 1 Version 2 (this assumption is also confirmed by this news), then on the NXP website you can find a detailed description of these chips (the last two lines in the list)

By the way, last year an excursion to the Micron plant (photo and video reports) was organized for the participants of the Internet Olympiad on Nanotechnology, so it makes no sense to say that the equipment there is idle, but also the statement of the “guy in a white coat” that they produce tags by 70 nm standards, I would question it...

According to statistics collected after analyzing the chips of 109 metro tickets (a fairly representative sample), according to the normal distribution, the chances of finding an “unusual” ticket are ~109^1/2 or about 10%, but they melt with each opened ticket...

A careful eye has already noticed the main difference between the two Mifare chips - the Philips2001 inscription. In fact, back in 1998, Philips bought the American microelectronics manufacturer Mikron (not to be confused with our Zelenograd Mikron). And in 2006, NXP spun off from Philips.

It is also easy to notice the mark CLU1V1C, which, based on the above, means Circuit ULTralite 1 Version 1C. That is, this tag is the predecessor of Mifare, used by the Moscow metro, and, therefore, is compatible with it in its main parameters. However, as in the previous case, 2001 is an indication of the year of development and implementation of the technology or the year of production. It’s strange that Aeroexpress uses outdated tags...

In the third circle. A plastic card

One day, I decided to show one of my friends articles and photographs on Habrahabr. Then he asked if she had any unnecessary card for the next article about RFID. By that time, she had just moved to study at EPFL and gave me a card that allows access to one of the buildings of Moscow State University. The card, accordingly, is without any markings, and I’m not even sure that anything is written on it, except for the usual key to enter the building.
The card is completely plastic, so we immediately put it in acetone for literally a couple of tens of minutes:

Taking acetone baths

Everything inside is pretty standard - an antenna and a chip, however, it turned out to be on a small piece of PCB. Unfortunately, without any identification marks - a typical Chinese noname. The only thing you can know about this chip and card is that they are made/belong to some TK41 standard. There are a lot of such cards at sales like ali-baba and dealextreme.

In the fourth circle. Crossroads

Next, I want to look at two tags presented at the RosNanoForum 2011 exhibition. The first of them was presented with great pathos, saying that it was almost a panacea for thieves and shoplifting. And in general, this label will allow stores to completely switch to self-service. Unfortunately, the effective manager turned out to be little more than completely incompetent in matters of school physics. And after the proposal to test the effectiveness of it and the tag using a strong magnet attached to the tag, he quickly hushed up the topic...

After a couple of purchases at SmartShop, I had a few tags left at my disposal. Having cleared one of them from glue and the white protective layer, we see the following:

New label for the Perekrestok chain of stores

We do the same as Mifare, carefully disconnect it from the polymer base and antenna and place it on the table of the optical microscope:

Optical microphotographs of a tag intended for use in SmartShop

By a lucky coincidence (either the glue let us down, or this was intended), the mark was quickly torn off from the base, and its surface remained without any traces of glue. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that if Mifare has all 4 contacts attached to the antenna (2 contacts at each end), here we see that two contacts are connected to two small pads that are not in contact with the antenna.

Let's play a little with focus in different parts of the label:

Changing focus...

Maximum magnification of an optical microscope

The last photo at the top left apparently shows an EEPROM memory module, since it occupies about a third of the surface of the chip and has a “regular” structure.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology still remains quite expensive for the domestic market and only works in large warehouses. But the heads of companies that have already implemented the technique have managed to appreciate the benefits of radio frequency identification of goods. Technology has made it possible to solve a number of problems related to storage and accounting of products.

How does RFID work?

System RFID Reader quite easy to use. A special label is applied to each unit of goods, in which all data is encrypted: weight, volume, date of loading or unloading, basic storage parameters. At the exit from the warehouse, a metal frame with sensitive RFID sensors is mounted. They scan the tags on every package that comes through the gate and send the information to a shared database.

The program can be configured to identify employees’ personal cards or combined with a video surveillance system. This will not only simplify the accounting and tracking of goods movements, but will also reduce the number of violations in warehouses.

Examples of using

There is a worldwide practice of using systems based on RFID technology. RFID tags are used in various fields:

At one of the Toyota factories , located in the USA, RFID helps monitor the occupancy of trailers during loading. Similar technologies have been implemented at Chevrolet enterprises and in major Asian ports. Tags are applied to large-capacity containers, and loading equipment is equipped with readers. This made it possible to increase trade turnover, since there was no longer a need to count and reconcile large volumes of goods manually. With such a tracking system, the number of human errors is reduced.

At Sony Electronics factories use rewritable RFID tags. They are applied to picture tubes on production lines at the final stages of production. By scanning the tag, the system transmits data to a central database, and the operator receives information about the testing and location of a specific unit of product.

In a number of European countries, radio frequency tags have freed car owners from having to use a cash register every time they refuel their car. Electronic readers are mounted directly on fuel pumps. The system starts fuel supply after receiving the appropriate signal from the scanner.

Transport companies have also adopted the technology . Tags are placed at the bottom of the windshield of trucks. Radio frequency scanners are located at each control point and at the final point. Not only the date and number of the vehicle is read, but also all information on the product: invoices, waybills, etc. While the vehicle is moving, paperwork is completely eliminated, data transfer is carried out through a central server.

In our country, RFID technologies appeared about ten years ago and are used mainly in warehouses. But manufacturers of radio frequency equipment have already launched serial production, as they are confident in its active implementation.

Application of RFID in warehouses

The use of RFID technology for a warehouse is justified from an economic and practical point of view, especially when it comes to terminals with a large turnover. The purchase of equipment for large companies pays off quite quickly.

Advantages of the RFID tag system:

Specialists who deal with RFID devices in an enterprise should pay special attention to the tasks that will be assigned to the system. It is necessary to determine the optimal reading range, configure the antennas accordingly, and study the specifics of technological processes in the warehouse. It is important to understand the principle of moving product items. For example, packaging carried through RFID-reader, does not have to leave the warehouse. It may be transported to another location, so the system does not have to mark it as shipped.

Prospects for RFID

Similar chipping technologies are already used in Russia, for example, in new passports. But the system is not yet working as actively as in developed countries. Experts predict a great future for RFID, up to the complete replacement of modern computers. Of course, this will not happen soon. While the technologies are being refined to expand functionality and increase efficiency. One of the most promising areas of development is working in all kinds of online stores. Given the daily turnover, their warehouses require particularly strict accounting of goods and tracking of movements.

Paxar presented positive experience in using RFID in this capacity. Its specialists created the Magicmirror program, based on radio frequency technologies. This is some kind of electronic mirror. A visitor to a Paxar clothing store can select any model with an RFID tag from the collection and hold it up to the mirror. The display will show detailed information about the composition of the fabric, available colors and sizes. Based on the scanner data, the program will also suggest accessories suitable for this item of clothing. Using a radio frequency reader, the buyer will be able to call a sales consultant while in the fitting room.

The technology is good, especially when applied to warehouses. However, today system developers face some difficulties. Ways to solve problems should be found over time, but for now the technology inspires some fears in users.

Difficulties in using RFID technology for a warehouse

So, what do developers and end users of RF scanners fear:

Price. The first equipment using RFID technology was quite bulky and expensive. It is inconvenient to use and required financial investments that were unaffordable for small firms. Engineers managed to gradually make the installations more compact. After all, small and lightweight scanners are cheaper and easier to use. The cost of radio frequency tags themselves is not decreasing as quickly as we would like. Not every company can afford to equip its entire warehouse with microchips costing 10 euro cents. Experts are confident that as soon as the cost of tags drops to 1 euro cent, the demand for them will increase significantly.
Computer threats - viruses. The average microchip memory capacity is only 2 kB. Initially, it was believed that the mark was simply impossible to infect with a virus, but Amsterdam scientists proved the opposite. They not only infected the microchip, but also analyzed the possible consequences of this situation. A faulty tag provides incorrect information or stops working altogether. Radio frequency data transmission also infects the scanners through which the chip passes. This disrupts the central database and can completely stop the warehouse, which means huge losses for the company. What’s even more dangerous is that the virus can spread through radio channels and to other tags, causing chaos. When applied to hypermarkets and other large facilities, the consequences are completely unpredictable.
Possibility of hacking . Actually, we are not talking about hacking, because the chips are not protected. The scanner is capable of reading information from a long distance, which provides a large field for the activities of criminals. Anyone who receives a tagged item can use the reader and access the database. This includes customer credit card information and other confidential information.
Theft of data from electronic documents . For example, when reading passports, the scanner automatically sends the data to the central computer. In Germany, England and the USA, RFID technologies have long been used in the defense and healthcare sectors. But recent research has shown that data from chips can be copied from a distance of 100 meters with a special scanner. That is, a criminal can gain access to the most important information, the dissemination of which is completely unacceptable.

All these concerns also apply when using RFID in warehouses. Experts are actively looking for methods to “break” the chip after the item is handed over to the buyer, but so far they are all ineffective. Tag deactivation programs only cause it to be put to sleep, not disabled.

Here are a few methods that consumers themselves have invented who want to maintain the privacy of their personal lives:

cutting off the antenna. In some cases this cannot be done. For example, removing a tag from clothing will damage the fabric;
processing items in the microwave. The radiation causes the chip to explode, which also leaves its mark on the purchased product.

German engineers have worked for many years to create a device that can cause irreversible deactivation of an RFID tag. The technology is based on the strong impact of an electromagnetic pulse. But for now the device is being tested and cannot be found in the public domain.

Data protection systems

If it was impossible to disable the tag, scientists decided to develop ways to protect it. Today there are several of them:

Password protection of data. The chip sends the correct information to the scanner only after entering the secret code. Another code can launch a self-destruction program for the chip, for example, after purchasing an item. The technology turned out to be vulnerable to hackers, so it was not widely used.
Hardware-network protection. The system blocks all tags in the warehouse and opens the one you need only upon request. The program constantly scans the airwaves, providing information about unauthorized reading attempts. This technology is applicable to chips of any complexity and size. It is quite effective and protected from hacker attacks.
Broken antenna. When purchasing a product, the buyer simply breaks off the tip of the antenna, which is responsible for transmitting data at a distance. When returning an item, the seller can identify the item by holding the scanner close to the tag.
Installation of jammers. The device works on the principle of RFID tags themselves, copying microcircuit algorithms. The difference is that the “jammer” responds to scanner requests with unreliable information – digital garbage. The creation of such an interfering chip is complicated by the fact that it must recognize various reading devices and provide a stream of unnecessary information to unregistered devices.

In the future, the use of RFID technologies in organizing warehouse operations should increase the speed of goods turnover and the efficiency of the entire warehouse system. If there is a serious data protection program, or the information on the chips is not of particular value to third parties, then RFID tags are an excellent solution for any business.

It was actively used by the Allies during World War II to determine whether an object in the sky was friend or foe. Similar systems are still used in both military and civil aviation.

Another milestone in the use of RFID technology is the work of Harry Stockman ( Harry Stockman) under the title “Communication by means of a reflected signal” (eng. "Communication by Means of Reflected Power" ) (IRE reports, pp. 1196-1204, October). Stockman notes that "...considerable research and development work was done before the basic problems in reflected communication were solved, and before applications for the technology were found."

The first demonstration of modern backscatter RFID chips, both passive and active, was conducted at the Los Alamos Research Laboratory. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ) in 1973. The portable system operated at 915 MHz and used 12-bit tags.

The first patent associated with the name RFID itself was issued to Charles Walton ( Charles Walton) in 1983 (US Patent No. 4,384,288).