Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that has existed for decades. At the simplest level it deals with tags (either active or passive) that emit radio signals and readers, which pick up the signal. In recent years, the technology has garnered greater awareness as its list of potential uses has significantly increased. Part of the technology's growing acceptance comes from standards like the EPC Gen 2 specification; the ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) air protocol for RFID tags and readers. Ratified by EPCglobal Inc. in 2004, the specification is now being adopted on a wide scale by customers and hardware manufacturers alike. To date, many major RFID chip manufacturers have built Gen 2 into their products, as have more than a dozen reader manufacturers. Key to keeping this momentum going is for all parties to have a clear understanding of RFID technology, related standards and associated applications. Here are some resources for accomplishing that goal:

EPCglobal is an industry organization leading the development of global, industry-driven standards for the electronic product code (EPC) to support the use of RFID. Go to this site for information on the EPC standards, the EPCglobal Network and a listing of certified hardware and accredited test centers, as well as EPCglobal brand guidelines and consumer information. There is also an extensive list of valuable white papers, such as “Complementary GS1 Solutions for Collaborative Supply Chains,” (www.epcglobalinc.org/news/postion_papers.html) and “The EPCglobal Network: Overview of Design, Benefits & Security,” (www.epcglobalinc.org/news/position_papers.html).

Impinj is a fabless semiconductor company offering high-performance RFID products and semiconductor intellectual property (IP). Go to this site for a range of interesting RFID information, including:

• Video: UHF Gen 2 for Pharmaceutical Applications www.impinj.com/page.cfm?ID=RFIDVideos

  This video demonstration highlights the benefits of UHF Gen 2 for pharmaceutical applications.

• Video: UHF Gen 2 for Item-Level Tagging www.impinj.com/page.cfm?ID=RFIDVideos

  This video demonstration shows why the physics of RF propagation make UHF ideally suited to item-level tagging.

• RFID Standards www.impinj.com/page.cfm?ID=aboutRFIDStandards

  Go here for an overview of EPCglobal standards and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

RFID4U offers a range of educational products for those wanting RFID training and certification. It offers classes in locations around the world as well as Internet-based e-learning classes. Onsite RFID training is also available.

Zebra Technologies provides on-demand printing solutions for business improvement and security applications. Go here for details on RFID top 10 best practices, EPC UHF Gen 2 printing/encoding and basic RFID considerations. This site is also an excellent repository of archived white papers (www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/rfid/white_papers.html) and webinars (www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/rfid/webinars.html), including:

• White Paper: RFID: The Next Generation of AIDC

  This paper presents an overview of RFID technology, with an emphasis on how to produce and use RFID smart labels for industrial, distribution, security and service applications.

• White Paper: Increasing Profits and Productivity: Accurate Asset Tracking and Management with Bar Coding and RFID.

  This paper shows how bar code and RFID can be applied to streamline many common asset management procedures and includes worksheets to help calculate the business impact and ROI that improved asset management can provide.

• Webinar: Solving the RFID Compliance Puzzle

  This webinar provides a comprehensive look at RFID compliance and how to deploy RFID in the most cost-effective manner.

• Webinar: An Introduction to RFID and EPC: Streamlining Your Supply Chain.

  This webinar provides up-to-date information about RFID technology and how it can help improve your supply chain, reduce costs and gain efficiencies.

This site is an excellent resource for white papers and RFID market reports. It provides a detailed accounting on ongoing pilot programs.

The rfidXchange is a global source for free objective advice and information on RFID technology, implementation issues and solutions. It also hosts an online RFID forum as well as a thorough selection of presentations and white papers.