RFID Components

RFID components, also known as Radio Frequency IDentification, allow you to remotely identify objects as they move towards a sensor. RFID components fall into one of two basic categories, an identification chip which has a unique identifier embedded into the chip, and an RFID detector which can detect the presence of an RFID chip within varying levels of distance. Some detectors require the RFID chip to be within <1cm of the detector whereas other detectors act as antennas which can detect chips at a larger distance. The most common RFID technology that you will be familiar with already is the chip-and-pin technology that is embedded into your debit/credit card (that is the RDIF chip hidden inside) and the chip-and-pin machine that you swipe up against is the RFID detector. For those of you with the latest smartphones, they too have RFID technology embedded in which allows you to use the likes of ApplePay and GooglePay directly from your mobile phone. Some other common uses of RFID technology can be within the advanced manufacturing supply chain whereby shipments can be automatically scanned into the warehouse and to track the movements of inventory throughout a complex manufacturing process.