Definition

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification

EPC - Electronic Product Code

DOD - United States Department of Defense

SSCC - Serial Shipping Container code

SSCC is allocated by a company to its physical units like pallets, containers or cartons, assembled for transport and storage of goods of any kind, which need to be tracked and traced individually in a supply chain.
Basically SSCC is an 18-digit code allocated by a company to keep track of logistic units. Logistic units may consist of single items, cartons, pallets, or containers, and each package type may contain a standard set of contents or some unique combination made up for a particular customer’s requirements. They may be sent by any means, road, rail, or air, and may be carried by a variety of agents.
SSCC code= Packaging indicator + Manufacturers code + Serial no. + check digit.

http://www.gs1india.org.in/sscc.htm

SGTIN - Serialized Global Trade Identification

http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0596009445/rfid-APP-A

GID - Global IDentification

GLN - Global Location Numbers

GTIN - Global Trade Item Number

The GRAI is the GS1 Identification Key for types of reusable package or transport equipment that are considered an asset. It is used to enable tracking as well as recording of all relevant data associated with the individual asset or asset reference. The GRAI is is assigned for the life time of the asset and may be bar coded using Application Identifier (8003).

http://www.gs1.org/barcodes/technical/idkeys/grai

GSMP – Global Standard Management Process

The Global Standards Management Process, or GSMP, is the pre-eminent worldwide collaborative forum where GS1 standards are built and maintained..
Since it was created in 2002, the GSMP has been the engine that powers the entire GS1 System of standards. It is an open and transparent process made possible by the participation of companies who wish to improve the efficiency of supply chains.
The GSMP brings together users from all industries and from everywhere in the world to identify needs for standards, gather business requirements, document best practices, obtain consensus on solutions, and then develop and implement the resulting supply chain standards.

UPC - Universal Product Code

The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a family of coding schemes created as an eventual successor to the barcode. The EPC was created as a low-cost method of tracking goods using RFID technology. It is designed to meet the needs of various industries, while guaranteeing uniqueness for all EPC-compliant tags. EPC tags were designed to identify each item manufactured, as opposed to just the manufacturer and class of products, as bar codes do today. The EPC accommodates existing coding schemes and defines new schemes where necessary.
The EPC was the creation of the MIT Auto-ID Center, a consortium of over 120 global corporations and university labs. The EPC system is currently managed by EPCglobal, Inc., a subsidiary of GS1, creators of the UPC barcode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Product_Code

EPC Structure

• Encoded on radio frequency tags in bits
  – 0’s and 1’s
• Provides multiple formats for
  – various bit length tags (64 and 96)
  – accommodates existing identifiers
• All formats support unique EPCs

Basic Format

Header - EPC Manager Number - Object Class - Serial Number
Assigned by EPCglobal

• Header
  – identifies the length, type, structure, version, and generation of the EPC
• EPC Manager Number
  – entity responsible for maintaining the subsequent partitions

Assigned by EPC Manager Owner

• Object Class
  – identifies a class of objects
• Serial Number
  – identifies the instance

Tags and Readers

Chip + antenna + packaging substrate = Tag
Readers use radio waves – non line-of- sight technology

The reader ‘zaps’ the chip with a radio wave, the chip replies with its EPC

• EPC is the only thing stored on the chip
• The chip is passive (no power)

What Is EPC?

• The tag, including a chip, an antenna and the packaging substrate
• A numbering scheme that uniquely identifies all objects
• Incorporates existing EAN.UCC keys, and very recently US DoD constructs
• Connects physical objects to computer networks

RFID Vs Barcode

	RFID	Barcode
Read Rate	High throughput. Multiple (>100) tags can be read simultaneously.	Very low throughput. Tags can only be read manually, one at a time.
Line of Sight	Not required. Items can be oriented in any direction, as long as it is in the read range, and direct line of sight is never required.	Definitely required. Scanner must physically see each item directly to scan, and items must be oriented in a very specific manner.
Human Capital	Virtually none. Once up and running, the system is completely automated.	Large requirements. Laborers must scan each tag.
Read/Write Capability	More than just reading. Ability to read, write, modify, and update.	Read only. Ability to read items and nothing else.
Durability	High. Much better protected, and can even be internally attached, so it can be read through very harsh environments.	Low. Easily damaged or removed; cannot be read if dirty or greasy.
Security	High. Difficult to replicate. Data can be encrypted, password protected, or include a "kill" feature to remove data permanently, so information stored is much more secure.	Low. Much easier to reproduce or counterfeit.
Event Triggering	Capable. Can be used to trigger certain events (like door openings, alarms, etc.).	Not capable. Cannot be used to trigger events.

Advanced RFID Readers

Advanced readers, such as the new Alien ALR-9800, differ from basic readers in three dimensions: remote management, reader coordination and optimal read range. First, advanced readers provide for remote management on the company network. Second, advanced readers have sophisticated mechanisms to provide for the coordination of readers when many units are used in the same environment. These mechanisms help avoid interference and provide for coordinated operations. Finally, more advanced readers have advanced receiver designs that provide for the best possible read range.

RFID Readers

RFID readers are generally composed of a computer and a radio. The computer manages communications with the network, allowing tag data to be communicated to enterprise software applications such as ERP systems. The radio controls communication with the tag, typically using a language dictated by a published protocol such as the EPC Class 1 specification. This particular protocol, one of several in use, is the most common language used by tags in supply chain applications.

RFID Tags

RFID tags are designed and produced in a variety of shapes and sizes, dependent on application requirements. As UHF RFID has a large maximum read range to begin with, using extremely small tags for such applications as near field item level tracking (where tags may reside under bottles caps or behind product labels, for example) is promising. Applications such as pallet or case level tracking of commodities on conveyors or passing through portals, and read from a distance, typically require larger tags.

RFID Range

UHF RFID systems communicate using frequencies around 900MHz with a maximum read range of 10 meters (approximately 30 feet) under ideal conditions. This makes UHF RFID a promising solution for reading pallets and cartons off of conveyors or in portals from a distance. But this capability does not in any way preclude UHF from near field and near contact applications as UHF systems can be easily tailored to meet lower range requirements. This can be accomplished by reducing power at the reader, reducing the size of the reader antenna, and/or reducing the size of the tag antenna.

How RFID Works

A RFID system has several components including chips, tags, readers and antennas. In its simplest form, a small silicon chip is attached to a small flexible antenna to create a tag. The chip is used to record and store information. When a tag is to be read, the reader (which also uses an antenna) sends it a radio signal. The tag absorbs some of the RF energy from the reader signal and reflects it back as a return signal delivering information from the tag's

Intelligence at the Network Edge

Among the most compelling aspects of RFID is its ability to extend intelligence to the edge of enterprise networks. RFID allows for individual items to have a unique identifier and can identify many items at once. Hence RFID can collect large volumes of actionable data each second from immense numbers of RFID-tagged items as they move across conveyors, through dock doors and even off of store shelves. As part of a network, RFID systems enable the first step towards integrating that valuable information into enterprise systems and processes where it can be analyzed and used to trigger decisions and actions.