Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a non-contact technology which works on radio frequency to achieve auto-identification and data-gathering of a tagged object.
RFID transmissions mainly operate in three primary frequency ranges:
- LF (Low-Frequency): 125 - 134 kHz
- HF (High-Frequency): 13.56 MHz
- UHF (Ultra High-Frequency): 433, and 860-960 MHz
The High Frequency (HF) band extends from 3 MHz to 30 MHz and the wavelength of HF wave is much shorter than low frequency (LF) wave.
High frequency, which similar to the low frequency, uses magnetic coupling to communicate between the tags and the RFID reader/RFID antenna. HF waves are able to pass through most materials except for water and high density metals. Thin metals, like aluminum, which tagged with HF RFID tags still can function normally.
HF RFID tags usually have a general reading range of a few centimeters up to about a meter in length depending on the setup of the system.
Read more about HF13.56MHz RFID Reader Module
HF RFID standards and their common applications:
ISO 14443 (type A and type B)
Thanks to their high security features (encryption) and short reading distance, which is good for privacy, HF ISO14443 RFID tags offer guarantees best for embedding into smart cards, high security payments solutions, access control and other applications where require higher security.
Card types commonly used including:
ISO14443A: MIFARE® Classic 1K/4K, MIFARE Ultralight® / Ultralight®C, MIFARE DESFire®EV1/EV2 ISO14443B: SRI4K, SRIX4K, AT88RF020, 66CL160S, SR176
ISO 15693 (ISO 18000-3 Mode 1)
HF ISO15693 RFID tags mainly feature low manufacturing cost with good memory capacity, good functioning with liquids and metals, and reading distance from 1 cm up to about 1 meter. HF ISO 15693 RFID tags are commonly used in access control, ticketing, retail logistics, library management, item tracking and so on.
Card types: ICODE SLI, ICODE SLI-S, Tag-it HF-1 Plus, EM4135
ISO 18092 NFC
Within the high frequency band of the RF spectrum, near-field communication (NFC) is a communication protocol approved by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO 14443 & ISO 18000-3). Because NFC is a global communication standard, it is regulated to operate on a single frequency - 13.56 MHz, which makes NFC easily adaptable for hundreds of applications.
The NFC Forum has mandated four tag types to be operable with NFC devices. This is the backbone of interoperability between different NFC tag providers and NFC device manufacturers to ensure a consistent user experience.
The operation specifications for the NFC Forum Type 1/2/3/4 Tags provide the technical information needed to implement the reader/writer and associated control functionality of the NFC device to interact with the tags. Type 1/2/3/4 Tags are all based on existing contactless products and are commercially available.
Read more about NFC Tag Type Technical Specifications or NFC Reader Module
