RFID Special

Standardizing RFID the EPCGlobal way

EPCglobal is leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC) to support the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in today’s fast-moving, information rich, trading networks.

EPCglobal India, a division of GS1 India, (formerly EAN India) a not-for-profit organization promoted by Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India, is an affiliate of GS1, Belgium. EPCglobal India has been setup to establish global standards regarding the development, implementation and adoption of Electronic Product Code (EPC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and support of the EPCglobal Network.

EPCGlobal & the EPCglobal Network

A generic RFID system may consist of several components: tags, tag readers, edge servers, middleware, and application software.

In the case of EPCGlobal, using a combination of technologies, including RFID and the internet, and harnessing the power of current information systems, the EPCglobal Network can provide for immediate, automatic and accurate identification and location of any item in the supply chain of any company, in any industry, anywhere in the world.

The network consists of six fundamental elements:

● Electronic Product Code (EPC)

● EPC tag

● EPC readers

● EPC Middleware

● EPC Information Services (EPC IS)

● Discovery Services

How The EPCglobal Network Works

Essentially, the Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a number designed to uniquely identify a specific item in the supply chain. The EPC sits on a tag comprised of a silicon chip and an antenna, which is attached to an item. Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, an EPC tag “communicates” its number to an EPC reader. The EPC reader then passes the number to a computer or local application system, known as the Discovery Services. The Discovery Services tell the computer systems where to locate information on the network about the object carrying that EPC, such as when the item was produced. EPC Information Services (EPCIS) is the gateway to EPCglobal Network. EPCIS receives TAG events from EPC Middleware, generates track and trace events based on information which is coming from the EPC Middleware and stores it on local data store for future use. It also serves as hub for information aggregation for a given EPC. EPC Middleware is software technology that acts as the central nervous system of the EPCglobal Network. EPC Middleware manages real-time read events and information, provides alerts, and manages the basic read information for communication to EPC Information Services or the company’s other existing information systems.

Puneet Mehrotra is a columnist for HindustanTimes.com and a web strategist at www.cyberzest.com You can email him on puneet@cyberzest.com