The RFID Handbook offers comprehensive information spanning such topics as: The RFID Tipping Point, RFID for Dummies, RFID for Einstein to “Tricks of the Trade” as used in today’s best practices. It is a great resource for people wishing to study for the RFID+ certification or end users wanting to gain a deeper understanding of how RFID may be harnessed in their enterprises.

This is a book for anyone who wishes to gain an understanding of Radio Frequency Identification. It is presumed that you desire a straight forward, non-mathematical explanation of the subject matter. As a user of the technology you are looking for tips and hints on how to maximize the power of this wireless technology.

This is a pick up and put down book to suit your quest for knowledge at the moment. Depending on your needs you can start reading at any number of places and find information to answers from a basic through advanced level.

The framework of this resource is based on a simple architecture comprising six sections:

1. Overview
2. Non-Technical
3. Technical
4. Practical RFID
5. Final Thoughts
6. Glossary of Terms


A topic starts with a high level description that is suitable for the lay-person and then, where appropriate, drills down to the detailed level desired by a technocrat, engineer, geek or MBA.

This approach allows one to rapidly expand subject matter expertise on the most important, need to know, aspects of RFID. There is also extensive cross referencing to help you pursue a unique learning thread and decide which information should be part of your quest for knowledge.

Executive Summary of the Major Sections

Overview helps the average layperson understand the basic components and benefits of RFID. This is where chapters titled “The Beginning” and “RFID for Dummies” provide information for the major topic. Subsequent chapters drill down to provide greater detail on significant components of the RFID topology.

Non-technical helps put more definition to RFID by presenting success stories, the 5 phases of RFID evolution, a breakdown of the RFID opportunity space suitable for analyzing business risks and rewards, etc.

Technical presents information on the underlying science for radio and other detailed aspects of the technology.

Practical RFID provides a practical Java code sample to show how to engineer software for a typical RFID reader. Also describes detailed hands on labs to learn practical aspects of RFID such as reading vs writing, antenna polarization, dBs, etc.

Final Thoughts concludes with an overall mind-map of topics to master if you wish to become a RFID subject matter expert. To help you chart your progress we provide quizzes to demarcate knowledge from beginners to intermediate to advanced users. Test your subject matter expertise and see which category best suits your working knowledge. The conclusion is broken down into business and technical sections. A section on “How to probe further” finishes this section.

Glossary of Terms helps define the terms needed to communicate within this area of interest.

RFID Content in the Handbook

Given the wide scope of RFID, I am at liberty to offer considerable unique and original subject matter content. Therefore I have provided valuable information that “Google” and other searches will not deliver. As an example read the non-technical contribution on “RFID Space” or the technical contribution on “Rician fade vs Rayleigh fade vs Forklift fade” or Hal’s LAW. Within this handbook you will find comprehensive information such as:

· How to set up an agnostic RFID lab with complete descriptions on experiments to perform using major OEM off-the–shelf gear.
· Source code to learn the intimate details of how to control the state machine of an RFID reader.
· Explanations of the latest RFID specifications that have been ratified by EPC Global.
· A detailed, comprehensive learning plan to earn the RFID+ certification from CompTIA and the RFIDSCM from the ISCEA (International Supply Chain Education Alliance)
· RFID Tipping Point based on Malcolm Gladwell’s ideas.
· How to optimize read rates using empirical measurements to confirm performance for any RFID portal.
· RFID SWOT analysis to outline this technology’s idiosyncratic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
· How to conduct a RFID survey
· Hints for tagging RF lucent and RF opaque items appear under “Tricks of the Trade”.


In addition to these ideas, a new chapter introduces basic terms and concepts of radio. Since RF is the life blood of RFID it is buried prominently in this technology’s iconic name. In recognition of this I have given radio technology an in depth analysis in this 2nd edition.

Explanations have been expanded to cover radio propagation and to show the reader how the concept of path loss reveals the inner working of the air interface. This unlocks the magic of how the air interface provides read redundancy and, with proper engineering , how reliable reads may be optimized for challenging situations such as: 1) High speed dense reading, 2) X-ray reads or 3) Optimizing read range.

Also new to this edition is a glossary.

To date I have personally presented all or portions of this information to over one thousand professionals from marquee organizations like Accenture, Alien, General Dynamics, Matrics, Motorola, MIT Auto-ID Labs, Nokia, TI, Sun, and Symbol. Their constructive criticism helped contribute to the success of this edition.