Fluensee solutions work with any RFID tag from any manufacturer. Below is some information about what to consider when thinking about what type of RFID tag to use. Fluensee implements end-to-end RFID solutions, which means we'll help you choose the right tag for your requirements and needs.
| RFID Tag Considerations | Passive | Active | Semi-Passive |
| Description | An RFID tag without a battery or transmitter that receives energy from the reader and 'reflects back' coded data | A battery-operated RFID tag equipped with a transmitter that sends and receives coded data independent of the reader | The battery of this tag issued to power the integrated circuit (IC), not transmit. The tag 'reflects' like passive and is designed to be 'awakened' by energy from a reader. |
| Read Range | Typically 3-5 meters or less, depending on environment and product composition | Up to 100 meters or more despite harsh conditions (i.e. plastic and metal materials) | Up to 10 meters, depending upon the environment and product composition |
| Multi-tag Reading Capabilities | A single reader collects hundreds of tag reads within range; 100 tags moving at up to 3 mph or more can be read simultaneously | A single reader integrates thousands of tags over a larger area; 30 tags moving at up to 100 mph or more can be read simultaneously | Single reader collects hundreds of tag reads within range; 50 tags moving at up to 10-15 mph can be read simultaneously |
| Sensor Capability | Limited -- more research needs to be done (universities R&D labs only) | Able to continuously monitor and record sensor input | A battery allows for monitoring, typically noncontinuous, of environmental conditions |
| Data Storage | Read/write data storage of 128 bytes | Read/write data storage of 128 KB with data search and access capabilities | Read/write data storage of 8-64 KB |
| Tag Durability | Poor durability, typically requiring additional housing to be more ruggedized (increases cost and manufacturing complexity) | Very durable and rugged, depending upon housing material | Medium durability, function of environmental conditions, ruggedized housing and mounting location |
| Tag Lifespan | Longer lifespan due to independence from battery - estimates place life expectancy at > 100,000 interactions | Life expectancy of 3-7 years depending upon duty cycle, usage and tag-to-reader communication transmission times | Life expectancy 1-3 years, depending upon duty cycle, usage, tag-to-reader communication transmission rate |
| Application Support | Only supports tracking and monitoring applications at well-defined reader-enabled 'choke points'; RF performance can be negatively impacted by harsh environments | Supports continuous, real-time inventory tracking and locating applications -- not restricted by reader-enabled checkpoints; proper configuration may be required to achieve optimum performance with certain environments. | Supports tracking and monitoring applications where environmental condition of the asset is important to the end user (e.g. cold chain for vaccines, perishable products) |
| Cost Per Tag | Typically less than $1, depending upon capability, functionality and tag volume | Approximately $10 (low cost active) to > $50 depending upon the application, technology and tag volume | Typically more than $3-10, depending upon capability, functionality and tag volume |
Fluensee's RFID solutions are like home improvement projects - they come in all shapes and sizes, use many different requirements and have varying budgets. To help understand more about what would be required for your RFID project, please submit a Fluensee questionnaire and a team member will get back to you with information to help you with your decisions.
