What is RFID?
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a wireless non-contact system that uses devices called RFIDs to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. When an RFID reader sends an electromagnetic signal through the air, it generates a magnetic field that can be read by an RFID tag. The RFID tag then sends back its unique ID number, which is immediately received by the reader.
What is Barcode?
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data. It typically consists of a series of parallel bars (alternating dark and light) generated at regular intervals often through a printed pattern of dots. Barcodes were originally developed for inventory tracking in stores, to automate packing and shipping, but are also used for other applications such as identification cards and filing documents.
What Are the Advantages Disadvantages of RFID?
RFID has many points, to give a few simple examples, RFID can automatically collect data, reducing the human workload and errors, it does not need to line to line reading data information, can effectively improve efficiency, and it can read multiple tags at the same time to reduce the workload, RFID can read data from a long distance, up to 100m, RFID chips can be set Password encrypted & the data is secure. Therefore, it provides great security and RFID tags are reusable.
The disadvantages of RFID are also apparent at this time. RFID signals are easily affected by materials such as liquids and metals, so the environment in which they are used should be evaluated. The cost of RFID tags is much higher than bar codes, because the tag has a built-in chip, the larger the chip memory, the higher the cost will be, RFID systems are very time-consuming to implement than pass
What Are the Advantages Disadvantages of Barcode?
The advantage of barcodes is that they have a very low cost, barcode recognition is very accurate, it is a universal technology widely used for inventory tracking and management, it eliminates the possibility of human error or mistakes, they can be scanned from anywhere in the world through barcode scanners because you can see it on almost every product and item
The disadvantages of barcodes are that they must be scanned in a straight line, there is no other way to scan the product if the barcode is damaged, barcodes only store a small amount of data, are relatively secure and can only be used once.
What Are the Similarities Between Barcode And RFID?
Barcode and RFID are often times used in the retail industry. The use of barcode as an information management tool has been around for a long time. Unlike barcode, RFID is comparatively a new technology. While both methods provide a similar solution to store and retrieve data, they have some unique differences that do not exist between them. Also, the uses of both techniques vary greatly depending on the application.
What’s the Difference Between RFID and Barcode?
- RFID does not require a straight line scan of the product from the front as is necessary with bar codes.
- Unlike bar codes, which can only be scanned one at a time, RFID can scan multiple tags at once with a single scanner.
- RFID tags can read data quickly compared to bar codes
- Bar codes are often printed on sticky labels or paper, making them susceptible to wear and damage, which can affect their readability.
- Compared to RFID, bar codes are less costly.
- RFID can read data from much further away than barcodes (from a few inches to at most a few feet).
- In many cases, the accuracy of bar codes is said to be comparable to RFID tags, if not surprisingly good.
- Bar codes are very easy to use because they are much smaller and lighter than RFID
- RFID can read and write data, but barcodes can only read data
- Barcodes are limited by the type and amount of data that can be stored, while RFID allows up to 16,000 bytes of data to be stored in a single tag.
How to Choose Between RFID or Barcodes?
When choosing bar codes or RFID, it is important to look at the purpose, environment and potential cost. Not all use cases require RFID tags or barcode labels, choose the right system for your product based on your needs.
