Barcode technology is the abbreviation of barcode automatic identification technology. It is an automatic symbol recognition technology based on modern information technology. It can integrate the functions of symbol coding, data acquisition, automatic identification, input and storage information, and can effectively solve the problems of large amount of data collection and automatic input in the logistics process.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a kind of wireless communication technology, which can identify specific targets and read and write relevant data through wireless signals without establishing mechanical or optical contact between the identification system and specific targets. The radio signal transmits the data from the tag attached to the object through the electromagnetic field modulated to radio frequency, so as to automatically identify and track the object.
In fact, before the application of RFID technology, the recording and transmission of information mainly rely on barcode. The advantages of using barcode recognition method are flexible configuration, low system cost, but it is easy to pollute, damage and operate more cumbersome. Although RFID tag and barcode are used to store product information, there are seven advantages that RFID label has than barcode label.
1. Data storage capacity
The capacity of 1D barcode is 50 bytes, the maximum capacity of 2D barcode can store 2,000-3,000 characters, and the maximum capacity of RFID is several M bytes. With the development of memory carrier, the data capacity is also expanding. In the future, the will be more and more data that goods need to carry, and the demand for the expansion capacity of storage media will also increase correspondingly.
2. Pollution resistance and durability
The carrier of traditional barcode is paper, so it is easy to be polluted, while RFID tag has strong resistance to water, oil and chemicals. In addition, because the barcode label is attached to the plastic bag or carton, it is particularly vulnerable to damage; RFID label stores data inside the chip, so it can be free from contamination and prolong its service life.
3. External form
RFID tag is not limited by size and shape in reading, so it is not necessary to adjust the size or printing accuracy of the carrier in order to read accurately. In addition, RFID tags can be miniaturized and diversified to apply for different products.
4. Security
Because RFID carries electronic information, data encoded inside the chip can be protected by encryption technology, so that its content is not easy to be forged and altered, while barcode is exposed physical information, and most of them adopt general coding rules, so the data security cannot be guaranteed.
5. Tracing efficiency
The frequency of barcode scanning is limited that only one barcode can be scanned at a time; RFID reader can read several RFID tags at the same time.
6. Penetrating and barrier free reading
In the case of being covered, RFID can penetrate non-metallic or non transparent materials such as paper, wood and plastic, and can conduct penetrating communication. The barcode scanner must be in a close distance and there is no object blocking can recognize the barcode.
7. Reusable
The current barcode cannot be changed and reused after it is printed, which will push the cost higher. However, data in RFID tag can be added, modified and deleted repeatedly to facilitate the update of information.