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The initials for “Radio Frequency Identification,” which is a technology incorporating a transponder unit that is attached to a variety of goods, equipment, and documents in order to provide rapid identification, inventory management, and/or numerous security features. The transponder, also known as a tag, is basically a tiny microchip connected to an antenna, affixed onto a variety of materials, depending on the intended use. The tag is mounted to an item, such as a pallet of goods in a warehouse, and a device called a reader communicates with the tag via radio waves. Depending on the type of tag that is used, the reader can receive detailed information or it can receive data as simple as an identification number. RFID is similar to barcode systems in which data, such as a price, is accessed when the barcode is read; however, the barcode must come in direct contact with an optical scanner/reader and the RFID tag is capable of transmitting data to the reader via radio waves and therefore, it does not have to be in direct physical contact with the reader. The radio signals can transmit through many nonmetallic substances such as rain, fog, snow, dirt and grime, and painted surfaces. This gives RFID tags a distinct advantage over optically read items, such as barcodes, which would be useless under similar conditions. RFID is used for countless purposes including smart labels and security labels printed with digital or conventional equipment, product and inventory management, theft control, placement on pharmaceuticals to prevent counterfeited drugs from entering the legal supply chain, increased efficiency in automated toll road payments, and monitoring the locations of items as varied as luggage, library books, and livestock.
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