This chapter presents an overview of many interrelated factors that relate to the successful
operation of a passive RFID system.
1.5 Future Directions
Primarily driven by the cost-insensitive products, the Class 3, battery-assistant smart
passive technology offers an excellent solution for applications requiring more functionality
than passive systems that are used today. The Class 3 is a proposed EPCglobal standard,
which targets the battery-assistance passive tags with additional functionality on the chip
(i.e., memory and sensors), longer operating distance, and moderate cost. The cold-chain
visibility is the ideal candidate for the Class 3 type devices where temperature sensors can
be used to insure that the temperature was adequate through the cold supply chain.
Class 3 devices require advances in lowering cost, increasing battery life, and lowering
power sensors. Lowering cost is critical because the cost of using the tag must be recouped
and each participant is only willing to pay so much. Lowering the cost will open doors for
semipassive technology in areas where it was previously too expensive. Battery life is
critical to powering the sensors to take the required sensor readings. The battery must last
at least as long as time that the asset must be monitored to prevent incomplete or
inaccurate results. For some assets, their lifetime is too long for the semipassive tag to
monitor them over their entire lifetime.
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