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Why HF RFID?
Deciding whether High Frequency (HF) or Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID is
appropriate for your solution can be a difficult decision. Here are some
important considerations to help you decide if HF RFID is right for your
solution.
Work In High Moisture Environments
UHF has difficulty being read around liquids; HF has excellent performance in
high moisture environments. This means that HF can reliably read tags through
liquids such as blood bags, and is ideal for use on the human body (eg. Hospital patient tracking or concert access
wristband).
Larger Memory Capacity
The majority of UHF tags have limited memory capacity, and function
as a wireless 96 bit serial number. For simple tracking solutions, this is often
all that is needed, but it ignores one of the big strengths of RFID, which is
the ability to attach information to an object or person. Most HF RFID tags
range from 1 Kbit (128 bytes) to 64 Kbit (8192 bytes). These larger memories are
useful in applications such as attaching a patient's information to an RFID wristband
Meets ANSI 4.0 Low Signal Noise Standards for Hospitals
The RF field of a high frequency reader is quite small, so it is unlikely to
interfere with nearby devices. For signal sensitive locations such as hospitals
and airplanes, High Frequency RFID is more suitable. ANSI and the HIBCC
recommend HF RFID for item level tracking in hospitals because of interference
in devices caused by UHF readers.
Read the HIBCC/ANSI RFID Standard.
Increased Traceability
HF RFID works in proximity to the tags, meaning you can verify field service to
ensure scans are valid.
Consistent Frequency
UHF occupies the 860-960 MHz range of frequencies, varying from country to
country. This range is also occupied by other radios (such as military use in
certain countries) so there is a greater risk of interference. Conversely, HF
RFID has a worldwide standard at 13.56 MHz.
Accuracy
The proximity scanning of HF RFID allows for a solution to achieve 100%
read accuracy. Whereas the additional range of UHF is an asset in many
applications, even well designed UHF systems will have limited read accuracy.
Having a person verify that the scan is working avoids these missed scans.
Security
HF RFID can use security enabled tags such as CryptoRF, which isn't available to
UHF tags. If you are concerned about the security of your RFID solution, secure
HF systems are the best option.
Contact us to discuss if HF RFID is appropriate for your application.