Assessing the performances of RFID UHF and HF dual-frequency apparel tags

The paper aims to benchmark the performances of dual-frequency inlays, operating in the UHF and HF bands, when deployed in the apparel logistics and end user retail processes. The developed testing protocol makes it possible to evaluate the performances of RFID devices in simulated supply chain and end user-oriented processes. It has been designed considering the need for identification of the supply chain and the end users, who can take advantage of the adoption of NFC technology. We applied the testing procedure to RFID inlays equipped with an innovative integrated circuit (IC) and two antennas, capable of managing both EPC communication in the UHF band and NFC communication in the HF band with smart devices. The performances of the inlays were compared to those of standard tags commonly used in the EPC and NFC fields. We measured and compared the read rate, accuracy and read time when testing EPC capabilities and the read/write throughput, time and distance when measuring NFC functionalities. By simulating a real-world environment, the test results provide a direct insight into the performances that can be expected from different dual-frequency RFID inlays. This information is useful for IT and logistics managers, who can better understand how these innovative tags perform and which would be the best choice for new RFID applications.