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VENDORCOMPLIANCE.INFO

Specializing in EDI and vendor compliance for manufacturers, distributors, &  retailers.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tag Types

Passive versus Active

Passive tags do not contain a power source (battery).  Passive tags resonate their embedded data when passing through an electromagnetic field or zone where RFID readers are transmitting signals to the passive tags so the tags will respond back with their data. 

Active tags contain a power source (battery), and can be read at farther distances than passive tags. 

However, once the battery on an active tag becomes drained, the tag may no longer function!

Read Only versus Write Once versus Write Many

Read Only tags can only be read - they cannot be written to.  These tags would come pre-programmed with data, such as a serial number.

Write Once tags can be written to one time only, much like a regular CD-ROM.  Once the tag is written to, it cannot be overwritten (written to again).

Write Many tags can be written to many times, much like a CD-R.  This tag may be updated with data as it, and the item/carton/pallet it is attached to, journey through the supply chain.