RFUWB vs RFID: Key Differences Explained
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This page compares UWB vs RFID and mentions the difference between UWB and RFID with respect to various comparison parameters.
What is UWB?
UWB (Ultra Wide Band) technology uses a spectrum larger than 500 MHz. In 2002, the FCC approved the use of unlicensed spectrum within 3.1 to 10.6 GHz for UWB applications.
It uses short-duration EM (Electro-Magnetic) pulses for high-speed data transfer over a wide bandwidth (BW).
UWB follows IEEE standard 802.15.4a/z.
Due to its wide bandwidth, it can be used for high data rate (~27 Mbps) communication. It’s also popular due to its lower latency, low power consumption, and high immunity to various interferences.
The figure depicts a UWB network consisting of UWB anchors installed at various places. These anchors communicate with UWB tags and UWB smartphones, UWB lights, and WiFi APs. The WiFi AP or router is interfaced with the cloud via a gateway.
UWB technology is used for target sensor data collection from motion sensors, temperature sensors, light sensors, etc. It can be used for precise location and tracking applications.
What is RFID?
RFID is short for Radio Frequency Identification. It uses radio frequency waves to identify or track objects. These objects can be books in a library, items being purchased from a shopping mall, inventory in a warehouse, a car, or an office/student ID. It can also be used to track animals or birds.
Hence, RFID systems find use in many applications such as sports, access control, transportation and logistics, libraries, hospitals, schools, and colleges.
There are two parts to an RFID system: an RFID reader and RFID tags.
Unlike barcodes, it is a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) technology, and hence multiple objects can be tracked simultaneously using RFID readers.
The RFID tags are tied with objects, things, animals, birds, or people to be tracked and monitored. RFID tags are classified into active, passive, or semi-passive tags.
An RFID reader consists of a microcontroller, RF signal generator, and signal detector.
An RFID tag consists of a transponder, controller, rectifier circuit, and memory.
RFID operates on three frequencies: LF (125 KHz or 134 KHz), HF (13.56 MHz), and UHF (860-960 MHz).
Difference between UWB and RFID
The following table mentions the difference between UWB and RFID with respect to various parameters.
| Features | UWB | RFID |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | IEEE 802.15.4 (802.15.4a/802.15.4z) | ISO/IEC/IEEE 21451-7:2011 |
| Frequency | Sub GHz (500 MHz), lower band (3.5 to 4.5 GHz) and higher band (6.5 GHz to 10 GHz) | Sub GHz bands viz. LF (100-500 KHz), HF (10-15 MHz) and UHF (850-950 MHz) |
| Range/Coverage | 70 meters (Typical), 250 meters (Max.) | 1 meters to 5 meters |
| Data rate | Upto 27 Mbps | Bit rate is very low (in Kbps) and depends on FM0 or Miller encoding schemes |
| Accuracy | in centimeters | in centimeters to 1 meter |
| Secure ranging | Very secure (Distance Time Bounded Protocol) | Can be spoofed using relay attack |
| Location service latency | Less than 1 milliseconds (Typically) | 1 seconds (Typically) |
| Scalability or density | > 10’s of thousands of tags | Unlimited |
| Infrastructure, tag and maintenance cost | Less | More |
| Directional communication | Two way | One way |
Summary
Both RFID and UWB offer strong immunity to multi-path and interference.
UWB is ideal for accurate position tracking, low-latency multimedia, and high data rate applications.
RFID can be used to collect data from thousands of tags using a single RFID reader.
Active RFID supports a higher coverage range (~100 meters) compared to passive RFID systems (~3 meters).
RFID is mainly used for location tracking (of kids) and attendance purposes in schools, colleges, and offices. RFID tags are also used in tracking goods for inventory control.
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