The technology world is no stranger to format wars
Since the showdown between Betamax and VHS to the current struggle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, companies intent on owning technology standards are willing to spend big bucks persuading other companies to join their respective camps. Some companies do this for the royalties while others do it to increase the availability and distribution of their intellectual property.

A much quieter format war has been waged on the PC over the past ten years
The Universal Serial Bus standard, more popularly known as USB, was distributed with the Windows operating system in late 1996. The standard was jointly created by Compaq, IBM, DEC, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, and Northern Telecom and is now available on 90% of all computers manufactured today.

FireWire owned the high-speed market from the beginning
In 1995, the same year that the USB standard was being formalized, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approved the IEEE-1394 standard, also known as FireWire or i.link, which had been developed by Apple. The fast speeds promised by FireWire (100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 400 Mbps) was overkill for most peripherals not requiring a massive amount of bandwidth, such as mice and keyboards. Sony quickly embraced the technology (referring to it as i.link) and, along with a host of other manufacturers, integrated it into bandwidth-hungry peripherals such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, optical drives, scanners, web cams, etc.

USB and FireWire lived together happily in the beginning
In the early days these formats were not mutually-exclusive - there was very little overlap between the technologies and hence little competition. FireWire owned the high-bandwidth market while USB owned the low-bandwidth. At a max speed of 12 Mbps USB could not begin to compete with the 400 Mbps standard that evolved from FireWire for data transfer.

USB 2.0 is introduced
The end of the year 2001 marked a drastic change in the competitive landscape for these two standards: USB 2.0 was released. USB 2.0 offered the ease of use of (renamed) USB 1.1 and, at 480 Mbps, comparable speeds to FireWire. Note that while the theoretical limit of USB 2.0 is 80 Mbps faster than FireWire, empirically FireWire seems to be more efficient and thus has a higher effective transfer rate.

FireWire lost its competitive advantage
To simplify the process of purchasing peripherals and devices, manufacturers have identified no clear advantage of including FireWire ports on many new laptops and desktops and it is becoming increasingly more common to find new computers with only USB 2.0 ports. Even the digital video industry, which has long favored FireWire as the interface of choice, has begun to accept USB 2.0 as an alternative to FireWire because of the universal availability of USB ports.

Who will win the next battle?
So while there may be slight performance gains by using FireWire, many people are abandoning the technology in favor of the more popular USB standard. To compete for high-end, data intensive applications, FireWire 800, with a maximum speed of 800 Mbps, is helping FireWire maintain its position as the interface of choice for bandwidth-hungry devices - it will be interesting to see how the release of a faster USB technology will be received by the consumer market.

Preston Wily is the Director of Marketing for Sewell Direct, a retailer of USB adapters and accessories. Sewell is currently securing relationships with manufacturers of Wireless USB hubs and devices to prepare for the inevitable wireless revolution.

There are plenty of spies stuff around that is in use for amateurs and regular consumers. However, if one is serious about starting a private investigator business, or about offering professional surveillance services, it is essential to have some professional spy stuff. Clients won’t take you seriously if you do not have the proper equipment. While it can be fun and useful to have some the smaller stuff, the truth is that there is plenty of high tech equipment, available at a reasonable price, that can help you get your professional business off the ground.

Professional grade listening devices are a must in any arsenal of professional spy stuff. These go beyond the pens outfitted with mics and get into some serious listening ability. Listening devices that can allow you to hear what is being said 300 yards away are ideal for many professional jobs. Simply hook your device into a high tech recorder and listen and record at the same time. It is even possible to use devices that cancel our background noise, allowing you to hear the object of your surveillance much clearer.

Another piece of spy stuff is some sort of night vision accessory. Many operations are done under cover of darkness, and it is important to be able to see without creating a light that could draw attention to your location. Night vision is not just about those goggles that you wear on your head; it is also possible to get binoculars and monocular that can aid you in seeing at night. The best devices do not rely on stars or the moon. This means that you can do surveillance in any kind of weather, no matter how cloudy or dark.

There is no reason why you can’t have a professional business with professional grade spy stuff. There are plenty of Web sites that offer equipment at reasonable prices that are affordable to the start up surveillance professional. While such equipment will cost a little more, you will show clients that you can handle any job when you have professional equipment that proclaims that you only use the best when it comes to your spy stuff.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Spy Stuff.

To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/

Spy gadgets are designed to help you uncover things that others might want to keep hidden from you. And one of the things that most people are anxious to hide is infidelity. In the past, it was common to do things like hire a private investigator to follow your spouse around or bug the phones or take pictures. This used to be reasonable. However, the fact of the matter is that with all of the spy gadgets and technology available today, there is no reason to go out and hire a professional. There are plenty of tools that are reasonably priced that you can use to get to the bottom of the mystery and discover for yourself whether your spouse is true.

One of the more common spy gadgets that can help in your investigation of whether or not you have to worry about infidelity is a GPS tracking device. These devices are great because they are covert. Some of them are small enough to hide in a purse or in the car. There are even cell phones equipped with GPS devices. Not only can you see where someone is right now, but you can also pull up a history of where the tracker has been. A fancy restaurant? A seedy motel? Or just to work and back? You can find out rather easily.

The main problem with tracking spy gear is that it is all very well to know where someone is, but it doesn’t lend good insight on what someone is doing at that place. Maybe your significant other is always in a place that seems innocuous. But maybe something else is going on. This is where listening devices come in. Listening devices can be hidden in a purse (like a pen), or even be a cell phone. You can have a cell phone that is called automatically when the phone your spouse has is in use. You can also dial in and hear what is going on in the same room, even when the phone is not being used.

But the best spy gadgets are the kind that give you biological proof. There are kits that you can purchase that can find bodily fluids on sheets or underwear. You can also compare your test results to your own body fluids and see whether those are the only fluids associated with your significant other. Whether you substantiate your trust in your partner, or whether you find out he or she is not worthy of trust, you can do it yourself with spy gadgets.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Spy Gadgets

To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/

The appeal of using LEDs in lighting applications is growing rapidly. The numerous and significant benefits of using modules that incorporate a matrix of LEDs are being recognized by design engineers in several key industry sectors, including aerospace, architectural lighting, and the “golden egg” automotive market.

Attributes such as design flexibility, low power consumption, even and reliable light, and long lifetime distinguish LED modules from designs based on traditional filament lamps and fluorescent tubes. LEDs can also have knock-on benefits, such as greatly reducing the size and complexity of the module and simplifying the lens design.

A good example of some other benefits of LED lighting is demonstrated by an application in the cabin of a passenger aircraft. A retrofit LED unit that replaced a fluorescent-tube lighting module enabled finely controlled dimming and also provided mood lighting through the use of differently coloured LEDs.

Thermal management

Perhaps the most challenging issue when realizing a module design that uses LEDs is to manage the temperature of individual device junctions during normal operation. If the considerable amount of heat produced by all the devices in a module is not managed correctly then the junction temperatures may reach a level where the LEDs’ expected life is shortened and reliability is compromised (see Links).

LED modules typically comprise a matrix of many surface mount devices. These LEDs are soldered to an etched copper layer that provides the interconnects between the individual LEDs as well as other passive and active components that are required to complete the circuit. The small size of the LEDs and the close proximity with which they can be mounted means that designers have a huge amount of design freedom and can achieve complex lighting patterns with high levels of brightness.

The etched copper circuit is separated from a base plate – usually made of aluminum – by a thermally efficient, electrically isolating dielectric material. The characteristics and capabilities of the dielectric layer are key to the design flexibility and performance of the overall module.

Dielectric materials are made by blending thermally efficient materials such as alumina and boron nitride with other ingredients, to provide a flexible yet resilient coating on the base plate. An important characteristic of the dielectric layer is the amount of electrical isolation it provides between the copper on the topside and the metallic base plate on the underside. This is known as its dielectric strength. A typical dielectric material may possess a dielectric strength of around 800 V/mil and be coated onto the base plate to a thickness of 8–12 mils (1 mil = 1 inch–3 = 25.4 µm).

Dielectric materials used on insulated metal circuit boards usually have a thermal conductivity figure in the region of 3W/mK. This is approximately 10 times the performance achieved by FR4 (flame retardant woven glass reinforced epoxy resin) PCB material.

A further key requirement of the dielectric layer is to be able to compensate for the different coefficients of thermal expansion of the copper track on the topside of the assembly and the aluminum base plate/heat spreader on the bottom side.

Going three-dimensional

Flat sheets of insulated metal circuit board comprising copper foil, a dielectric layer and an aluminum base plate have been available for several years. In the eyes of the forward-thinking LED module designer, the main problem has been that flat sheets of insulated metal circuit board limit them to 2D shapes.

To address this limitation, new dielectric materials are becoming available that have a low modulus, meaning that they are compliant with mechanical stress and strain. These materials not only accommodate the coefficient of expansion of the metal elements of the construction, but also enable parts to be formed into right angles, and even through 360˚. This enables designers to realize complex-shaped designs and ones that form a complete circle with either internal or external copper traces.

When designing with new, formable insulated metal circuit board materials it is possible to route the tracks around corners, which alleviates the need to use connectors and hard wiring. There are several benefits to this, including enhanced reliability resulting from having fewer junctions and interconnects. Despite the slightly higher cost of the new materials, the overall cost is reduced because fewer components are needed, and assembly time is reduced.

Strength and durability

LEDs themselves are inherently durable. Mounting them on metal based circuit boards only serves to enhance their robustness and that of the finished module, providing excellent resistance to vibration and mechanical shock.

Automotive lighting clusters provide a good example of how LED modules can provide superior performance compared with traditional filament lamps. On-vehicle applications experience high levels of vibration and wide operating temperature ranges that can cause premature failure of filament lamps. In some operating conditions LEDs can last up to 100,000 hours, which means that they should not require any attention for the life of the vehicle.

The long life of LEDs also simplifies the designers’ task because it is less important to make the lighting module accessible for servicing in the finished product. This can result in a neater, more integrated installation and also in potential cost savings.

Temperature modelling

Thermal analysis software packages are available to help prove LED based module designs before they are committed to manufacture. These software packages gather data from an integrated database about LED performance and specifications along with those of other devices that are mounted on the insulated metal circuit board. This data is combined with other information about elements of the design, including the copper traces, power and ground planes, and vias. The collated information is then processed to produce an accurate representation of the thermal performance of the design.

User-friendly graphical representations of the results enable the design engineer to quickly pinpoint areas that may require attention, right down to component and track level.

Thermal analysis software can bring significant commercial and design benefits by helping speed the time to market and reducing the number of iterations needed to reach a production-ready solution.

James Stratford is the managing director of Universal Science (http://www.universal-science.com), a UK-based company that designs and manufactures a range of thermal materials.

Tel: +44 (0)1908 222211

e-mail: sales@universal-science.com.

1) Mechanical: This is a type of computer mouse that has a rubber or metal ball on its underside and it can roll in every direction. Sensors within the mouse, which are mechanical, detect the direction in which the ball is moving and moves the pointer on the screen in the same direction. A mouse pad should be used under the mouse to run on.

2) Optomechanical: This type is the same as the mechanical mouse except that it uses optical sensors to the motion of the ball. A mouse pad should be used under the mouse to run on.

3) Optical: This type uses a laser for detecting the mouse’s movement. You don’t need a mouse pad but you can use one made for optical mice. Optical mice do not have any mechanical moving parts. This type responds more quickly and precisely than the mechanical and optomechanical mice and now that they have been around awhile the price is pretty comparable.

How does a computer mouse hook up to the computer?

Serial mouse: these ones connect directly to an RS-232C serial port or a PS/2port. This is the simplest type of connection.

PS/2 mouse: connects to a PS/2 port. USB mice

Cordless mouse: These are not physically connected to the computer. They rely on infrared or radio waves to communicate with the computer. Cordless are more expensive than both the serial and bus mouse. The nice thing is that there is no cord to constrain or get in your way.

About The Author

Bonnie Archer is a successful author and publisher of http://www.A1-computers.net. A great source of information about computers and computer accessories.

You may ask, isn’t tape an anachronism in the age of optical disks, removable hard drives and a plethora of whiz-bang, random-access storage media? In many ways it is, but because of the nature of backup it doesn’t really matter that tape is slow and sequential-access. Remember, tape is cheap. Businesses use tape because they find it to be a cost-effective backup solution.

However, if you have any problems with tape backup, you’ll probably be interested to know that there are several alternatives to tape.

Backup to NAS devices

NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices are attached directly to your network and can act as a backup store. Obviously, it’s very convenient to backup files to NAS, as there are no disks or tapes to insert and remove. There are many NAS devices specially designed for small businesses. NAS is an excellent choice for network backup.

Backup to REV drive

In April 2004, Iomega released the REV drive — a new storage device that has greater capacity than tape and is 5 to 8 times faster. Key features are:

* Backup to REV drive is much faster than tape backup.
* REV drive units are more durable than tape.
* While tape requires regular cleaning, no cleaning is required for REV drive units.
* Backup to REV drive may in fact prove more cost-effective for your business than tape, depending on your backup scheme and other factors.

Otherwise, REV backup is very similar to tape backup in principle.

Final notes

Several reliable backup software solutions exist. Choosing one is simply a case of deciding which is most suitable for your business. As always, invest in quality backup software. Rather than purchasing specialist REV backup software and NAS backup software, your choice in software should allow backup to numerous devices. You will then be able to change your backup hardware in the future without buying new software.

Linus Chang is a backup expert and the lead developer of BackupAssist — backup software that is simple and affordable, and perfect for small and medium businesses. Protect your Windows servers, including SQL Server and Exchange Server, to tape, REV drive, hard drive, NAS and more, at a fraction of the cost of other backup programs. It transforms NTBackup into a script-free and simple-to-use tool.

An Optical Mouse

Notebooks are normally equipped with touch pads which can be awkward. There’s no substitute for the mouse. Notebooks are predominantly used on a static, flat surface. With wireless broadband hotspots mushrooming all over the nation’s transit locations, table tops have become as much mobile computing desktops as surfaces on which lattes sit. The touch pads on notebooks are also rather vulnerable to damage by static electricity, which is a common occurrence in aircraft cabins, carpeted airport lounges and offices and will become a big problem when you’re on the road and lose the function of your primary pointing device.

A good optical mouse, be it wired or wireless must be able to track movement on varying tabletop surfaces. Optical mice traditionally had problems with glossy, transparent, or light-colored surfaces, but technology has advanced to a level that these problems are almost non-existent. Although wireless mice are the trend these days, stick to a wired optical mouse by virtue that it does not require additional power or equipment to operate; as in batteries or receivers for wireless ones. You don’t need extra equipment in your already-overloaded and heavy notebook bag!

A Multi-Device Charger And Power Adapter Combo

Notebooks do come with their own AC-to-DC power adapters, but notebook owners typically carry a cell phone, PDA and digital camera in addition to the notebook. It’s almost impossible to carry the charging devices of all these things. Do yourself a favor by getting a multi-device charging/power adapter. Some of them even have the capability to simultaneously charge and power an additional gadget or two, giving you an extra benefit of keeping your most-used gadgets well charged up for action.

Built-In Wireless (Wifi) Connectivity Or PC Card

Notebook owners are generally mobile information warriors. It is almost impossible to ignore the wireless revolution going around; WiFi and soon, WiMAX Hotspots abound wherever you go. Instant access to the Internet’s unlimited resources and communicative offerings are just a little electronic card away.

If your notebook does not have built-in WiFi, get a PC card version which is often sold for less than $30 at computer stores. Plugging in a WiFi PC card means you can access the Web, read and send your emails, instant-message your colleagues,family,buddies, broadcast your vacation video/photos or company presentations, and retrieve company information on secure virtual private networks anywhere, anytime you are around a hotspot, in broadband speed.

Lynn Chan helps new owners learn about proper notebook care and use. To learn more, visit http://www.notebook-computer-infocenter.com. For a limited time, get the free tutorial "5 Days To A Healthier Notebook Computer" at http://www.notebook-computer-infocenter.com/
5days-to-a-healthier-notebook.html

Nowadays, more and more monitor comes in with flyback transformers problems. Testing flyback transformers arenot difficult if you carefully follow the instruction. In many cases, the flyback transformer can become short circuit after using not more than 2 years. This is partly due to bad design and low quality materials used during manufactures flyback transformer. The question is what kind of problems can be found in a flyback transformer and how to test and when to replace it. Here is an explanation that will help you to identify many flyback transformer problems.

There are nine common problems can be found in a flyback transformer:

a) A shorted turned in the primary winding.

b) An open or shorted internal capacitor in secondary section.

c) Flyback Transformer becomes bulged or cracked.

d) External arcing to ground.

e) Internal arcing between windings.

f) Shorted internal high voltage diode in secondary winding.

g) Breakdown in focus / screen voltage divider causing blur display.

h) Flyback Transformer breakdown at full operating voltage (breakdown when under load).

i) Short circuit between primary and secondary winding.

Testing flyback transformer will be base on (a) and (b) since problem (c) is visible while problem (d) and (e) can be detected by hearing the arcing sound generated by the flyback transformer. Problem (f) can be checked with multimeter set to the highest range measured from anode to ABL pin while (g) can be solved by adding a new monitor blur buster (For 14′ & 15′ monitor only.) Problem (h) can only be tested by substituting a known good similar Flyback Transformer. Different monitor have different type of flyback transformer design. Problem (i) can be checked using an ohm meter measuring between primary and secondary winding. A shorted turned or open in secondary winding is very uncommon.

What type of symptoms will appear if there is a shorted turned in primary winding?

a) No display (No high voltage).

b) Power blink.

c) B+ voltage drop.

d) Horizontal output transistor will get very hot and later become shorted.

e) Along B+ line components will spoilt. Example:- secondary diode UF5404 and B+ FET IRF630.

f) Sometimes it will cause the power section to blow.

What type of symptoms will appear if a capacitor is open or shorted in a flyback transformer?

Capacitor shorted

a. No display (No high voltage).

b. B+ voltage drop.

c. Secondary diode (UF5404) will burned or shorted.

d. Horizontal output transistor will get shorted.

e. Power blink.

f. Sometimes power section will blow, for example: Raffles 15 inch monitor.

g. Power section shut down for example: Compaq V55, Samtron 4bi monitor.

h. Sometimes the automatic brightness limiter (ABL) circuitry components will get burned.

This circuit is usually located beside the flyback transformer. For example: LG520si

Capacitor open

a. High voltage shut down.

b. Monitor will have ‘tic - tic’ sound. Sometimes the capacitor may measure O.K. but break down when under full operating voltage.

c. Horizontal output transistor will blow in a few hours or days after you have replaced it.

d. Sometimes it will cause intermittent "no display".

e. Distorted display i.e., the display will go in and out.

f. It will cause horizontal output transistor to become shorted and blow the power section.

How to check if a primary winding is good or bad in a Flyback Transformer?

a) By using a flyback/LOPT tester, this instrument identifies faults in primary winding by doing a ‘ring’ test.

b) It can test the winding even with only one shorted turned.

c) This meter is handy and easy to use.

d) Just simply connect the probe to primary winding.

e) The readout is a clear ‘bar graph’ display which show you if the flyback transformer primary winding is good or shorted.

f) The LOPT Tester also can be used to check the CRT YOKE coil, B+ coil and switch mode power transformer winding.

NOTE: Measuring the resistance winding of a flyback transformer, yoke coil, B+ coil and SMPS winding using a multimeter can MISLEAD a technician into believing that a shorted winding is good. This can waste his precious time and time is money.

How to diagnose if the internal capacitor is open or shorted? By using a normal analog multimeter and a digital capacitance meter. A good capacitor have the range from 1.5 nanofarad to 3 nanofarad.*

1) First set your multimeter to X10K range.

2) Place your probe to anode and cold ground.

3) You must remove the anode cap in order to get a precise reading.

4) Cold ground means the monitor chassis ground.

5) If the needle of the multimeter shows a low ohms reading, this mean the internal capacitor is shorted.

6) If the needle does not move at all, this doesn’t mean that the capacitor is O.K.

7) You have to confirm this by using a digital capacitance meter which you can easily get one from local distributor.

8) If the reading from the digital capacitance meter shows 2.7nf, this mean the capacitor is within range (O.K.).

9) And if the reading showed 0.3nf, this mean the capacitor is open.

10) You have three options if the capacitor is open or shorted.

- Install a new flyback transformer or

- Send the flyback transformer for refurbishing or

- Send the monitor back to customers after spending many hours and much effort on it.

* However certain monitors may have the value of 4.5nf, 6nf and 7.2nf. Note: Sometimes the internal capacitor pin is connected to circuits (feedback) instead of ground.

Tv rca flyback transformer circuits usually do not have a internal capacitor in it.

If you have a flyback diagram and circuits which you can get it from the net, that would be an advantage to easily understand how to check them.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more electronic repair articles please visit his website at http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm

Testing diodes is different from testing a resistor because you need a skill to do it. If you do not know or wrongly test a diode you will be unable to repair the equipment. A bad diode you think it is good. This will definitely waste your precious time.

A rectifier diode can fail in one of the four ways. It can become:

-Open
-Shorted
-Leaky
-Breakdown when in full operating voltage

An analog multimeter or digital multimeter can be used to check for all the first three conditions except the last one where the diode breakdown in full operating voltage. From my of experienced in the electronic repairing line, i found that checking diode using analog multimeter is more accurate than using a digital multimeter. I could explain to you why i preferred analog meter. I do not know about you because i really came across quite a number of diodes where it checked ok using digital multimeter but failed when test with analog meter.

The first step on how to test a diode is to remove one of the diode lead. You can’t always be certain if a diode is good or bad if you perform in-circuit test, because of back circuits through other components. To be absolutely sure, you will need to lift, or disconnect, one diode lead from the circuit to avoid back circuits. Unless you are very sure about the board you are checking. Sometimes i do found bad diodes when checking it on board. Your experienced will tell you when to check a diode on-board or off-board. If you are new to electronic repair, i highly recommend that you check a diode with a lead removed from the board.

I will set my analog meter to x1 ohms to check for current diode leakage reverse and forward testing. Connecting the black probe of your meter to the cathode and red probe to the anode, the diode is reverse biased and should look like an open reading. Connecting the red probe of your meter to the cathode and black probe to the anode, the diode is forward biased and the meter should read some value of resistance. If you have two readings then most probably the diode is shorted or leaky and you should replace it. If you don’t get any reading either forward or reverse bias, the diode is considered open.

The real problem when checking a diode using the diode test function of a digital meter is that an open or leaky diode, the meter sometimes reads ok(0.6). This is due to digital meter diode test output voltage (which you can measure the output test probe using another meter) is around 500mv to 2v. An analog meter set to x1 ohms have output about 3V(remember the two 1.5V battery you installed in the meter!). The 3V voltage is enough to show you the accurate reading of a diode when under test.

Even if you have a good reading at x1 ohms doesn’t mean that the diode is good . You now have to set your meter to x10K to test the diode again. The output voltage of x10k ohms is about 12V(remember the 9v battery in your meter-1.5v+1.5v+9v=12v). Again the diode under test should show only one reading. This is exception to Schottky diode where it have two readings but not shorted reading. If the meter showed one reading then the diode under test is good. If it has two readings then most probably the diode is either shorted or leaky. The digital meter can’t test it because the output from the meter is only 500mv to 2V.

If a diode breakdown when under full operating voltage, there is no way to testing diode (unless you have a very expensive diode checker which specially designed to locate this type of problem).Substituting with a known good diode is often the only way to prove that an intermittent diode is causing a particular problem. Sometimes an intermittent diode could be locate using a coolant spray.

Caution: Be certain that power is removed from any circuit before performing any of the following diode checks, otherwise meter or circuit damage could result.

Conclusion-In order to correctly test diode function you need to set the analog meter to x1 ohms and x10K ohms range.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more electronic repair information please visit his website at http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm

RFID technology is used frequently today and has been around since the 1920s, but not many people know about, or understand it. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is used to store and retrieve information. This information is stored and retrieved using RFID tags or transponders. RFID tags are small and can be incorporated into many products. The tags have antennas that allow them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.

Two Types of RFID Tags

There are two types of RFID tags; active tags, and passive tags. Passive tags do not have their own power supply, but rather receive their power from a tiny electrical current present in the antenna that is induced by an incoming radio frequency scan. Because of the small power present in the system, passive RFID tags are used only in short distances (such as an ID card).

Active RFID tags have a power source and therefore are much stronger and can be used over larger distances and are therefore more highly effective. Active RFID tags also have the potential to store more information than their passive counterparts. Some active RFID tags have a battery life of up to ten years.

The System of RFID

RFID works off of a system that relies on tags, tag readers, tag programming stations, sorting equipment, circulation readers, and tag inventory wands. RFID is generally used in security, because security gates are programmed to read the RFID tags and then either open or close accordingly. The system helps the information be easily transmitted via an RFID device. Systems have evolved over the years along with RFID chips. The hope is that RFID will one day be available to everyone (meaning consumers) because it will be more efficient and cost effective to implement RFID processes.

Where is RFID Used?

RFID can be found almost everywhere. RFID can be found in bookstores and CD stores. The little alarm that sounds if a CD has not been scanned is made possible by an RFID chip. RFID chips are found on animal tags, on books in libraries, in car alarms and car lock systems. RFID can also be used to detect motion. This could be very useful in the coming years in terms of prisons. In 2004 the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRH) approved a $415,000 contract to test RFID technology in prisons. The idea is that the prisoners will ware wristbands that will watch their movement. If there is any movement, which is out of the ordinary, security will be alerted. This technology will be employed in many states in the coming years.

Conclusion

RFID technology seems to have endless possibilities. Some critics of RFID technology say that it violates the privacy of citizens. This is based on the fact that RFID can be used to track whereabouts of people and obtain personal information. Putting all of this power into a little chip makes it undetectable. However, RFID can also possibly be used in driver’s licenses for faster police scanners, and as a way to monitor hospital patients. With every potentially harmful application of RFID, there are several wonderful applications. It will be interesting to see all of the wonderful applications of RFID in the future.

Amie Kandowski is very interested in RFID Technology and loves writing about RFID.