RFIDbarcodes

RFIDBarcodes refers to systems that integrate radio-frequency identification tagging with traditional barcode labeling to enhance data capture, tracking, and visibility across supply chains and asset management. Items in such deployments typically carry both an RFID tag and a barcode, enabling data capture through different modalities and under varying conditions.

Technology and operation: RFID tags store data in an integrated circuit with an antenna, and can be passive or active. Passive tags draw power from a reader’s radio signal, while active tags carry their own power source. RFID readers communicate with tags without line-of-sight, allowing rapid bulk reads. Barcodes, by contrast, require an optical scan of the printed symbol and are widely compatible with existing handheld and fixed scanners. In RFIDBarcodes setups, barcode scanners are often used for quick, low-cost reads or as a fallback when radio capture is impractical.

Standards and interoperability: RFID and barcode ecosystems rely on complementary standards. GS1 and EPCglobal specifications govern data encoding, tagging, and data exchange in RFID deployments, while 1D/2D barcode symbologies (such as UPC, Code 128, and QR) support visual scanning. Data from both sources is typically integrated into centralized systems using common data models and event-based data exchange like EPCIS.

Applications and benefits: Common use cases include retail and warehouse management, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and libraries. Benefits include improved inventory accuracy, faster checkouts and receipts, enhanced traceability, and redundancy in data capture. Challenges encompass higher upfront costs, integration complexity, potential privacy concerns, and the need for ongoing standards alignment.

See also: barcodes, RFID, GS1, EPCIS.