Implementation Of Active RFIDs In Inventory Systems

Abstract

The commoditization of integrated circuits has revolutionized the world of IoT based networks. Supply chain management relies heavily on the application of passive RFID tags for inventory management. However, this technology is outdated and does not provide real-time monitoring for warehouse administration. Moreover, due to the high error rate of traditional passive RFIDs, active RFIDs are graded higher in terms of operational efficiency. The biggest challenge in the deployment of active RFIDs in inventory systems is high power consumption. The passive RFIDs were favored due to their lack of dependency on an internal power supply. The inception of low power long range radio modules has fully transformed the range of applications for active RFIDs. The long range low power active RFIDs are used to develop IoT ecosystems for the purpose of creating a smart supply chain management system. In this research, the hierarchical wireless mesh network consists of three levels; the end node, the concentrator and the gateway. The model takes advantage of low power long range radios to design a system that can monitor and track inventory in a warehouse. The unique circuit has small and compact properties that has the potential to be deployed in real life warehouses.