Balluff BIS M-370-000-A02, Manual, Page: 192 / 198

RFID OPERATING PRINCIPLES
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first company to adopt ISO 14443 RFID ICs with this technology for industrial automation
applications. Because these applications do not require the level of security monetary or
passport applications require, many of these features have not been implemented in BIS M
products. It is important to understand the requirements of an ISO 14443 application before
assuming a BIS M reader/writer is suitable.
ISO 14443A compliant tags and controllers incorporate security authentication through the
exchanging of software “keys.” The RFID controller and the tag must use the same security
keys to authenticate communication before the transfer of data will begin. The BIS M
Controller’s operating system manages these security features, making their existence
transparent to the user. However, it is important to understand the implications associated
with ISO 14443 when using another manufacturer’s RFID tags. Because of these security
“features,” an ISO 14443 tag made by one manufacturer may not necessarily be readable by
a BIS M Controller and, likewise, a Balluff ISO 14443 compliant tag might not be readable by
another manufacturer’s RFID controller. The BIS M Controllers support Balluff security keys
for use on NXP Mifare ISO 14443A tags.
Balluff was one of the first companies to adopt ISO 14443 standards and has incorporated
much of the technology into our products designed for industrial automation applications. But
because most industrial environments do not require the same level of security monetary or
passport applications necessitate, some features have not been implemented in the BIS M
HF product line.
ISO 15693
ISO 15693 was established at a time when the RFID industry identified that the lack of
standards was preventing the market from growing. NXP Semiconductor and Texas
Instruments were, at that time, the major manufacturers producing RFID ICs for the
Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) frequency of 13.56MHz. However, each had their
own unique protoc
ol and modulation algorithm. NXP Semiconductor’s I-CODE® and Texas
Instruments Tag-it® product lines were eventually standardized on the mutually compatible
ISO 15693 standards. After the decision was made to standardize, the door was opened for
other silicon manufacturers to enter the RFID business, many of which have since
contributed to other RFID ISO definitions. This healthy competition has led to rapid growth in
the RFID industry and has pushed the development of new standards, such as ISO 180x000
for
Electronic Product Code (EPC) applications.
NOTE
Many factors can affect the read/write performance between an RFID
controller’s antenna and a tag’s antenna. These include, but are not limited
to, the tag’s integrated circuit (IC), the tag’s antenna coil design, the tag’s
antenna conductor material and coil substrate, the bonding method between
tag IC and antenna coil, and the material used to embody the tag.
Additionally, the mounting environment of the tag and the controller can hinder performance
due to the presence of other materials (particularly metals) that affect the tuning of either
antenna. Balluff has performed extensive testing in order to produce tags that obtain
optimum performance with our RFID products. In most cases, optimal range will be obtained
when mounting the tag and the controller/antenna in locations free of metals and the
influence of ESD and EMI emitting devices.