RFID Sourcebook

5.1. Core Issue

By its very nature, RFID technology can identify almost any type of object, even down to an individual component level. For example, any T-shirt produced by any manufacturer in the world can be uniquely identified using RFID. An identifier scheme such as Electronic Product Code (EPC; see Chapter 10, “Standards”) makes it possible to generate a large number of unique identification numbers. Each of these unique identification numbers can be put on an RFID tag, which can then be attached to each item of a particular type. Continuing with the T-shirt example, it is possible, using an EPC numbering scheme of appropriate size, to tag every T-shirt produced in the world in any given year. The tag might be hidden or embedded in a T-shirt ...