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Under the background that mature bar code technology is becoming more and more popular in various types of logistics, amidst doubts and disputes about the development and application prospects of RFID (radio frequency tag) automatic identification technology, some IT and supply chain leaders have proposed The conceptual blueprint of EPC technology (electronic product code) and the Internet of Things. So, what is the relationship between EPC and RFID? Will EPC replace bar codes? These problems make the industry and logistics information technology users confused and confused, and a scientific discrimination and logical explanation is urgently needed.
1 Limitations of barcode identification technology and RFID identification technology and its advantages
1.1 Limitations of Barcode Identification Technology
Although bar codes are widely used nowadays, they also greatly improve the efficiency of logistics. But there are still many shortcomings of barcode:
(1) The barcode can only identify one type of product, but not a single product.
(2) Barcode is a visual transmission technology. That is, the scanner must “see” the bar code in order to read it, which means that people usually have to point the bar code at the scanner to be effective.
(3) If the bar with the barcode printed on it is torn, stained or peeled off, it is impossible to scan these products.
(4) The traditional one-dimensional bar code is an index code, which must be connected to the database in real time to find complete description data from the database.
The specific limitations of barcodes include:
Information identification is static
Information recognition is contact type
Information capacity is limited
Can’t give each consumer unit a unique identity
Data storage and calculation are centralized
Two-dimensional barcode only solves the problem of information identification capacity
The EAN.UCC barcode identification system has played an important role in retail settlement and inventory management, but there are still several shortcomings in the supply chain:
(1) Failure to truly “one product, one code”: the management of each product is not in place, and real-time tracking of products cannot be achieved;
(2) The traditional EDI method is not easy to promote due to cost and technical reasons, and it is necessary to develop an Internet-based EDI standard;
(3) There is no classification and attribute information; applications such as classification query and statistics cannot be realized, and the application in e-commerce is restricted.
In short, barcodes can only be applied to the circulation field (business flow and logistics information management), and cannot be tracked and run through the supply chain process transparently.
1.2 RFID identification technology and its advantages
RFID is essentially a means of item identification. It is believed that it will eventually replace the traditional barcode that is widely used today and become the most effective way of item identification. It has some very obvious advantages. The function comparison of barcode and RFID, in terms of the size of the label information, the number of readings at a time, the reading distance, the update of the reading and writing ability (the label information can be read and written repeatedly R/W), the reading convenience (whether the reading speed is high-speed or not) Mobile reading), adaptability (all-round penetrating reading, reading in harsh environments, working around the clock), etc. are much better than barcodes. RFID technology has good functional characteristics and can meet the high-efficiency requirements of current social and economic development for commodity processing. As the basis of high-tech and information standardization for fast, real-time, accurate collection and processing of information, RFID technology is used to uniquely and effectively identify physical objects (including retail commodities, logistics units, containers, freight packaging, production parts, etc.) It is widely used in various industries such as production, retail, logistics, and transportation. RFID technology has gradually become an indispensable technical tool and means for enterprises to improve the management level of logistics supply chain, reduce costs, realize enterprise management informatization, and enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises.
Compared with barcode technology, RFID (Radio Frequency IdenTIficaTIon) is an emerging automatic identification technology. The radio frequency identification system uses radio frequency tags to carry information, and the radio frequency tag and the reader perform non-contact two-way communication through induction, radio waves or microwave energy to achieve the purpose of automatic identification. RFID technology is a very effective technology to implement goods tracking in the logistics process.
The most prominent features of RFID technology are:
(1) It can read non-contact, the distance can be from ten centimeters to tens of meters;
(2) It can identify high-speed moving objects;
(3) Resistance to harsh environments;
(4) Strong confidentiality;
(5) Multiple recognition objects can be recognized at the same time.
2 EPC concept and technology production and its technical characteristics
It is recognized that the unique identification of products is very necessary for certain commodities. One of the biggest disadvantages of barcode recognition is that it can only identify one type of product, not the only product. For example, the barcode on the milk carton is the same everywhere, it will be impossible to identify which carton of milk first exceeds the expiration date. So how can we identify and track every single product in the supply chain?
With the rapid development of the Internet and the maturity of radio frequency technology, information digitization and global commercialization have promoted the development of more modern product identification and tracking solutions, which can provide an unprecedented and nearly perfect solution for the supply chain. In other words, companies will be able to know the location information of each product at any point in their supply chain in time.
2.1 The emergence of EPC concept and technology
Although there are many ways to solve the single product identification problem, the best solution found so far is to provide each product with a unique number-“EPC code”. The EPC code uses a set of numbers to represent the manufacturer and its products, the difference is that the EPC also uses another set of numbers to uniquely identify a single product. EPC is the only information stored in the RFID tag microchip, so that the RFID tag can maintain low cost and maintain flexibility, so that countless dynamic data in the database can be linked with the EPC tag.
EPC technology was developed by the Auto-ID Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. It aims to construct a real-time sharing of global item information through the Internet platform, using radio frequency identification (RFID), wireless data communication and other technologies “Internet of Things”.
On November 1, 2003, the International Article Numbering Association (EAN-UCC) formally took over the global promotion and application of EPC and established the Electronic Product Code Global Promotion Center (EPC Global), marking the official entry of EPC into the global promotion and application stage. China Article Numbering Center (ANCC) is the only authorized representative agency of EPC Global in China.
The EPC system is a very advanced, comprehensive and complex system. Its ultimate goal is to establish a global and open labeling standard for each single product.
In order to solve the first problem, EAN and UCC (now merged and renamed as GS1, the world’s first trade standardization organization) jointly launched the product electronic label (EPC) technology. Product electronic tags are a new type of radio frequency identification tags. Each tag contains a unique electronic product code, which can provide a unique and effective identification for all physical objects. It uses a computer to automatically manage the location and status of items, and fully applies the information to the logistics process, and has a detailed grasp of the dynamics and circulation process of each product flowing from the enterprise to the consumer, so that specific products can be supplied Tracking on the chain.
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