RFID Middleware and EPCglobal Standards

AIDC device integration such as that of RFID or NFC readers and printers into the new RFID system and existing IT Enterprise Systems can be challenging, especially due to large amounts of data and considerations like reader management, air interface control, network utilization and information exchange.

Fortunately, middleware for RFID and NFC technology has been governed by a myriad of standards that help unify the technology interfaces for easier handling and integration into the automatic identification systems.

For instance, the EPCglobal community that includes many technology vendors and end users that design and deploy the RFID technology and develop RFID Middleware, has developed specifications that standardize the interfaces between RFID tags, RFID readers and enterprise systems.  There are four main standards: Low Level Reader Protocol (LLRP), Discovery Configuration and Initialization (DCI), Reader Management (RM) and Application Level Event (ALE) Standard.

The LLRP Standard specifies an interface between RFID Readers and Clients. This protocol is called a low-level protocol because it controls the RFID air protocol operation timing as well as the access to air protocol command parameters.

The DCI Standard specifies an interface between RFID Readers and Access Controllers and the network on which they operate. The standard is aimed to specify the the operations of a Reader and Client that allow them to utilize the network to which they are connected to communicate with other devices, exchange configuration information, and initialize the operation of each Reader.

The current RM Standard describes the wire protocol used by management software to monitor the operating status and health of EPCglobal compliant RFID Readers. The Reader Management Protocol specifies the interaction between a device capable of interfacing with tags, and management software.

The ALE Standard specifies a means for clients to specify, in a high-level, declarative way, what electronic product code (EPC) data they are interested in, without dictating an implementation. It provides a standardized format for reporting accumulated, filtered EPC data that is largely independent of where the EPC data originated or how it was processed.

For more information about these standards, visit www.gs1.org or check back on our website www.rufutech.com as we will be going into more details in future blog posts!