What's In a Name? Choosing the right tag identifier now prevents
headaches later. Apr 09, 2012—Every RFID project's first
software design question should be: What unique identifier do
the tags carry? The identifier is a number or code that
identifies the physical object to which the tag is affixed.
Choosing the right identification scheme keeps your application
working the way you intend. RFID readers must never encounter
two objects carrying the same identifier, because the reader
software can't tell them apart. To avoid this problem, you must
first understand whether your application is "open loop," in
which assets are tracked through the supply chain, or "closed
loop," an RFID system employed within a single facility. In a
closed-loop application, the identifier selection is up to you.
In a controlled environment, in which the tags and readers are
completely isolated from other applications, any identifier,
such as a number preprogrammed by the tag manufacturer, will
work. You don't need, for example a sta