What is RFID, bar code and 2D code?
The bar code and the 2D code are optical recognition. The device or mobile phone camera needs to see the code and get coded by graphic content. The bar code usually carries a 1D code, and the 2D code can carry more characters within a limited area and is suitable for mobile phone scan access.
RFID communicates with an electronic label by wireless radio frequency. Read-and-write devices read the code in the label and then the software system links the commodity, asset or business file. It works without seeing the label face directly and identifies multiple labels when the deployment conditions are met.
All three can provide an identity entry for the item. The real difference is not how the code looks, but how the field reads, how many objects are read at once, whether automatic sensory is needed, and what labels and equipment costs the enterprise can accept.
What's the most important difference between RFID and 2D?
| Comparative item | Barcode / 2D | RFID |
|---|---|---|
| Identification | Optical Read Graphics Encoding | Wireless frequency reading electronic labels |
| Do you need to see the cipher? | Usually. | Usually, you don't need to see the label surface directly. |
| Is it a match? | Usually, you need to point to the readable area by case | Optical alignment is not required, but is influenced by direction and area recognition |
| Batch Read | Usually read-by-case | Readable multiple labels under appropriate conditions |
| Read Distance | Influenced by cameras, code size and clarity | Impacts on frequency bands, labels, equipment and environment |
| Label Costs | It's usually low and can be printed directly. | Usually higher than print code and with a reading and writing device |
| Data reading and writing | It's usually the same after the code is printed. | Some label storage areas can be read and written by chip and permission rules |
| Environmental impacts | The stains, the shades and the light affect recognition. | Metals, liquids, reflections, direction and stacking affect recognition |
| Typical application | Single-ware sweep, mobile phone queries, low-cost identification | Batch counts, automatic collection, smart cabinets and channel recognition |
The table describes a common situation, which does not represent all equipment and items. High-quality two-dimensional code can also be read quickly at the right distance, and RFID may similarly miss or misread if the label selection or antenna deployment is unreasonable.
What are the more appropriate situations to use a 2-dimensional code?
The two-dimensional code has the advantage of being cost-effective, easy to produce, accessible end-of-service and visible, and has the advantage of doing it on a proactive basis. This is often enough for a small number of situations where it is a business requirement.
- The number of objects is small, and a single scan does not create a significant burden
- Project sensitivity to individual label costs
- No batch-reading or fixed-point automatic sensor needs
- Need to get consumers or ordinary employees to use the phone code
- The cipher is easy to see and it keeps it largely clear and complete.
For example, equipment access, consumer access instructions, small asset registers or single-ware confirmations can be prioritized to assess the 2-dimensional code without having to replace processes because RFID has a volume capability.
What are the more appropriate circumstances for using RFID?
RFID is more worth assessing when the code is found and scanned on a piece-by-case basis as the main time-consuming or when business wishes to record the items automatically at fixed points.
- Fixed Assets or a door store requires a large volume inventory
- The warehouse will need a mass check for receipt and exit.
- The smart cabinet needs to recognize changes in the contents of the cabinet.
- The security gate or passage needs to sense tagged objects passing through
- Need to find the goods or the specified label quickly within a certain range
- The label surface can be masked, and it's hard to see the code by item.
The cost of the label, the conditions for its installation, the reading and writing equipment and the system adaptation should be included in the project judgement and the speed of reading cannot be compared with a single count.
Can RFID and 2D code be used at the same time?
The same RFID Tag surface can print 2D code, text, asset number or commodity information.
The combination scenario requires that both codes be directed to the same business subject and that it be clear who the master identifier is, how the re-mark is synchronized, and how it is handled when offline. Only an additional two-dimensional code is printed on the label surface, which does not mean that business data are already naturally consistent.
What should business choose?
- Calculate the number of objects per day or per identification
- Confirm whether manual confirmation is required or can be processed in bulk.
- To determine whether the code is easy to see and whether the site is allowed to be applied.
- Identify whether a fixed point automatic perception, search for goods or fast inventory is required
- Comparison of labelling, equipment, software adaptation and long-term operating costs
- Validation of the method of achieving a stable operation with representative items
If the low-cost, case-by-case sweep code is satisfied, it is usually more reasonable to continue using bar or 2D; if manual scans become a process bottleneck, then assess the efficiency gains from RFID.What is RFID? A statement of principles and system composition?。
FAQs
Is RFID better than 2D?
No. The two-dimensional code is low-cost and simple to deploy, suitable for case-by-case identification and mobile phone scans; RFID is better suited for bulk reading, non-contact identification or automatic collection.
RFID Tag, can you print 2D at the same time?
Yes. The label surface can print 2D code, text and number, while writing RFID code to the chip, but the relationship between these codes and the same business object needs to be maintained in the system.
Fixed Assets USED RFID OR TWO DAM?
The two-dimensional code may be sufficient when the asset is small and the itemized code is acceptable; the RFID can be assessed when the asset is large, inventory is frequent or labels are not easily visible, or both.
A warehouse count for RFID or bar code?
Depending on the packaging, stacking, quantity and process. The selection and check-in may continue to use bar codes; the RFID program may be tested when a batch count or entry is required.