The master’s thesis is focused on the UHF RFID reader EXIN-1 signal processing. The first part describes the concept of the EXIN-1 front end, its basic testing and possible communication interfaces for reader control and for receiving and transmitting baseband signals. The second part of this work is aimed to a simple description of EPCglobal Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol, especially to used modulations and codings. In the last part, a block connection between the front end and an ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller discovery board is designed. The microcontroller is used for generating of all required signals and also for receiving incoming signals and processing them for identification numbers of RFID cards (tags), which are in the reading range of the reader. A decoding algorithm is designed in MATLAB software and implemented to the selected microcontroller. Obtained identification data are displayed on an LCD display and also sent to a PC through a serial communication.

Interactive packaging is an emerging research area in recent years. It brings people convenient and smart lives, reduces consumption of traditional packaging materials and direct or indirect labor costs as well. Being integrated in interactive packaging, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology becomes one of the most proactive development enablers. In this paper, an interactive and intelligent packaging solution integrating passive RFID system and Controlled Delamination Material (CDM) is given at first. Package opening action is electrically controlled by the RFID system. CDM is primarily used in aerospace applications in the past and the conductor/adhesive joint can be easily opened by applying a little electric power on to the material. Some related works will be shown about the electrochemical characteristics of CDM in order to facilitate the system design. A demonstration system was developed and the test results have proved feasibility of the solution and shown the potential of low cost for mass production. Based on this solution, an interactive medication package for pervasive healthcare is further developed, using EPCglobal Gen2 RFID technology. It will make the medication being accessible for patient only at the prescribed dose and time, and medication taking information will be delivered as well. Such medication package will not only give unprecedented high patient compliance, but also improve the communication between patients and healthcare staffs. / QC 20111202

Dans le contexte actuel de transformation numérique, Air Liquide souhaite moderniser le suivi logistique de ses bouteilles de gaz à l'aide de la technologie d'identification radio (RFID) à ultra haute fréquence (UHF) qui remplacerait la solution code-barres actuelle et permettrait de dépasser certaines de ses limites. La numérisation de la traçabilité aura pour conséquence en outre d'enrichir l'interaction entre les actifs industriels et le système de gestion et de production pour ainsi créer l'écosystème IOT (Internet Of Things) spécifique à l'entreprise. Le recours à la RFID UHF est de nos jours largement répandu pour la logistique et la gestion de stocks. Cependant, les environnements métalliques, comme celui que l'on trouve avec les bouteilles de gaz, induisent des perturbations qui dégradent fortement la qualité de la communication radio fréquence (RF). Cela constitue un frein au déploiement de cette technologie dans un tel cadre. Il est nécessaire de comprendre les perturbations induites par les milieux conducteurs afin de s'en affranchir et ainsi proposer une solution efficiente. En plus de cela, les faibles niveaux d'énergie mis en jeu impliquent qu'une étude de l'ensemble des points d'amélioration des dispositifs RFID UHF tant au niveau matériel que logiciel soit réalisée. De cette étude théorique, nous avons fait le choix de concentrer nos efforts sur la conception d'un tag RFID UHF pour objets métalliques répondant au cahier des charges spécifique de l'industriel. Pour aller plus loin dans l'optimisation de la logistique et de la gestion des stocks, nous nous sommes également penchés sur l'étude et la réalisation d'un circuit de récupération d'énergie RFID UHF pour tag augmenté passif équipé d'un capteur. L'objectif est d'apporter une information sur l'état de l'actif en plus de son identité tout en évitant les contraintes liées à la présence d'une batterie ou d'une pile. / In the current context of digital transformation, Air Liquide explores the use of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) in the gas cylinders supply chain, as a replacement for the current, barcode-based, tracking and inventory solution. Digitalization will also provide the company an opportunity to develop its IOT ecosystem through enriched interaction between assets and their management system. UHF RFID is nowadays commonplace in logistics. However, metal surroundings as found in the gas cylinder's case, yield disturbances in the RF communication, and decreased inventory performances. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the adverse effects of metal surroundings to propose an ad-hoc solution. In addition, dealing with low levels of energy in the RF communication suggests leveraging both hardware and software aspects of RFID devices for potential performance improvements. On the basis of our theoretical study, we focus on the design and testing of an industrial UHF RFID tag suitable for the gas cylinder use case. To enable an even richer, more interactive supply chain, we also design and test an energy harvesting device for the UHF band, to power a tag enriched with an active sensor, without the logistic burden of a battery of limited durability.

This project deals with a survey of inventory system and accounting property. The purpose of the project is to study the SAP system, IS Apollo,  the database platform Oracle 10g, the RFID technology and to make a marketing research of a device for the chip EPCglobal UHF Gen2. On base marketing research propose and implement RFID inventory. At implementation target will be collective reading RFID tags. Further I will implement application simulating evidence systems and I will design data transmission to those application that will be also used at transmission data to the IS Apolla. I decided to implement the inventorying in the development environment Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition C#. Application simulated accounting property and data transmission I decide to implement in the development environment Borland Delphi 7.

Passively powered radio frequency (RFID) tags are a class of devices powered via harvested ultra high frequency (UHF) radiation emitted by a reader device. Currently, these devices are relegated to little more than a form of wireless barcode, but could be used in a myriad of applications from simple product identification to more complex applications such as environmental sensing. Because these devices are intended for large scale deployment and due to the limited power that can be harvested from RF energy, hardware and cost constraints are extremely tight. The Electronic Product Code (EPC) Global Class 1 Generation 2 (Gen2) specification [EPC08] is currently the de facto communication standard for passively powered RFID. One issue restricting deployment and a cause for some privacy concerns is a lack of security in the Gen2 protocol. We will demonstrate a potential solution to this problem by using a novel block cipher designed for low power and area constrained devices to encrypt and transmit sensor data. This will be done while maintaining backward compatibility with the original standard and will require no substantial changes to the reader. Our solution will also provide one way authentication, data integrity checking and will provide security against replay attacks. In this thesis we will demonstrate an FPGA emulation of a Gen2 compatible RFID tag which will serve as a test bed for several novel features. We will leverage prior work involving several aspects of a tag [QL09] [PP07] as well as incorporate a novel low power encryption cipher [AB07] and external temperature sensor. Demonstrated in [CT08], FPGA emulation will allow for the independent verification of several components. This thesis will provide insight into the future of RFID and will provide insight into tag design as well as possible future updates to the Gen2 standard.

Das IceCube Neutrino-Observatorium ist ein am geografischen Südpol im Eis installierter Neutrinodetektor. In IceCube werden Neutrinos mit Tscherenkow-Strahlung von Sekundärteilchen aus Neutrino Interaktionen detektiert. Für den Nachfolgedetektor IceCube-Gen2, werden neue und verbesserte Lichtdetektoren gesucht. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Entwicklung eines dieser Lichtdetektoren. Dieser basiert auf Wellenlängen schiebenden und Licht leitenden Technologien. Der Detektor mit dem Namen "Wavelength-shifting Optical Module" (WOM) verwendet eine transparente Röhre, mit wellenlängenschiebender Farbe, als passiver Photonendetektor. Das in der Wellenlänge verschobene Licht wird durch Totalreflexion, zu kleinen PMTs an beiden Enden geleitet. Die Auswahl dieses Designs reduziert die Kosten und verbessert das Signal-Rausch-Verhältnis wesentlich, möglicherweise können mit dieser Lösung extragalaktische Supernova in zukünftigen Detektoren beobachtet werden. Als eine Kernkomponente wird die wellenlängenschiebende Röhre ausführlich untersucht. Verschiedene Messaufbauten und Auswertungsmethoden werden entwickelt, um diese im Anschluss zu untersuchen und zu bewerten. Iterative Verbesserungen der Materialien und des Farbauftrageverfahren als auch Messmethoden, resultieren in einer kombinierten Einfang-, Wellenlängenschiebe- und Transporteffizienz von 28,1 +/- 5,4 % der Röhre. Ein Model zur Beschreibung des Lichtverhaltens in der Röhre wird entwickelt um eine Diskrepanz zwischen Theorie und Messung zu untersuchen. Die Kombination zwischen Messung und Model, bestätigt die Aussagekraft des Models und zeigt, dass ein Großteil der Verluste beim Lichttransport zustande kommen. Darüber hinaus werden die physikalischen Eigenschaften des WOM in die IceCube Simulationsumgebung eingebaut. Der Vergleich zu einem Konkurrenzmodul zeigt eine Überlegenheit des WOM um den Faktor 1,05 +/- 0,07. Es werden Vorschläge und Ausblicke für Verbesserungen der Leistungsfähigkeit des WOMs gegeben. / The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is an in ice neutrino detector located at the geographic South Pole. In IceCube neutrinos are detected via Cherenkov light produced by secondary particles in neutrino interactions. For the upgraded detector IceCube-Gen2, new and improved light detectors are sought-after. This work describes the development of one of those light detectors based on a novel combination of wavelength-shifting and light-guiding technology. The detector named the Wavelength-shifting Optical Module (WOM) utilizes a large transparent tube, coated with wavelength-shifting paint as a passive photon detector. The wavelength-shifted light is guided via total internal reflection towards small active light detectors, at each end of the tube. This design reduces costs and improves the signal to noise ratio significantly, thereby potentially enabling extragalactic supernova detections in future detectors. As a core component, the wavelength-shifting tube is extensively investigated. Different measurement setups and evaluation techniques are developed and investigated. Iterative improvement of materials and coating techniques as well as measurement methods currently result in a combined photon capture, shift and transport efficiency of 28.1 +/- 5.4 % for the tube. Those results contrast the theoretical maximum of 74.5 %. A model is developed to describe the light propagation and loss processes in the tube and to understand the discrepancies between theory and measurement. The combination of the measurements with the model, validate the descriptive qualities of the model and show that most of the light is lost during the light propagation in the tube. Additionally, the physical properties of the WOM are included in the IceCube simulation framework. A comparison to a competing module showed that the WOM outperforms by a factor of 1.05 +/- 0.07 in photon detection numbers. Where applicable, suggestions and outlooks are given to enhance the performance of the WOM.