A inovação é um meio utilizado pelas empresas para se manterem no mercado, crescerem economicamente e gerarem vantagens competitivas. Seja a inovação referente a processo, produto, ou melhorias incrementais ou radicais, é importante estabelecer os fatores que devem ser levados em consideração no processo de adoção. Contudo, os gestores enfrentam dificuldades neste processo, dada a carência de ferramentas ou modelos que possam auxiliálos, oferecendo-lhes uma abordagem sistêmica dos fatores envolvidos. Desse modo, os objetivos desta pesquisa são identificar e analisar: 1) os fatores que devem ser levados em consideração na decisão de adotar-se a tecnologia RFID, Radio Frequency Identification, nas empresas e 2) as barreiras e facilitadores à implantação da tecnologia RFID na manufatura. Descoberta em 1935, pelo físico escocês Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, esta tecnologia foi utilizada inicialmente na Segunda Guerra Mundial para identificação de aviões inimigos. Entretanto, também pode ser empregada para rastreamento na cadeia de suprimentos, monitoramento de pessoas, verificação de autenticidade, identificação de pessoas em áreas de segurança e controle eletrônico, entre outros. O modelo apresenta quatro fatores (ambiente externo, ambiente interno, redes de inovação e tecnologia), todos passíveis de desdobramento em subfatores. Esta pesquisa limitou-se a apenas um grupo de subfatores, tendo partido da revisão bibliográfica sobre inovação tecnológica, adoção de inovação, tecnologia RFID, redes de inovação e manufatura. Na etapa seguinte, foram elaborados um questionário e um roteiro de entrevista para coleta de dados e informações. Para validá-los, foram realizados pré-testes e em seguida as modificações sugeridas pelo teste, chegando-se ao modelo conceitual final. Este foi aplicado com base na metodologia de estudos de casos múltiplos em um grupo de quatro empresas, duas das quais localizadas nos EUA e as demais no Brasil. O estudo demonstrou a utilidade dos modelos na decisão da adoção da tecnologia RFID e para a identificação das barreiras e facilitadores à sua implantação na manufatura. Por se tratar de uma tecnologia nova e dada a escassez de estudos já completados nesta área de gestão, sugere-se pesquisar elementos adicionais aos abordados nesta pesquisa. Estes incluem fatores relativos à especialidade ocupacional do indivíduo que irá operar a tecnologia, perfil, cultura e porte da empresa, influência do processo de comunicação e mensuração do retorno do investimento, bem como nível de centralização e modelo de gestão da empresa, além de outros fatores envolvidos nas redes de inovação, como governança, desenvolvimento de competências, tipo de relacionamento entre os integrantes e a sua influência no processo de internacionalização de empresas. A metodologia adotada não permite a generalização das conclusões. / Innovation is one of the means companies resort to, in order to safeguard their market position, grow financially and gain competitive advantages. Regardless of whether the innovation concerns process, product, and incremental or radical improvements, it is important to establish the factors that must be taken into account in the process of adopting it. Managers, however, have difficulty in this process, because of the lack of tools or models capable of helping them and of providing a systemic approach to the factors involved. Thus, the objectives of this research study are to identify and analyze (1) the factors that must be taken into account when deciding whether to adopt the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology within a firm and (2) the barriers and facilitating elements for the implementation of RFID in manufacturing. Discovered in 1935 by the Scottish physicists Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, this technology was first used during World War II, to identify enemy aircraft. However, it can also be used to track the elements of a supply chain, monitor individuals, verify authenticity, identify people in security areas, or conduct electronic control, among other possibilities. Our model presents four factors (external environment, internal environment, innovation networks and technology), all of which can be broken down into sub-factors. This study focused on one sub-factors group. The research starting point was a bibliographical review of technological innovation, innovation adoption, RFID technology, innovation networks and manufacturing. The next stage consisted of developing a questionnaire and interview guidelines for data and information collection. These tools were then pretested for validation, which led to their adjustment and to the final conceptual model. This was then applied, based on the multiple case studies methodology, to a group of four enterprises, two of which were in the USA and the other in Brazil. The study showed the usefulness of the models for the decision of adopting RFID technology and for the identification of the barriers and facilitators connected with the implementation of RFID in manufacturing. Because it is a new technology, and given the scarcity of completed studies in this management area, we suggest researching other elements besides those addressed in our research, including those that concern the occupational specialization of the individual that will operate the technology, the profile, culture and size of the firm, the influence of the communication process and the return on investment metrics, as well as the enterprises level of centralization and management model, in addition to other factors involved in innovation networks, such as governance, development of competencies, type of relations among the network members and influence on the enterprises internationalization process. The methodology used, however, does not allow one to generalize the studys conclusions.

Orientador: Paulo Cardieri / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T02:54:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Goes_AdrianoAlmeida_D.pdf: 4041752 bytes, checksum: 3aebfc7442e100b6011a6873be01c5f9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Resultados de campanhas de medição realizadas visando o desenvolvimento de uma fer-ramenta para o projeto, implantação e análise de sistemas de RFID são mostrados nesse traba-lho. Particularmente, a perda de percurso de rádio a partir de um leitor de RFID até um TAG, e de volta para o leitor é caracterizada na banda 915 MHz, para diferentes distâncias de separação leitor-TAG, alturas de TAG e de antena do leitor. Vários cenários de propagação foram considerados, incluindo ambientes exteriores e in-teriores, para os quais foi colhido um extenso número medidas. Os dados de campo são, então, comparados a uma versão melhorada do modelo clássico perda caminho 2-ray, ajustada para incluir também os padrões de radiação da antena não omnidirecionais no leitor. Além disso, foi investigado, por meio da análise de medidas de campo, o efeito da mobi-lidade do TAG no sinal recebido no leitor. Para a coleta das medidas, foi construído um aparato composto de uma esteira de velocidade controlada, onde foram instalados TAGs de teste. Os resultados de medida mostraram que a mobilidade do TAG provoca uma diminuição do valor médio e um aumento da variância do sinal recebido no leitor. Essa atenuação extra e a variância do sinal não são fortemente afetadas pelo valor da velocidade. Por fim, esses efeitos de propagação são incorporados em um modelo matemático, que pode ser utilizado para a simulação e planejamento de sistemas RFID / Abstract: Results of measurement campaigns carried out aiming at the development of a tool for design, deployment, and analysis of RFID systems are shown. Particularly, the radio path loss from an RFID reader towards the test TAG and back to the reader is characterized at the 915 MHz band. The path loss is estimated based on the received signal strength measured at the reader, for different reader¿TAG separation distances and different antenna TAG heights. Several propagation scenarios have been considered, including outdoor and indoor environments for which an extensive number of typical real manufacturing plants have been chosen. The field data are then compared to a proposed novel, improved version of the classical 2-ray path loss model, adjusted to include non-omnidirectional antenna radiation patterns at the reader. In addition, the effect of TAG mobility in the received signal at the reader was also investigated, by means of field measurements. To collect the field measurements, an apparatus was designed and constructed, consisting of a mat of controlled speed, on which test TAGs were installed. The results showed that TAG mobility decreases the average value increases the variance of the received signal at the reader. This extra attenuation and the increased variance of the signal are not strongly affected by the value of speed. Finally, these two effects are incorporated into a mathematical model that can be used for simulation and planning of RFID systems / Doutorado / Telecomunicações e Telemática / Doutor em Engenharia Elétrica

Orientador: Jacobus Willibrodus Swart / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T12:25:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ximenes_AugustoRonchini_M.pdf: 16128462 bytes, checksum: 20fb62b3a104e71ac8afffc21dd2a9c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O aumento no número de usuários, assim como a demanda por maior taxa de transferência de dados, está impulsionando o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias, uma vez que o padrão clássico de comunicação está atingindo sua saturação. Vídeos em alta definição, chamadas em vídeo-conferência e downloads em alta velocidade deixaram de ser uma particularidade para se tornarem básicos, oferecendo constantes desafios em todos os níveis de projeto de um dispositivo. Atualmente, a maneira adotada para se criar um canal de comunicação sem fio (wireless) baseia se na modulação da informação de interesse em torno de uma freqüência muito mais alta, chamada portadora. Para cada protocolo tem-se reservada uma banda do espectro, porém, dependendo da região e do número de usuários dividindo a banda, tende-se a ter esta banda saturada, reduzindo a capacidade de comunicação para cada usuário. Freqüentemente, observam-se cenários onde algumas bandas de freqüência estão extremamente ocupadas e regiões vizinhas no espectro completamente vazias. De modo a operar o espectro com maior inteligência, surgiram conceitos com o de Rádios Cognitivos (CR - Cognitive Radios), onde algoritmos monitoram o espectro de modo a utilizar um canal somente quando este estiver livre, mudando de banda se necessário. Isto requer circuitos susceptíveis à operação em banda larga. Sendo assim, este projeto propõe a realização de um amplificador de banda larga empregando um novo método de cancelamento de ruído, além do projeto de um misturador de baixo ruído utilizando técnicas recentes exploradas na literatura, de modo a obter uma cadeia de recepção para uso em banda larga. O LNA apresenta casamento de impedância e ganho de potência de 12dB na banda de 50 MHz até 5 GHz, com NF variando de 1,4 - 2,4 dB, enquanto consome 15 mW de potência sob tensão de alimentação de 1,5 V. O desempenho em NF, quando levado em consideração a potência consumida e o nó tecnológico, é o melhor comparado aos recentes projetos que o autor tem conhecimento. O cancelamento de ruído é obtido através de uma condição específica do circuito, requerendo uma corrente extra de polarização, já inclusa na potência total do circuito. Para compor a cadeia de recepção e, consecutivamente, a conversão do sinal em banda base de modo homodyne, projetou-se um par de Misturadores de modo a re-utilizar a corrente extra requerida pelo LNA no cancelamento do ruído. Desta maneira, obteve-se na cadeia de recepção o ganho de tensão de 26 dB na saída de cada Misturador, em Fase (I) e Quadratura (Q), para uma banda de 50 MHz até 6,5 GHz, com SSB NF variando de 6,1 - 9,2 (3,1 - 6,2 dB para DSB), consumindo os mesmos 15 mW e tendo a banda estendida pelos Misturadores. Os circuitos foram fabricados na tecnologia UMC 0,13'mu'm Mixed/RF CMOS e algumas medidas preliminares foram obtidas e serão mostradas nesta dissertação. O LNA apresentou ganho, casamento de impedância e potência próximos aos valores obtidos nas simulações, mostrando boa confiabilidade dos valores projetados / Abstract: The increase in the number of users as well as the demand for higher data transfer rate is driving development of new technologies, since the classical communication is reaching its saturation. Videos in high definition, video-conference calls and high-speed downloads are no longer a special feature to become basic, offering constant challenges at all levels in the design of a device. Currently, the way adopted to create a wireless communication channel is based on the modulation of interesting information about a much higher frequency, called carrier. For each protocol, a reserved bandwidth of the spectrum has been assigned, however, depending on the region and the number of users sharing the band, it tends to have saturated the band, reducing the communication ability of each user. Often, there are scenarios where some bands are extremely busy and neighboring regions in the spectrum are completely empty. In order to operate the spectrum with higher intelligence emerged with the concept of Cognitive Radio (CR), where algorithms monitor the channel in order to use them only when it is free, and changing band if necessary. This requires circuits to be susceptible for broadband operation. Therefore, this project proposes a broadband amplifier using a new method for noise cancellation, and the design of a low noise mixer using techniques explored in the recent literature, in order to get broadband receiver chain. The LNA provides impedance matching and power gain of 12dB from 50MHz to 5GHz band with NF ranging from 1.4 - 2.4 dB, while consuming 15mW of power under a supply voltage of 1.5 V. Its NF performance, when taken into consideration the power consumption and technology node, is the best compared to recent projects that the author is aware of. The noise cancellation is achieved by a specific condition of the circuit, requiring an extra biasing current, already included in the total circuit power. To compose the chain of reception and, consecutively, the conversion of the baseband signal in homodyne mode, a pair of Mixers were designed, re-using the extra current required by the LNA for noise cancellation. Thus, it was achieved at receiver chain a voltage gain of 26dB at the output of each Mixer, at Phase (I) and Quadrature (Q), for bandwidth of 50MHz to 6.5 GHz with SSB NF ranging from 6.1 - 9.2 (3.1 - 6.2dB for DSB), also consuming the same 15mW and having a band enhancement provided by the Mixers. The circuits were fabricated in UMC technology 0.13'mu'm Mixed/RF CMOS and some preliminary measurements were obtained and are shown in this dissertation. The LNA presented gain, impedance matching and power close to the values obtained in the simulations, showing good reliability on the projected values / Mestrado / Eletrônica, Microeletrônica e Optoeletrônica / Meste em Engenharia Elétrica

This thesis presents the experimental and theoretical studies of nonthermal and stable atmospheric-pressure glow discharges. With the excitation frequency in the kilohertz range, a uniform and stable glow discharge has been successfully produced in atmospheric helium without the usually indispensable dielectric barrier. For this barrier-free cold atmospheric discharge, there are two discharge events occurring, respectively, in the voltage-rising and the voltage-falling phases, and in general they compete with each other. This distinct feature is illustrated through a detailed fluid simulation. For direct current atmospheric glow discharges, their cathode fall region is shown to depend critically on the discharge current density. For atmospheric glow discharges excited at 13.56 MHz on the other hand, we present observations that after gas breakdown, the discharge evolves from the normal glow mode to the abnormal glow mode and then through the recovery mode back to the normal glow mode. The operation modes, namely the a mode and the y mode, in radio-frequency atmospheric glow discharges are investigated with a one-dimensional, self-consistent continuum model. This model is evaluated by comparing our numerical results with experimental data and other simulation results in literature. It is shown that gas ionization is volumetric in the a mode and localized in the boundary region between the sheath and the bulk plasma in the y mode. The stable operation regime in the a mode is found to have a positive differential conductivity, and can be expanded to higher discharge current density without compensating plasma reactivity by increasing the excitation frequency. Furthermore this plasma stability-reactivity balance is also studied for radio-frequency atmospheric glow microdischarges.

Radio frequency (rf) atmospheric pressure glow discharges (APGDs) have received growing attention for their exciting scope of new science and their immense potential for widespread applications. While geometrically similar to conventional low-pressure discharges used in the semiconductor industry for decades, rf APGDs present new physics that require investigation. This thesis presents an experimental and computational study of helium rfAPGDs aimed at making a contribution to the current understanding of these discharges and enabling their optimization for different applications. The timely interest and significance of this work is highlighted by the publication of different parts of this thesis in 10 peer-reviewed international journals. Starting with the electron trapping in rf APGDs, the thesis looks into the electron heating mechanism responsible for sustaining the discharges, the influence of the rf excitation frequency on the discharge characteristics, the role of impurities in the discharge chemistry as well as the evolution of the discharge as the size is reduced down to microplasma dimensions. The findings of this research are based on the synergistic use of electrical measurements, optical diagnostics and self-developed computational models. With the knowledge gained from this thesis, rf-APGDs can be readily used for a wide-range of applications including biological decontaminations, nanostructure fabrication and portable gas analyzers.

Daily usage of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) in business life for specific purposes has became much more critical than before since it is sometimes crucial to have wireless connectivity and seamless roaming around the working environment. In this thesis, steps required in order to design and implement a large scale outdoor IEEE 802.11g WLAN will be shown. This WLAN project has been deployed in north of Sweden and target coverage was an open area consisting of a deep pit mine, connecting roads, workshops, offices, dumps and storage areas. All telecommunications equipment used in this project is from the manufacturer Cisco using centralized solution. The special purpose of this project is to collect and analyze a series of coverage measurement data and correlate this data to predict the coverage area. Linux bash scripting and Gnuplot has been used to analyze coverage data. Finally, WRAP spectrum management and radio planning software has been used in modeling and designing of the whole network.

Gapet mellan större och mindre lokala aktörer på transportmarknaden ökar vilket leder till krav på kostnadseffektiva och differentierade verksamheter. Detta bidrar i allt högre grad till effektivisering och automatisering av verk­samhetens processer. Ett problem för verksamheter i logistiska samman­hang kan vara att lastbärare försvinner i leveransflödet vilket kan vara både kostsamt och reducera kundnöjdheten. RFID, Radio Frequency Identificat­ion är en teknik som kan användas i logistikprocesser för att ge en ökad synlighet på både lager-och logistik­aktiviteter i flödet från leverantör till kund. För att kunna driftsätta en sådan lösning och få tillgång till den tänkta nyttan bör de invol­verade aktörerna engageras i ett gemensamt system som kräver uppsättningen av en lämplig infrastruktur.  Brunskoggruppen AB är ett mindre logistikföretag beläget i Ljungby som upplever ökade kostnader för förlorade lastbärare i leveransflödet och ett be­hov av effektivisering av informationsflödet gällande densamma. Syftet med denna studie var att genom litteraturstudier, intervjuer och inslag av aktionsforskning undersöka och ge ett exempel på hur Brunskoggruppen AB kan införa en automatiserad lösning för spårbarhet på lastbärare. Under­sök­ningen skulle även visa vilka motiv som fanns för ett införande av RFID, vilka framgångskritiska faktorer som kan påverka ett införande och vilka förändringar som kan åstadkommas jämfört med dagens system i verksamheten.Resultatet visar hur förväntningar och motiv kan påverka att en teknik antas och hur den införs i verksamheten. Motiv för införande är en ökad effekti­vitet vid automatisering av de interna processerna tillsammans med att tek­niken skapar affärsmöjligheter för unika kundlösningar. De riktlinjer som tagits fram för införandeprocessen på Brunskoggruppen AB sammanfattas i åtta steg.

Techniques for adapting metamaterials for the improvement of RF energy harvesting and infrared photodetection are demonstrated using experimental and computer simulation methods. Two methods for RF energy harvesting are experimentally demonstrated and supported by computer simulation. In the first method, a metamaterial perfect absorber (MPA) is made into a rectenna capable of harvesting RF energy and delivering power to a load by soldering Schottky diodes onto connected split ring resonator (SRR) structures composing the planar metasurface of the perfect absorber. The metamaterial rectenna is accompanied by a ground plane placed parallel to it, which forms a Fabry-Perot cavity between the metasurface and the ground plane. The Fabry-Perot cavity stores energy in the form of standing waves which is transferred to the SRR structures of the metasurface as AC currents that are rectified by the diodes to create DC power. This type of design enables highly efficient energy harvesting for low input power, creates a large antenna capture area, and uses elements with small electrical size, such that 100 uW of power (enough to operate simple devices) can be captured at ambient intensities ~ 1 - 2 uW/cm2. Two designs using this method are presented, one that operates for linear polarizations at 0.9 GHz and a smaller polarization-independent design that operates around 1.5 GHz. In the second method, the energy stored in the standing waves of an MPA Fabry-Perot cavity is instead harvested by placing a separate energy harvesting antenna within the cavity. The cavity shapes and enhances the incident electric field, and then the separate energy harvesting antenna is designed to be inserted into the cavity so that its shape and/or radiation pattern matches the electric field lines within the cavity and maximally extracts the stored energy. This method allows for great customization of antenna design parameters, such as operating frequency, polarization dependence, and directionality, by swapping out different metasurface and antenna designs. Using this method, the amount of power harvested by a simple dipole rectenna placed within a cavity is improved by a factor of 18 as compared to what it would harvest by itself at an ambient intensity of 35 nW/cm2. Lastly, the addition of plasmonic structures to DWELL (quantum dot-in-a-well) infrared photodetectors is investigated by computer simulation. DWELL photodetectors have the potential to one day replace standard mercury cadmium telluride detectors by being cheaper alternatives with a higher operating temperature. The inclusion of gold plasmonic structure arrays into DWELL detectors enables excitation of surface plasmon polariton modes that increase the responsivity of the detector to incident infrared radiation. The peak responsivity of a DWELL detector is demonstrated to improve by a factor of 8 for a 1 um thick layer of plasmonic structures and by a factor of 15 for a 2 um thick layer. These works are steps forward in making RF energy harvesting practically useful and for improving infrared photodetector performance.

This dissertation aims to evaluate the allocation of essential facilities and / or scarce resources in the telecommunication industry in terms of the abuse of dominance provisions under the Competition Act 98 of 1998. Chapter 1 sets the scene by setting out the history of competition law in South Africa, and the policy considerations that lead to the promulgation of the Competition Act 98 of 1998 in its current form. This is followed by a brief examination of the scope, purpose and application of the Act, including the conduct regulated by the Act. Chapter 1 explores the functions of the Competition Authority in South Africa, and the various enforcement bodies created under the Act. In order to provide context, and to introduce the telecommunication industry, the dissertation briefly discusses concurrent jurisdiction between the Competition Authority and the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (ICASA). Chapter 1 concludes with a description of radio frequency spectrum; and sets out the scope of the dissertation. Chapter 2 sets out the market definition for radio frequency spectrum, which is defined broadly as the national product market for radio frequency spectrum. The dissertation is limited to the telecommunication industry, thus the market definition is defined only within the context of this industry. After setting out the market definition and identifying the key players in the market for radio frequency spectrum in the telecommunication industry, the dissertation proceeds to discuss the abuse of dominance provisions under the Competition Act, the essential facilities doctrine and scarce resources under the Act. This discussion includes a description of how the doctrine of essential facilities was introduced into our law, a discussion of the relevant case law and a comparative approach of the status in the European Union and the USA. The concept of abuse of dominance and its application in South Africa, the European Union and the USA is described. In conclusion, Chapter 3 compares essential facilities and scarce resources. It is submitted that radio frequency spectrum is a scarce resource and should be dealt with under the abuse of dominance provisions of the Competition Act. Chapter 4 analyses the allocation of radio frequency spectrum in South Africa. It describes the Regulatory Authority and the empowering provisions under the Electronic Communications Act, under which ICASA is empowered to allocate radio frequency spectrum, including the recent policy directions of the Department of Communication. A discussion of the various competition issues that could influence the allocation of radio frequency spectrum follows, specifically with regard to the recent policy directions of the Department of Communications. A brief summary of the views of some of the main industry players in South Africa on the policy directions sets out the concerns of the industry in general, and their reaction to the policy directions. In the concluding Chapter, it is submitted that the abuse of dominance provisions of the Competition Act should be applicable to the allocation of radio frequency spectrum. The reason for this statement is that ICASA often obtains a de facto dominant position with regard to the allocation of an essential facility and / or a scarce resource, such as radio frequency spectrum. Thus it is submitted that the regulator is in a position of dominance which allows it to use regulation as a tool to act anti-competitively. The final Chapter concludes that a wider interpretation of the abuse of dominance provisions is necessary to ensure fair and efficient allocation of radio frequency spectrum. A brief discussion of the policy directions suggests that although, on the face of it, the directions are in line with the provisions of the Competition Act, the method of allocation has scope for anti-competitive allocation by a de facto dominant regulatory authority. It is submitted that more attention must be paid to the actual methods of allocation of radio frequency spectrum, and that a fine balance is required to ensure that spectrum allocation is transparent and efficient. In closing, the dissertation mentions the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill (Government Gazette No. 35525 18 July 2012), which aims to introduce a Spectrum Management Agency to oversee the allocation of radio frequency spectrum in the future. / Dissertation LLM --University of Pretoria, 2014 / am2014 / Mercantile Law / Unrestricted

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Dale A. Blasi / Low-frequency (LF) radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders (n = 1,993) representing both full-duplex and half duplex air interface technologies were evaluated. Transponders representing five manufacturers and seven types were evaluated for read distance (RD), resonance frequency (RF) and voltage response (VR). LF RFID transceivers (n = 24) were also evaluated for performance and variance as tested by read distance. Transponders were sorted into four categories based on RD performance on three transceivers, “Top 25%,” “Middle 50%,” “Bottom 25%,” and “No Read.” These categories were used for evaluation of transponders and transceivers in experiments one and two, respectively. In experiment one, the mean RF of the “Top 25%” transponders were closer to 134.2 kHz (P < 0.05) within a transponder type (TT). TT and mean RD performance category interacted to affect the VR of transponders (P < 0.05); transponders with lower VR tended to have longer RD within a TT. In experiment two, sixty transponders from the “Middle 50%” were used to evaluate transceivers. Transceivers represented five manufacturers and five transceivers per manufacturer; one transceiver was eliminated from testing due to mechanical problems. There was a significant interaction (P < 0.0001) for TT and transceiver manufacturer. This indicated that transceiver performance was greatly dependant on TT being interrogated. TT and transceiver manufacturer interacted to affect RD variance (P < 0.05) demonstrating that transceiver RD will vary depending on TT being interrogated. In the final study, electromagnetic interference (EMI) was evaluated in fourteen livestock auction markets, four feedlots and five cattle abattoirs. The presence of EMI is known to impair the performance of RFID equipment. However, this phenomenon in livestock management settings has not been quantified in the scientific literature. EMI (134.2 + 25 kHz) was observed in all abattoirs. However, the extent and duration of EMI varied depending on individual abattoir. The processing, load and unload areas were evaluated in commercial feedlots. The most EMI was observed in the processing area. Finally, EMI was observed at the sale ring exit at two livestock auction markets. EMI exists in livestock management settings and may negatively impact the performance of LF RFID.