Industry Standards

1. Can Class 1 and Class 0 readers be upgraded to read Gen 2 tags?
   
2. Are there any standards for RFID?
   
3. Are EPC standards finalized?
   

1. Can Class 1 and Class 0 readers be upgraded to read Gen 2 tags?
In most cases, a reader that reads Class 1 or Class 0 tags, or both, can be upgraded to read EPC Gen 2 tags by changing the reader firmware. However, EPC global plans to certify three different levels of Gen 2-compliant readers. At the lowest level, readers will be certified to work only when there are no other readers within a 1 km radius. The next level will be for readers capable of being deployed with several readers within a 1 km radius. The highest level will be certified to work alongside 50 or more readers within a 1km radius. Readers might need a hardware upgrade, as well as a software upgrade, to achieve the highest level of certification.
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2. Are there any standards for RFID?
Yes. International standards have been adopted for some very specific applications, such as for tracking animals and for smart cards, which require encryption to keep data secure. Many other standards initiatives are under way. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is working on standards for tracking goods in the supply chain using high-frequency tags (ISO 18000-3) and ultra-high frequency tags (ISO 18000-6). EPC global, a joint venture set up to commercialize Electronic Product Code technologies, has its own standards process, which was used to create bar code standards. EPC global has said that it intends to submit EPC protocols to ISO so they can become international standards.
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3. Are EPC standards finalized?
The Auto-ID Center developed Class 1 and Class 0 specifications for EPC tags and handed these off to EPC global in September 2003. In June 2004, these two specifications completed EPC global's standardization process and became the first EPC "standards." In December 2004, EPC global's board approved a single second-generation standard that will eventually replace Class 1 and Class 2.
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