November 27, 2008 -- technology has the potential to become a common and important element in embedded-system design. In addition to the traditional role of the technology in inventory management, recent advances in RFID tags and high-speed, long-range readers allow embedded-system designers to easily incorporate features such as access control, counterfeit prevention, simplified payments, medical authentication, dynamic pricing, product histories, and remote asset tracking.

Embedded-RFID applications typically incorporate a reader within the product or system to add local data-gathering features that enhance the primary functions of the product. You can now find embedded-RFID applications in hotels, prisons, hospitals, retail outlets, farms, casinos, toll roads, and factories, along with a host of commercial and military vehicles. These nontraditional RFID applications will become commonplace as embedded-system developers recognize the value and adopt the technology in new designs.

By Warren Webb, EDN Technical Editor