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Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
RFID Architecture
OR OUR PURPOSES, AN ARCHITECTURE MAY BE DEFINED AS A DECOMPOSITION of a particular computer
system into individual components to show how the components work together to meet the
requirements for the entire system. With this definition in mind, we can confidently say that
there is no such thing as a single, universal RFID architecture that fits all requirements for all
systems. Likewise, there is no set number of variations on a single theme. Because of a
recent confluence of technologies, RFID systems now offer some key functionalities that
have a distinct and predictable impact on the architectures of systems that use it. In this
chapter, we describe the components that RFID adds to the architectures of these systems
and how RFID affects systemic qualities (i.e., nonfunctional requirements of the system,
such as performance, security, scalability, and manageability). From these observations we
will derive some architectural guidelines for systems that incorporate RFID.
A Confluence of Technologies
RFID may be seen as the next logical step in the progression of tracking systems and sen-
sor networks because of technological advances in several fields. Let’s look at some of the
developments that have made RFID possible.
F