Barcode and RFID: Who is the "leader" in the identification industry

Behind the scenes of modern business and logistics, there are two "general generals" who are working silently - barcode and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. They seem inconspicuous, but they play a key role in product tracking and management.

The barcode is like an experienced old employee. When we shop and check out in supermarkets, the barcode of the product scanned by the cashier is its masterpiece. It encodes information through black and white stripes width and spacing, which is cheap and widely used. With its simple structure and mature scanning system, barcodes make product inventory, sales records and other processes efficient, and have been the main force in the industry for many years.

However, with the development of technology, the "rookie" of Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) has made its mark. The RFID system consists of tags, readers and antennas. The tag contains chips and antennas, which can store more information. It does not require aligning and scanning like a barcode. It can quickly read multiple tag information as long as it is within the effective range of the reader. For example, in the logistics warehouse, staff pushing a cart with a reader through the goods, and they can instantly obtain information on the location, quantity and other information of all goods, greatly improving the inventory efficiency.

RFID also has the advantages that barcodes do not have. The barcode information cannot be changed once printed, while the RFID tag can be repeatedly rewritten to flexibly update data; in harsh environments, such as humidity, oil and other scenarios, the barcode may not be recognized, but RFID can work stably.

However, RFID is not perfect. Its labeling costs are relatively high, which to some extent limits its massive popularity.

In the future, barcode and RFID technologies may coexist for a long time and complement each other's advantages. Barcodes continue to serve scenarios that are sensitive to cost and have low requirements for information reading frequency with low cost; while RFID will shine and heat in areas such as high-end logistics, intelligent warehousing, and medical equipment management that require extremely high information real-time and accuracy.

Whether it is the classics of barcodes or the innovations of RFID, they are promoting the development of recognition technology and bringing more convenience and possibilities to our lives and business activities. If you have more interests in these two technologies or have related business needs, please feel free to contact us to explore the unlimited potential of identification technology!