Where can I Register my Premises?
Please click on this link: Premises Registration
Why
should I use RFID on my herd, and how do I get started?
There are several good reasons to use RFID
technology on your herd. The bottom line is that if you are serious about
improving your herd, raising your profit potential, and complying with federal
and state regulations, there is no better investment than an RFID system.
Your local Extension Agent likely has a good base of information to help you
with this decision and getting started. Other good sources for information
would be your state Department of Agriculture or the USDA/NAIS web page (Click
on link at bottom of page).
Why
is Visual ID not sufficient by itself?
-
Visual ID does not identify animals as unique
individuals that can be traced back to a single herd or to herd of origin.
-
Visual ID does not meet the international
requirements as a valid form of identification.
-
Does not make the recall or collection of
information in an accurate and timely manner easily manageable.
Why use electronic
ID (eID)?
EID provides the linkage
necessary for converting data into accessible and useable information with a
greater degree of accuracy and timeliness.
Is my private
information stored in the tag?
NO. The tag only contains a wire
coil which returns a single unique identification number when energized by a
reader. No other information is stored in the tag.
Will my tag work with other readers? Will my reader recognize other
tags?
YES. The International
Organization for Standardization has established a specific standard for RFID
which clearly lays out the technical requirements for compliance. Many tags
AND readers are FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE ISO STANDARD, so that any truly ISO
compliant tag or reader should be interchangeable and functional with other
ISO compliant systems. The exception to this is a user who has an older
half-duplex reader. Most newer readers are full-duplex readers which can read
full-duplex or half-duplex tags.
Why use
a tag rather than an implant or a bolus?
The big issue is recovery at the
packing plant. Implants can break and “migrate”, boluses have similar
problems. Packing plants generally avoid the expense and liability of
recovering wandering identification. Ear tags however are easily recovered
and kept out of the food process.
How do I
get information back, and will I be blamed if something goes
wrong?
The issue is that the cattle
industry has simply changed forever, and not only with regard to
accountability. If you are going to offer cattle for consumption in this
marketplace, you and they MUST be identified. A bonus to this scenario is
that you can retrieve performance information back from industry partners so
that you can improve your herd and offer a better product to those partners.
The market will show loyalty to producers of quality animals so the cost is
small and the return potential is great.
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FAQs-RFID
Basic Terms
What is alphanumeric
?
Data made up of both alphabetical
and numeric characters. For example, the data sequence C254G6 represents an
alphanumeric string. Often, this term includes other printable characters such
as punctuation marks.
What is a Data
accumulator ?
Any device (whether it be
wireless or wired) such as a laptop or handheld computer or scale head that is
capable of accepting data from the reader.
What is eID?
Electronic identification.
What is RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification.
Any electronic identification system comprised of a
scanner/reader/interrogator and a transponder that can read or write data
content using a specified radio frequency. Radio Frequency ID reads through
non-metallic materials and does not require line-of-sight. It can also
withstand harsh environments.
What is an eTag
or RFID tag?
An animal identification device
containing an electronic chip. Sometimes called a transponder.
What is a transponder?
TRANSmitter/resPONDER- The
transponder becomes activated when placed inside a magnetic field generated by
an antenna. The induced current in the coil in turn charges the capacitor
located inside the chip. Depending upon the transfer protocol, the chip
transmits its identification code.
What is a coil?
A coil is the component of the
electronic chip, which consists of very thin wire wound 500 to 1000 times into
a loop that has a diameter of 20 to 30 mm.
What is a chip?
The electronic chip is made up of
an integrated circuit and a capacitor that is attached to two ends of a coil.
What is a passive
tag?
The scanner/reader/interrogator
must “excite” the transponder at a specific radio frequency in order to
transmit tag data content. These type of RFID tags rely upon the energy
generated by the scanner/reader/interrogator in order to transmit tag data
content.
What is OTP?
One-Time Programmable. This is a
specific chip design by which the device manufacturer programs the contents of
the electronic chip often to correlate the eID number with the visual
identification number.
What is ISO?
International Organization for
Standardization. This includes a worldwide federation of national standards
from about 140 countries and was developed in 1947. ISO is a non-governmental
organization.
What are ISO
standards ?
ISO standards are documented
agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria to be
used consistently as guidelines, rules or definitions of characteristics, to
ensure that products, materials, services and processes are fit for their
intended purpose. They do not have legal status of their own and regulators
may adopt standards in a modified form to suit local conditions or
requirements. The intent is to produce standards that are internationally
compatible, clear and consistent. ISO does not have the responsibility to
determine compliance with ISO standards.
Which ISO
standards apply to the agricultural field?
-
ISO 11784 represents the international standard
for the structure of the data numeric architecture of the 64 bit code for
Radio Frequency Identification of Animals.
-
ISO 11785 represents the accepted protocol for
transmission between the scanner/reader/interrogator and the transponder(tag).
This standard defines the timing sequence for both HDX(half duplex) and FDX
(full duplex) air interfaces.
What is HDX
?
HDX is one-way at a time signal
transmission. An HDX transponder is equipped with a capacitor, which is
charged by the voltage that develops over the antenna in the activation field.
The transponder initiates the return signal to the scanner/reader/interrogator
only after the end of the interrogation signal has been received and only
after the storage capacitor has been fully charged in the transponder. This
signal is only sent once.
What is FDX/FDX-B?
FDX is a two-way signal that
starts transmitting its code as soon as the FDX transponder has received
sufficient energy and keeps repeating the code during activation. FDX
functions better without the interruption of the activation field necessary
for HDX. FDX-B is the best type to transmit through noise interference sources
and is most commonly used in livestock RFID systems.
What is a “Scanner/Reader/Interrogator”?
The scanner/reader/interrogator
transmits and receives radio frequency signals, contains a control unit to
execute commands and incorporates an interface to transfer data. It also
receives commands and responds to software commands from the computer. The
scanners/readers/interrogators are available as handheld or stationary. Some
factors that can affect the range of the scanner/reader/interrogator are:
-
Power available to the reader
-
Power available within the tag to respond
-
Antenna characteristics and size
-
Competition from other devices emitting electronic
signals
What Data
Carrying Options are there with RFID?
-
Identifier-Simply to identify the animal by
number.
-
Portable data files-More in-depth software
applications.
What is ICAR
?
International Committee for
Animal Recording. ICARs primary mission is to standardize procedures and
methods used in recording of livestock data and establish test procedures for
the approval of equipment and methods for recording data.
What is a Manufacturer/Country
Code?
It is a three-digit code defined
by ISO 11784 standard. ISO 3166 standard is used to determine country codes.
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FAQs-SOFTWARE NEEDS
What type of software
will I need simply to read tags?
For simple reading of tags only, the user who has a
computer with a Microsoft platform can simply go the "Start: Programs:
Accessories: Hyper Terminal". There is a bit of a set-up process to make this
work but the reader can then read to this Hyper Terminal and the information
can then be copied and pasted into an Excel spreadsheet or other program of
choice where additional information about the animal can also be added if
desired.
A wedge program is also an acceptable alternative
and normally costs approximately $250/ The wedge program works in the
background of the computer and when set up will add the tag number directly
into whichever program the user has opened to be used for the readings (i.e.
Excel, Access, Word).
What if I want to collect more extensive
data about each animal?
There are numerous software programs available with
a variety of options to meet a user's needs-from the cow/calf producer to
feedlot operations to packing plants, etc. "Cow Sense" is one such program
which is a well thought out program and will be offered on RFIDtagstcc.com in
the near future or feel free to browse our Links
page for ideas.
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FAQs-RFID AND VISUAL TAG USE AND APPLICATIONS
Where should I place
the eTag in the ear?
The tag should be placed in the left ear between
the middle veins of the ear and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches from the head. See
image below for location.
Tag Retention Tips for Visual and RFID Ear Tags
-
Always make a NEW hole
-
Make a precise incision-NOT a puncture wound
-
Attach the tag TOWARD the head (female button/tag on inside of
ear, male button on back of ear)
-
Avoid penetrating cartilage and blood vessels
-
Always clean equipment to avoid disease transfer
-
Make sure the button (on two-piece tags) is on BACK of ear
-
Always use NEW tags
-
Avoid using heavy tags
-
Support the ear of newborns when tagging
-
Remove twine from hay bales to minimize snagging
-
Visual ID tags should be placed approximately 1 1/2" further
from the head than the RFID eartags. (approximately 3" from head on mature
cattle)
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Click Here for USDA/NAIS website