[LINK] RFID enabled Mobile Phone for Health Monitoring

[Geoffrey Ramadan]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 12:43 AM 19/05/2007, you wrote:
>> Out of interest, the increase of power, for UHF technology, from 1 to 
>> 4 Watts EIRP, is considered essential for supply chain applications 
>> (to read pallets and boxes). USA use 4W.
>
> RC or Geoff:
>
> Do you know why it was limited to 1W in the first place here? As I 
> understand it, GS1 has been allowed to issue scientific licences only 
> but this is a shift to allow without a licence.
> (pardon my misinterpretation that it's for the readers -- if you're 
> sure that's what it's for -- I must have misunderstood)
Firstly, the ACMA is responsible for the management an control of RF 
spectrum in Australia.
RFID and many other radiofrequency devices come under the "Low 
Interference Potential Devices" class of licence.
http://www.acma.gov.au/acmainterwr/aca_home/legislation/radcomm/class_licences/lipd.rtf

This class of licence do not require the user to apply, however, the 
onus of compliance is on the user, manufacturer or importer. They are 
automatically covered. This includes WiFi, Microwave ovens, remote 
control units, telemetry, RFID and many others.

Item 31 in particular covered RFID.
Radiofrequency identification transmitters (range in MHz)
1. 13.553–13.567
2. 918–926
3. 2400–2450
4. 5725–5795
5. 5815–5875
6. 24000–24250
Maximum allowed power output for above frequencies = 1 W EIRP

This allocation has been around a long time. The USA in particular have 
used 4W and the general consensus in the industry is that you need 4W 
for supply chain applications.

GS1 Australia (http://www.gs1au.org) have taken the initiative to lobby 
on behalf of the industry the ACMA and the Government to have this changed.

The ACMA concern is that the lower part of the spectrum, is covered by 
the Vodafone licence (at 915MHz I think) for mobile phones. The concern 
is that RFID may interfere with this.

The problem is that calculation show that it "may not" interfere. The 
ACMA is being cautious, but do not want to change this and then find 
that it does interfere.

So the ACMA have issued a temporary 2 year special licence to GS1, which 
also has the right to sub-licence, the use of 4 W EIRP (in the 920 to 
918MHz range) for trials under special conditions.

This in effect allows the industry to "trial" the use of 4 W and gather 
data to confirm, one way or the other.

The 2 year trial is coming to an end and data has been submitted to the 
ACMA. We are expecting a judgment in the next few months. My 
understanding is that the trials have work successfully. It has also 
shown that if you use US equipment, set at the wrong frequency, it does 
interface with the Vodafone towers.

They may either approve the change of the LIPD licence, which will mean 
that you will not need to apply for a licence. Or they may even create a 
new class of licence which you will need to apply for. I don't know 
which way it is going to go.

Hope this helps.

Geoffrey Ramadan B.E.(Elec)
Chairman, Automatic Data Capture Association (www.adca.com.au)
and
Managing Director, Unique Micro Design (www.umd.com.au)