RFID+ Study Guide and Practice Exams

333 Pages·2007·8.263 MB·English

by  Paul Sanghera (Auth.)

cknowledgments
Syngress would like to acknowledge the following people for their kindness
and support in making this book possible.
Syngress books are now distributed in the United States and Canada by
O'Reilly Media, Inc. The enthusiasm and work ethic at O'Reilly are incredible,
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Hua, Joseph Chan, June Lim, and Siti Zuraidah Ahmad of Pausing Distributors
for the enthusiasm with which they receive our books.
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Stephen O'Donoghue, Bee Lowe, Mark Langley, and Anyo Geddes of Woodslane
for distributing our books throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Cook Islands.
uthor
Paul Sanghera, an expert in multiple fields including computer
networks and physics (the parent fields of RFID), is a subject matter
expert in RFID. With a Masters degree in Computer Science from
Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Carleton University,
he has authored and co-authored more than 100 technical papers
published in w^ell reputed European and American research journals.
He has earned several industry certifications including RFID+,
Network+, Linux+, PMP, CAPM, Project+, SCBCD, and SCJR Dr.
Sanghera has contributed to building world-class technologies such
as Netscape Communicator and Novell's NDS. He has taught tech
nology courses at various institutes including San Jose Sate
University and Brooks College. As an engineering manager, he has
been at the ground floor of several startups. The best selling author
of several books in technology and project management, Dr.
Sanghera is currently the President of Infonential, Inc, an informa
tion products and services company specializing in project manage
ment and emerging technologies such as RFID and
nanotechnology. For more information on Dr. Sanghera, or to con
tact him, you can visit the website www.infonentialinc.com.
echnical Editor
Francesco Kung Man Fung (SCJP, SCWCD, SCBCD, ICED,
MCP, OCP) has worked with Java, C#, andASP.net for 6 years.
Mainly, he develops Java-based/.net financial applications. He loves
to read technical books and has reviewed several certification books.
Fung received a Bachelor s and a Master Degree in Computer
Science from the University of Hong Kong.
VII
uthor
Paul Sanghera, an expert in multiple fields including computer
networks and physics (the parent fields of RFID), is a subject matter
expert in RFID. With a Masters degree in Computer Science from
Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Carleton University,
he has authored and co-authored more than 100 technical papers
published in w^ell reputed European and American research journals.
He has earned several industry certifications including RFID+,
Network+, Linux+, PMP, CAPM, Project+, SCBCD, and SCJR Dr.
Sanghera has contributed to building world-class technologies such
as Netscape Communicator and Novell's NDS. He has taught tech
nology courses at various institutes including San Jose Sate
University and Brooks College. As an engineering manager, he has
been at the ground floor of several startups. The best selling author
of several books in technology and project management, Dr.
Sanghera is currently the President of Infonential, Inc, an informa
tion products and services company specializing in project manage
ment and emerging technologies such as RFID and
nanotechnology. For more information on Dr. Sanghera, or to con
tact him, you can visit the website www.infonentialinc.com.
echnical Editor
Francesco Kung Man Fung (SCJP, SCWCD, SCBCD, ICED,
MCP, OCP) has worked with Java, C#, andASP.net for 6 years.
Mainly, he develops Java-based/.net financial applications. He loves
to read technical books and has reviewed several certification books.
Fung received a Bachelor s and a Master Degree in Computer
Science from the University of Hong Kong.
VII
'i,
^ k
*^i^uthor's Acknowledgments
As they say (well, if they don't any more, they should), first thing first. Let me
begin by thanking David Fugate and Andrew Williams who triggered this pro
ject. With two thumbs up, thanks to Erin HefFernan, the project manager of
this book project, for her focus, dedication, professionalism, and results-oriented
approach.
It takes a team to materialize a book idea into a published book. It is my
great pleasure to acknowledge the hard and smart work of the Syngress team
that made it happen. Here are a few names to mention: Darlene Bordwell for
copy editing, Patricia Lupien for page layout and art, and Richard Carlson for
Indexing. I am thankful to Francesco Kung, the technical editor of this book,
for doing an excellent job in thoroughly reviewing the manuscript and offering
valuable feedback. Also I'm thankful to Corey Cotton for useful comments and
suggestions.
In some ways, writing this book is an expression of the technologist and
educator inside me. I thank my fellow technologists who guided me at various
places during my journey in the computer industry from Novell to Dream
Logic: Chuck Castleton at Novell, Delon Dotson at Netscape and MP3.com,
Kate Peterson at Weborder, and Dr. John Serri at Dream Logic. I also thank my
colleagues and seniors in the field of education for helping me in so many ways
to become a better educator. Here are a few to mention: Dr. Gerald Pauler
(Brooks College), Professor David Hayes (San Jose State University), Professor
Michael Burke (San Jose State University), and Dr. John Serri (University of
Phoenix).
Friends always lend a helping hand, in many visible and invisible ways, in
almost anything important we do in our lives. Without them, the world would
be a very boring and uncreative place. Here are a few I would like to mention:
Stanley Wong, Patrick Smith, Kulwinder, Major Bhupinder Singh Daler, Ruth
Gordon, Srilatha Moturi, Baldev Khullar, and the Kandola family (Gurmail and
Sukhwinder).
Last, but not least, my appreciation (along with my heart) goes to my wife,
Renee, and my son, Adam, for not only peacefully coexisting with my book
projects but also supporting them.
VIM
Foreword
Introduction
How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized your
underwear was reporting on your whereabouts?
— Debra Bowen, California State Senator, at a 2003 hearing
In this book, you will not only learn the basics of radio frequency identification
(RFID), but also prepare for the CompTIA RFID+ certification exam in the
process of doing so: two in one. In other words, this book covers the topics
determined by the exam objectives for the CompTIA RFID+ certification
exam, RFO-001. Each chapter explores topics in RFID specified by a set of
exam objectives in a manner that makes the presentation cohesive, concise, and
yet comprehensive.
Who This Book is For
This book is primarily targeted at the RFID professionals and students who
want to prepare for the CompTIA RFID+ exam, RFO-001. Since the book has
a laser-sharp focus on the exam objectives, expert RFID professionals who
want to pass the exam can use this book to ensure that they do not overlook
any objective. Yet, it is not an exam-cram book. The chapters and the sections
inside each chapter are presented in a logical learning sequence: Every new
chapter builds upon knowledge acquired in previous chapters, and there is no
hopping from topic to topic. The concepts and topics, simple and complex, are
explained in a concise yet comprehensive fashion. This facilitates stepwise
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xviii Foreword
learning and prevents confusion. Furthermore, chapter 1 presents very basic
introduction to physics and math concepts relevant to learning RFID for the
absolute beginners. Hence, this book is also very useful for beginners to get up
to speed quickly even if they are new to RFID and do no have the necessary
physics and math background. Even after the exam, you will find yourself
returning to this book as a useful and practical reference for basics of RFID.
In a nutshell, this book can be used by the following audiences:
• RFID professionals and students who want to prepare for the
CompTIA RFID+ exam
• RFID professionals who are looking for a quick and practical RFID
reference
• Beginners who want to join the RFID profession
• Instructors who want to offer a basic course on RFID
How this Book is Structured
The structure of this book is determined by the following two requirements:
• The book is equally useful for both the beginners and the experts who
want to pass the CompTIA RFID+ exam.
• Although it has a laser sharp focus on the exam objectives, the book is
not an exam cram. It presents the material in a logical learning
sequence so that the book can be used for learning (or teaching) basics
of RFID.
With the exception of the introductory chapter 1, each chapter begins with
a list and explanation of exam objectives on which the chapter is focused. We
have somewhat rearranged the order of the exam domains to keep the topics
and the subject matter in line with sequential learning and to avoid hopping
from topic to topic.
The first section in each chapter is the Introduction, in which we establish
the concepts or topics that will be explored in the chapter. As you read through
a chapter, you will find the following features:
• Note. Notes emphasize important concepts or information
• Caution. Cautions point out information that may be contrary to
your expectations depending upon your level of experience with the
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Foreword xix
Java programming. Both Notes and Alerts are important from the
exam viewpoint.
• Tip. Provides additional real-world insight into the topic being
discussed.
• Exercise. Exercises are designed to help you understand how some
concepts work.
• Key Terms. This section lists the important terms and concepts intro
duced in the chapter along with their definitions.
• Summary. This section provides the big picture and reviews the
important concepts in the chapter.
• Exam's-Eye View. This section highlights the important points in the
chapter from the perspective of the exam: the information that you
must comprehend, the things that you should watch out for because
they might not seem to go along with the ordinary order of things,
and the facts that you should memorize for the exam.
• Self Test, has a two-pronged purpose: to help you test your knowl
edge about the material presented in the chapter and to help you eval
uate your ability to answer the exam questions based on the exam
objectives covered in the chapter. The answers to the Self Test ques
tions are presented in Appendix B.
Other special features of the book are the following:
• A complete practice exam with questions modeled after the real exam
and fully explained answers.
• Detailed answers to all the Self Test questions and exercises.
• A glossary that contains definitions of key RFID terms and concepts.
Prerequisites
Neither the CompTIA RFID+ exam nor this book has any pre-requisite.
About the RFID+ exam
Neither the physics behind it, nor the RFID technology itself is new But its
only recently that the greatness has been bestowed upon RFID by the giant
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XX Foreword
influencers such as U.S. Department of Defense and Wal-Mart in their man
dates, and in a flurry of industrial mandates that followed. Now armed with
these mandates, government legislations, and the resulting hyperbole, RFID has
set its journey to change the world. With the market for RFID services pro
jected to exceed $4 billion by 2008, a late start by a corporation in evaluating
and implementing the technology could turn into a competitive disadvantage.
Taking on the opportunity, the Computing Technology Industry Association
(CompTIA) has launched the RFID+ certification in an effort to develop the
workforce and provide the industry with a standard for measuring competency
in the installation and maintenance of RFID.
Topics Covered in the RFID+ Exam
The topics covered in the exam and their relative weights are listed in the
following table.
Proportion of Questions from Each Domain
Percentage Approximate
Coverage in Number of
Domain # Domain Name the Exam Questions
T^o Interrogation zone basics ~ll3 10
2.0 Testing and troubleshooting 13 10
3.0 Standards and regij iations 12 10
4.0 Tag knowledge 11 9
5.0 Design selection 11 9
6.0 Installation 11 9
7.0 Site analysis 11 9
8.00 RF Physics 11 9
9.0 RFID peripherals 7 6
Total 100 81
Preparing for the RFID+ exam
According to CompTIA, the skills and knowledge measured by this examina
tion are derived from an industry-wide job task analysis (JTA) and have been
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Foreword xxl
validated by Subject Matter Experts from around the globe.The CompTIA
RFID+ certification proves that you have the foundational RFID knowledge,
and a minimum of 6 to 24 months of experience in
RFID or a related industry with competencies including the following:
• Installation, configuration, and maintenance of RFID or related hard
ware and device software
• Site survey/site analysis
• RFID design selection
If you are a beginner, you will learn RFID while preparing for the exam
because this book is not a mere exam cram. On the other end of the spectrum,
even an RFID expert may fail this exam if not prepared for it properly. So,
experts can use this to make sure they don't miss any exam objective. From the
exam point of view, pay special attention to the following items while
preparing for the exam:
1. Carefully read the exam objectives in the beginning of each chapter.
2. Make sure you understand the Notes, Cautions, and Exercises in each
chapter.
3. Study the review questions at the end of each chapter.
4. Take the practice exam that comes with this book toward the end
your exam preparation.
5. Review the Exam s-Eye View sections during the last hours of your
preparation.
Taking the RFID+ exam
The RFID+ certification consists of one exam available at authorized Prometric
Testing Centers throughout the world. Following are some important details of
the exam:
• Exam ID: RFO-001
• Prerequisite: None
• Cost: $190 for CompTIA members, $237 fro non-members (The cost
may vary by country and also if you have discount coupons.)
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xxii Foreword
• Number of questions: 81
• Maximum time allowed: 90 minutes
• Minimum Pass score: 630 on the scale of 100-900
The question types are multiple choice including drag and drop. In most of
the questions, you are asked to select the correct answers from multiple answers
presented for a question. The number of correct answers is given.
For the current and complete information, you can visit the CompTIA site:
www.comptia.org
Best wishes for the exam. Go for it!
Contacting the Author
More information about Dr. Paul Sanghera can be found at:
www.paulsanghera.com
He can be reached at: [email protected]
Exam Readiness Checklist
Exam Objective Chapter #
Domain 1.0 Interrogation zone basics 4
1.1 Describe interrogator functionality
1.1.1 I/O capability
1.1.2 Hand-held interrogators
1.1.3 Vehicle mount interrogator
1.1.4 LAN/Serial communications
1.1.5 Firmware upgrades
1.1.6 Software operation (GUIs)
1.2 Describe configuration of interrogation zones
1.2.1 Explain interrogator to interrogator
interference
1.2.2 Optimization
1.2.3 System performance and tuning
1.2.4 Travel speed and direction
1.2.5 Bi-static/ monostatic antennas
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