Que RFID Plus Exam Cram May 2006 ISBN 0789735040

  RFID+ Exam Gram

By OTA Training , Eva Zeisel, Robert Sabella

...............................................

  Publisher: Que Pub Date: May 16, 2006 Print ISBN-10: 0-7897-3504-0 Print ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3504-1 Pages: 336

   Studying for the new RFID+ exam? The RFID+ Certification Exam Cram is the

perfect study companion. It features relevant Exam Notes that will help you score better

on the exam, more than 300 exam prep questions, tips, acronyms, memory joggers, and the ever popular "Cram Sheet" tearcard, which is great for last-minute studying. There is also a CD-ROM based testing engine included, providing for realistic exam preparation and readiness feedback. Plus, the RFID+ Certification Exam Cram has the CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum (CAQC) seal of approval! To find out more about OTA Training, visit www.otatraining.com.

  RFID+ Exam Gram By OTA Training , Eva Zeisel, Robert Sabella ...............................................

  Publisher: Que Pub Date: May 16, 2006 Print ISBN-10: 0-7897-3504-0 Print ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3504-1 Pages: 336

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Copyright RFID+ Exam Cram

  Copyright © 2006 by Que Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2005934730 Printed in the United States of America First Printing: January 2006 08 07 06 05 4 3 2 1

  Trademarks

  All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

  Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an "as is" basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the CD or programs accompanying it.

  Bulk Sales

  Que Publishing offers excellent discounts on this book when ordered in quantity for bulk purchases or special sales. For more information, please contact U.S. Corporate and Government Sales 1-800-382-3419

  

  For sales outside the U.S., please contact International Sales

   Publisher

  Paul Boger

  Executive Editor

  Jeff Riley

  Development Editor

  Steve Rowe

  Project Editor

  Andy Beaster

  Copy Editor

  Chuck Hutchinson

  Indexer

  Aaron Black

  Proofreader

  Heather Arle

  Contributing Authors

  Mark Brown Mickey Kamer

  Technical Editors

  Greg Dixon Chris Zimmardi Tom O'Boyle Vern Peeler Chris Zeisel Steve Lazar Denis Bishop John Baker Jason Brewer

  

Publishing Coordinator

  Cindy Teeters

  

Multimedia Developer

  Dan Scherf

  Interior Designer

  Cover Designer

  Anne Jones

  Dedication

Thank you to Mark Brown for his expertise, dedication,

and ability to always make me smile; and Rob Sabella for

his never-ending energy, great attention to detail, and

encouragement to make me go all the way with this book. Also thanks to my husband, who tolerated my late nights and weekends at the computer. Love to him, my wonderful parents, and my whole family in the Czech Republic.

  Eva Zeisel

  I would like to dedicate this book to my mother and

father, Marie and Charles Sabella, who both encouraged

me and gave me the ability to dream. To Boston College

for developing in me the ability to achieve my dreams.

And most of all, to my loving wife, Beth, and beautiful

daughter, Sofia, who stood by me despite all the time I

spent away from them building OTA and writing this book.

Their love and devotion have once again proved to me

that despite all my ambition, it is they who really are my

dreams come true. AMDG.

  Robert Sabella

  About the Authors Eva Zeisel is the Director of Training and Certification for OTA

  Training. She is responsible for instructional design and development of course content and onsite delivery of OTA's RFID courses. Prior to joining OTA, Eva led the Wal-Mart One Store RFID Tagging Pilot Project and performed troubleshooting of RFID equipment in Wal-Mart stores across the southern United States. Before coming to the United States, Eva gained a broad range of experience in RFID, management, marketing, and business in Europe and the Middle East. Eva holds a master's degree in economics and management and is working on her second master's in management of information systems.

  Robert Sabella is President and Founder of OTA Training.

  Bringing more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience to OTA, Rob is considered one of the most innovative leaders in developing and bringing new technologies to market and training a work force capable of supporting these new technologies. Rob founded OTA with the belief that in order for RFID implementations to be successful, people must be given the right skills to enable that success. Rob saw that first hand when he co-founded OTA Solutions, Inc., a leading RFID placement company that focuses on the development and placement of RFID-trained resources. Rob's OTA Training is one of the Founding Members of the CompTIA RFID+ Cornerstone Committee. Rob holds a Juris Doctor, a master's degree in philosophy, and a bachelor's degree from Boston College.

  About the Technical Editors A special thanks to our incredible team of technical editors.

  They are the most talented people in the RFID industry today,

  Instruments; Tom O'Boyle, Miles Technologies; Vern Peeler, International Paper; Steve Lazar, Texas Instruments; Denis

  

Bishop, Lowry; John Baker, Venture Research; Chris Zeisel,

and Jason Brewer.

  Acknowledgments

  We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people without whose efforts OTA Training and this book would not be possible. Many thanks to contributing authors Mark

  

Brown and Mickey Kamer for all the help they gave us to get

past the finish line.

  Thanks to our incredible team of technical editors. They are the most talented people in the RFID industry today, and we were honored to have them contribute to this book. Thanks to our industry friends that have taken the time to review the book and offer their suggestions: Ron Rose, Mark

  Colborn, Brad Wikholm, Randy Smith, Dave Ferguson, Tom Wojcik, and Bryan Albers.

  Thanks to Neil Spinner, Bob Gessel, Matt Arnold, Brad Eck,

  Phillip Hubbell, Randy Denney, Clark Ferguson, Bobbie Martin, Wayne Carlisle, Joe Zentner, and Ron Ogan.

  Thanks to the RFID Young Turks: Chris Hanebeck, Jerrold

  Prothero, and David Shaw, who gave us so much weekly support in all of our endeavors.

  Thanks to all of our partners,; Kevin Ellison and James Reed at Sun Microsystems; Tony Sabetti, Bill Allen, Tammy

  Stewart, Kelly Stark at Texas Instruments; Jay Bojan at

  Miles Technologies; Mark Roberti at RFID Journal; John

  Baker at Venture Research; Jeff Polly and Denis Bishop at

  Lowry; Paul Pisano at Tagsys, Lou Sirico at AWID, Eitan Avni at KSW Microtec, Manoj Kutty and Sanjaya Sharma at TIS,

  John McGinnis at Avid Wireless; Doug Chaney at DC

  Logistics; Dwain Farley and Brian Aldridge at Enterprise

  Thanks to Gary Roden and Pedro Aguirre, Maria Smith,

  

Sheila Bellinger, Mark Frederiksen, Bart Pacifico and Sabi

Avramescu, Marco Marchetti, and Matt Galley.

  Thanks to Jeff Riley and the folks at Que Publishing for keeping us on track and for all of their support. Thanks to Dave Sommer, Tammy Borgens, Bala

  Swaminathan, and all the folks at CompTIA who, through all of their hard work, have made the RFID+ certification a reality.

  And to all of the many members of the RFID+ Cornerstone Committee members who have been a real joy to work with, especially Bob Berg from DHL, Dan Mullen and Bert Moore from AIM, Stephen Schwartz and Jeff Reynolds from Intermec, Dennis O'Neil from IBM, Dave Shuping from FCBS, and Patrick Sweeney from ODIN Technologies.

  Thanks also to AIM Global, Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility, for providing many of the terms found in the Glossary and Acronym Guide.

  We Want to Hear from You!

  As the reader of this book, you are our most important critic and commentator. We value your opinion and want to know what we're doing right, what we could do better, what areas you'd like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom you're willing to pass our way. As an executive editor for Que Publishing, I welcome your comments. You can email or write me directly to let me know what you did or didn't like about this bookas well as what we can do to make our books better.

  Please note that I cannot help you with technical problems related to the topic of this book. We do have a User Services group, however, where I will forward specific technical questions related to the book.

  When you write, please be sure to include this book's title and author as well as your name, email address, and phone number. I will carefully review your comments and share them with the author and editors who worked on the book.

  Email: Mail: Jeff Riley Executive Editor Que Publishing 800 East 96th Street Indianapolis, IN 46240 USA

  For more information about this book or another Que Certification title, visit our website at Type the ISBN (excluding hyphens) or the title of a book in the

  Introduction

  Welcome to RFID+ Exam Cram. Whether this is the first Exam

  Cram book you have ever read, or whether you have used our

  test preparation resources before, you will find that this book provides important information, critical insights, and valuable suggestions and is intended to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA RFID+ exam, as administered by VUE testing organizations and VUE-certified third-party vendors such as OTA Training. This introduction explains CompTIA's RFID+ certification program in general and describes how the Exam Cram series can help you prepare for the certification exam.

  Who Is This Book For?

  This book is for you if You are an RFID professional who is already familiar with RFID system design and installation concepts and who has a good working knowledge of RFID terms, concepts, tools, and technologies. You are interested in moving into RFID specialization while having extensive experience in IT, bar-coding, supply chain management, or automatic data collection and are seeking a good place to start your training and learning experiences. This book is not for you if experience with RFID systems and applications, or with RFID terms, concepts, tools, and technologies.

  You are curious about this suddenly popular RFID technology and want to find out what the fuss is about.

  If you fall into the category that indicates this book is not for you, you should start your RFID+ certification path with in-class training for beginners that introduces you to the basics of the technology as well as terms, concepts, and techniques that you need to know or by reading basic RFID publications, including industry magazines.

  About This Book Exam Cram books help you understand and appreciate the subjects and materials you need to pass certification exams. Exam Cram books are aimed strictly at test preparation and

  review. They do not teach you everything you need to know about a topic. Instead, the series presents and dissects the questions and problems that you are likely to encounter on a test. The aim of the Exam Cram series is to bring together as much information as possible about the certification exams that are its primary focus.

  Nevertheless, if you want to completely prepare yourself for any test, we recommend that you begin by taking the Self- Assessment immediately following this introduction. This tool will help you evaluate your knowledge base against the requirements for the CompTIA RFID+ exam under both ideal and real circumstances.

  Based on what you learn from that exercise, you might decide to begin your studies with some classroom training, or to pick some time installing, configuring, and working with RFID interrogators, antennas, printers, and other RFID-related devices, as well as learning about the RFID systems deployed in real environments, best practices, and ideas used for these deployments, because the RFID+ exam is focused on such activities and the knowledge and skills gained by these activities. You might also decide to start working immediately with the material in this book. Whenever you are ready to take that step,

Chapter 1 starts with everything you need to know about

  the examhow to apply for it; how to prepare for it; and what to expect before, during, and after the actual test. Although we try to provide you with the most accurate information, the conditions of the exam may change, so please refer to

  for updates.

   give you the knowledge of RFID hardware

  such as RFID tags, interrogators, antennas, and peripheral devices; their function and working principles; as well as underlying RF physics explanations including necessary calculations. ,

   take you through the

  process of deploying an RFID solution. You start with site analysis, continue with designing and installing the solution, and then perform necessary testing and troubleshooting.

Chapter 9 is dedicated to various standards and regulations that

  affect the RFID industry, which give you a necessary overview of different organizations and standards you have to watch for when working in RFID. At the end of the book, we provide you with two complete practice RFID+ exams, as well as answer keys and explanations about why each choice isor is notthe best possible response. After you read the book, you can brush up on a certain area by using the index, glossary, or the table of contents to go straight tightly focused reference that you can use in your future studies or in the field as well.

  Chapter Formats

  Each Exam Cram chapter follows a regular structure, along with graphical cues about especially important or useful material. The structure of a typical chapter is as follows:

  

Hotlists Each chapter begins with lists of the terms you

  need to understand and the techniques and concepts you need to master before you can be fully conversant with the chapter's subject matter. We follow these "hotlists" with a few introductory paragraphs, setting the stage for the rest of the chapter.

  Topical Coverage After the opening hotlists, each chapter covers the topics related to the chapter's subject.

  Exam Alerts Throughout the topical coverage section, we

  highlight material most likely to appear on the exam by using a special Exam Alert layout that looks like this:

  Alert

  This is what an Exam Alert looks like. An Exam Alert stresses concepts, terms, or activities that will most likely appear in one or more exam questions. For that reason, we think any information found offset in Exam Alert format is worthy of unusual attentiveness on your part. Even if material is not flagged as an Exam Alert, all the content in this book is associated in some way with test- related material. What appears in the chapter content is critical knowledge. The Exam Alert also usually points at a section or concept that is especially important and is explained in detail before or after the alert.

  

Notes Where a body of knowledge is deeper than the scope

  of the book, we use notes to indicate areas of concern, specialty training, or direction to places where you may find the information. The following is an example of a note:

  Note

  Each RFID application is different. Choosing between a tethered and a wireless interrogator depends on your application objective and the particular environment in which you are deploying. While you gain mobility by using a wireless interrogator, you trade off power consumption. All of these issues need to be addressed and resolved before you can select the appropriate equipment needed for a particular application.

  Tips We provide tips that help you to build a better

  foundation of knowledge or to focus your attention on an important concept that reappears later in the book. Tips provide a helpful way to remind you of the context surrounding a particular area of a topic under discussion. The following shows you what a tip looks like:

  This is what a tip looks like. The intent of tip elements is to provide you with alternative ways to approach duties RFID professionals perform in the real world. These may be quicker ways of doing tasks or new methods that are not as well known. These elements help bring real-world RFID content into the boundaries of an exam prep book too!

  Exam Prep Questions This section presents a short list of test questions related to the specific chapter topic.

  Following each question is an explanation of both correct and incorrect answers. The practice questions are designed to reinforce your knowledge of the material.

  Details and Resources Every chapter ends with a section

  titled "Need to Know More?" that provides direct pointers to the RFID resources that offer more details on the chapter's subject. If you find a resource you like in this collection, use it, but do not feel compelled to use all the resources. On the other hand, we recommend only those resources we ourselves use regularly, so none of our recommendations will waste your time or money.

  The bulk of the book follows this chapter structure, but we would like to point out a few other elements:

  Practice Exams The sample tests, which appear in ), are designed to reinforce your knowledge of the

  Answer Keys These chapters provide the answers to the

  practice exams, complete with explanations of both the correct and incorrect responses.

  CD Installation and Contents ). Glossary This is an extensive glossary of important terms

  used in this book and includes the terms that you are likely to encounter on the exam. This glossary will make an excellent reference tool to aid you in your RFID implementations.

  Index You can use the index to track down terms as they appear in the text.

  

Cram Sheet This is a tear-away sheet, inside the front

  cover of this Exam Cram book. It is a valuable tool that represents a collection of the most difficult-to-remember facts and formulas we think you should memorize before taking the test. Remember, you can dump this information out of your head onto the margins of your test booklet or scratch paper as soon as you enter the testing room. These are usually facts that we have found require brute-force memorization. You need to remember this information only long enough to write it down when you walk into the test room. You might want to look at the Cram Sheet in your car or in the lobby just before you walk into the testing center. The Cram Sheet is divided under headings, so you can review the appropriate parts just before each test.

  How to Use This Book the exam. If you feel that you are already up to speed on certain topics, you may elect to skip the chapter or chapters in which those topics are covered. In any case, you should try all

  

  more clearly, or questions that seem deceptive, feel free to let us know by email at

  Good Luck!

  Thank you for choosing the Exam Cram as your preparation tool for the RFID+ exam. We hope you enjoy the book. We would wish you luck on the exam, but we know that if you read all the chapters and work with the sample exams, you will not need luck. You will do well on the strength of your knowledge, skills, and your ability to apply those skills to real-life workplace situations.

  Self-Assessment

  The reason for including a self-assessment in this Exam Cram book is to help you evaluate your preparedness to achieve CompTIA RFID+ certification. It should also help you understand what you need to know to master the topic of this book, namely RFID. Before you start with the self-assessment, however, the following sections address concerns you might face when pursuing the RFID+ certification, as well as what an ideal RFID+ candidate might look like.

  RFID Professionals in the Real World

  The following section describes an ideal RFID+ candidate, but only a few candidates meet this ideal description because only a few people have extensive experience in RFID. However, if you invest the effort and time, you will be able to succeed in this certification. In fact, we have designed this Exam Cram book to make it as easy as possible to prepare for the exam.

  The RFID+ Candidate Qualifications

  The ideal candidate for the certification exam can, with little or no supervision, design and implement a complex RFID system using in-depth knowledge of RF communication; RFID hardware functions; installation and configuration including interrogators, antennas, printers/encoders, and other ancillary devices; RFID tags; RFID middleware; connectivity; networking; and automatic data collection technologies. The candidate should have an understanding of networking, serial communication, engineering concepts, bar-code technology, and business

  The borderline qualified candidate is able, with some supervision, to implement an RFID system using knowledge of RF communication; RFID hardware functions; installation and configuration including interrogators, antennas, printers/encoders, and other ancillary devices; RFID tags; connectivity; networking; and automatic data collection technologies. This candidate should have an understanding of networking basics, serial communication, engineering concepts, bar-code technology, and business process analysis. The candidate that is not yet qualified to become RFID+ certified is someone who is only familiar with RFID concepts at a high level and knows some of the RFID buzzwords, but has no relevant experience in the field.

  After finishing the self-assessment, you will have a clear idea about what you already know and what you need to learn.

  Put Yourself to the Test

  The following questions and observations are designed to help you figure out how much work you must do to pursue RFID+ certification and what kinds of resources you might consult. There are no right or wrong answers, only steps along the path to certification. Only you can decide where you really belong in the broad spectrum of aspiring candidates.

  Educational Background

  To assess your educational background, answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever learned about any RF technology? [Yes or

  If yes, proceed to question 2; if no, proceed to question 4.

  2. Have you ever learned about RF physics? [Yes or No]

  If yes, you probably can handle discussions about RF waves and their behavior, RF frequencies, communication techniques, antenna field characteristics, and calculations. If no, consider some basic reading or research in this area. You can find a lot of information on the Internet; for example, see We recommend a book titled Radio Frequency Principles and Applications, by Albert

  A. Smith, Jr. (IEEE Press, 1998, ISBN 0-7803-3431-0); however, you can find other books on this topic in your favorite online bookstore.

  

3. Have you ever learned about wireless technologies? [Yes or

  No]

  4. Have you ever learned or worked with automatic data

  collection systems? [Yes or No]

  5. Have you ever learned or worked in supply chain

  management? [Yes or No]

  6. Have you ever learned or gained some experience in

  networks? [Yes or No]

  7. Have you ever learned or worked with bar codes? [Yes or

  No] You should have answered Yes to most of the questions. The knowledge you have gained in these areas will be very helpful to you in your preparation for the RFID+ certification. An important key to success with taking the RFID+ exam lies in obtaining hands-on experience with various RFID equipment, as well as participating in the design of an RFID system and its deployment.

  To assess your level of hands-on experience, answer the following questions:

  1. Have you ever installed and/or configured an RFID

  interrogation zone? [Yes or No]

  2. Have you ever installed and/or configured an RFID

  peripheral or ancillary device? [Yes or No]

  3. Have you ever worked with RFID tags? [Yes or No]

  

4. Have you ever seen, designed, or deployed a working RFID

  solution?[Yes or No] If you answered no to any of these questions, we recommend that you at least participate in a hands-on training session to gain some minimum amount of experience with hardware installation and configuration.

  Testing Your Exam Readiness

  Whether you attend a formal class on a specific topic to get ready for an exam or use written materials to study on your own, some preparation for the RFID+ exam is essential to your success. We have included two practice exams in this book, so if you do not score well on the first test, you can study more and then try the second test.

  Consider taking a class if you have completed the self-study materials, taken the test, and still feel unsure and nervous big difference in the information and knowledge you are able to gain. For information about RFID+ classes, enter a string such as "RFID+ certification" or "RFID training" in your favorite search engine.

  Assessing Readiness for the RFID+ Exam

  In addition to assessing your general exam readiness, you can do several things to prepare for the RFID+ exam. As you are getting ready for the exam, visit the websites at

   You can sign

  up for "Question of the Day" services for this exam; join ongoing discussion groups; and look for pointers to exam resources, study materials, and related tips.

  Ready to Take the Exam?

  After you have Assessed your readiness Completed the right background studies Obtained the hands-on experience that will help you to understand the equipment and technologies that RFID uses Reviewed sources of information to help you prepare for the test Taken several practice tests and are comfortable with the results you are ready to take a part in the certification exam. If you follow our assessment regime, you will know not only the material you need to study, but also when you are properly prepared to take the certification exam. Now all you have to do is set a test date with VUE or a VUE-certified third-party vendor to take the exam. Good luck!

Chapter 1. RFID+ Certification Exam Terms you need to understand: Radio button Check box Multiple-choice options Multiple responses Scenario-based questions Techniques and concepts you need to master: Signing up to take an exam Scheduling the exam Preparing to take a certification exam Practicing to take a certification exam Making the best use of the testing software Process of elimination Budgeting your time

  Guessing

  CompTIA's RFID+ and Other Certifications

  The Computing Technology Industry Association ( ) offers numerous IT certifications, primarily aimed at entry- and intermediate-level IT professionals.

  CompTIA has developed a completely new certification for radio-frequency identification (RFID) professionals titled RFID+. CompTIA exams are all vendor and platform neutral, which means that they primarily test on general skills and overall knowledge instead of focusing on a particular vendor or product specifics. As such, the CompTIA exams offer certification candidates a chance to demonstrate the necessary general abilities that will be relevant in most workplaces. This explains why employers view CompTIA exams and certifications favorably. According to a recent research study commissioned by CompTIA and conducted by Frost & Sullivan, a global leader in strategic growth consulting, RFID implementations are expected to grow over the next few years. A survey of more than 500 companies in North America found that just over 50% of the companies have completed either RFID implementations or plan to do so within the next 12 months. However, a worldwide lack of skilled integrators who have the facilities, education, and expertise to design, deploy, and manage RFID networks has the potential to hinder the adoption of RFID technology in all countries and industries. The CompTIA RFID+ certification is intended to address this skills shortage by establishing an industry accepted certification that validates an RFID technician's knowledge and skills in the areas of installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of both RFID hardware and software.

  About the RFID+ Exam

  The CompTIA RFID+ candidate will have fundamental RFID knowledge, typically has 624 months of experience in the RFID industry, and performs the following tasks as part of his or her job:

  Installation, configuration, and maintenance of RFID hardware and device software Site surveys/site analysis Tag selection, placement, and testing

  What is Tested?

  The following list shows the domains tested by this examination and the approximate extent to which they are represented in the exam:

  1. Interrogation Zone Basics: 13%

  2. Testing and Troubleshooting: 13%

  3. Standards and Regulations: 12%

  4. Tag Knowledge: 11%

  5. Design Selection: 11%

  6. Installation: 11%

  8. RF Physics: 11%

  

9. RFID Peripherals: 7%

  Signing Up to Take the Exam

  After you have studied this book, have taken the sample test, and feel confident to tackle the real exam, you can sign up to take the exam either at Virtual University Enterprises (VUE) or as a part of the OTA Training's RFID+ Certification Course. The RFID+ exam at VUE costs approximately $225; you can locate the exact price at

  Signing Up with VUE

  You can contact VUE to locate a nearby testing center that administers the test and to make an appointment. The sign-up web page address for the exam itself is You can also use this web page (click the Contact button, click the View Telephone Directory by Sponsor link, and then click CompTIA) to obtain a telephone number for the company, if you cannot or do not want to sign up for the exam on the web page.

  Signing Up with OTA

  You can contact OTA Training through its website at

  and sign up for its RFID+ Certification

  Training, which includes taking the exam. OTA Training is certified by VUE and has approved proctors for administering this exam.

  Scheduling the RFID+ Exam

  To schedule an exam, call at least one day in advance, but do not count on getting an early appointment. In some areas of the United States, tests are fully booked for weeks in advance. To cancel or reschedule an exam, you must call at least 12 hours before the scheduled test time (or you may be charged). When calling VUE, be sure to have the following information ready for the telesales staffer who handles your call:

  Your name, organization, and mailing address. A unique test ID. For most U.S. citizens, this is your Social Security number. Citizens of other nations can use their taxpayer IDs or make other arrangements with the order taker. The name and number of the exam you want to take. If you want to pay by credit card, be sure to have your card handy as well. If you want to pay by check or other means, you need to obtain the necessary information from the VUE representative with whom you speak.

  Taking the Test

  When you come to take your exam, be sure you bring two forms of identification that have your signature on them, including one with a photograph. You are not allowed to take any printed material into the testing environment, but you can study the Cram Sheet from the front of this book while you are waiting. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time slot. When taking an exam, you are not permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, but you are furnished with a blank sheet of paper and a pen. We suggest that you immediately write down on that sheet of paper any of the information from the Cram Sheet you have had a hard time remembering.

  You have some time to compose yourself, to record memorized information, and even to take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. We suggest you take the orientation test before taking your first exam, but because the exams are all more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably will not need to do this more than once.

  Typically, the test room is equipped with one to several computers, and each of them is separated from the others by dividers to keep anyone from seeing what is going on at other workstation screens.

  All CompTIA certification exams allow a predetermined maximum amount of time in which to complete your work. The time is indicated by an onscreen counter/clock in the upper- right corner of the screen, so you will have an idea of how much time you have to complete the exam. All exams are computer questions. You have up to 90 minutes to complete the exam. After you have completed the exam, the software tells you whether you have passed or failed. Your results are broken into several topic areas. Even if you fail, you should ask for a detailed report that the proctor can print for you. You can use this report to help prepare for retaking the exam. If you need to retake the exam, you must schedule it with the appropriate organizations again. CompTIA has a retake policy, which you can find on its website.

  Note

  Keep in mind that questions for each exam are randomly chosen from a pool; therefore, on your next exam, you most likely will encounter all new questions.

  Response Limits

  You select from four or more response options, the options that best complete the statement or answer the question. The exam can also contain "distracters" or wrong answers as a response option that examinees with incomplete knowledge or skill would likely choose but that are generally plausible responses fitting into the content area. Test item formats used in this examination are multiple choices with a single answer, multiple choices with more than one answer, and scenario-based questions.

  For questions with multiple choices, you select one option that best answers the question or completes a statement. The option can be embedded in a graphic where you point and click on your selection choice to complete the test item.

  The question that requires you to select only a single answer has radio buttons. Following is an example of such a question:

  Which part of an RFID tag can be made with conductive ink?

  A. Substrate

  B. Overlay

  C. Antenna

  D. ASIC

The correct answer is C. Antennas can be printed using conductive inks. The

substrate is made of plastic, paper, and so on; therefore, answer A is incorrect. The

  A1: overlay is usually made of adhesives or plastic; therefore, answer B is also

incorrect. The ASIC is typically made of silicon; therefore, answer D is also

incorrect.

  This example corresponds closely with CompTIA RFID+ certification format; the only difference is that the question is not followed by an answer key.

  Multiple Responses

  For questions requiring multiple responses, you select more answer, you will be told how many answers to select. Following is an example of a multiple-response question:

  Which of the following are RFID tag classifications? (Choose three)

  A. Active

  B. Passive

  C. Hyper Active

  D. Semi-passive A1: Answers A, B, and D are correct. Answer C is incorrect because RFID tags are not classified as Hyper Active.

  For this type of question, more than one answer is required, and you are requested to check multiple check boxes. Such questions are scored wrong unless you choose all the required selections. A partially correct answer does not result in partial credit.

  Scenario-Based Questions

  Scenario-based questions involve exhibits and use charts or diagrams to document a scenario that you are asked to design, configure, or troubleshoot. The solutions are numbered and you are required to chose a correct number in a multiple-choice answer. Careful attention to such exhibits is the key to answering these questions correctly.

  Using CompTIA's Exam Software Effectively

  A well-known exam aid to use when taking exams is to first read over the entire exam from start to finish; during this time, answer only the questions you are sure you can answer with the correct option. After that, you will have an idea about how many questions you have left and can divide your time more efficiently for the remaining questions.

  The CompTIA software makes this approach possible by including a check box at each question that permits you to mark the question for later review. If you are running out of time or do not know the answers for the rest of the questions, you can try the last resort option: Guess.

  Tip

  It is better to guess the answer than not answer it at all because you may actually guess correctly.

Chapter 2. RFID Tags Terms you need to understand: RFID tag Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Smart label Tag antenna Inductor/induction coil Modulation circuitry Control circuitry Processor memory Power source Active tags Passive tags Semi-passive tags Substrate Inlay or inlet

  High Frequency Ultra High Frequency Super High Frequency (Microwave) EPC classes Gen 1 Gen 2 Single dipole Dual dipole

  

Techniques and concepts you need to master:

Read-only Read/write Write Once/Read Many (WORM) Tag size ratio equation: Antenna versus range/frequency Copper etching Foil stamping Screen printing

  Modulation Inductive/magnetic coupling Electromagnetic coupling Chip to tag/flip-chip Strap to tag Fluidic Self Assembly Impedance Interrogation tunnels Tag polarization Shadowing Static test Dynamic test

  All radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems consist of three main components: An RFID tag An RFID reader

  An RFID tag (also called a ) is located on the object to be identified and stores the specific data about that item. The tag responds to an interrogation signal from the RFID reader. This response signal carries the stored information, which may include ID data for the object the tag is attached to, a unique

  ID for the tag itself, and any additional data, depending on the memory capacity of the tag's microchip.

  Basic Tag Anatomy

  An RFID tag is composed of an RFID chip (also called an

  Application Specific Integrated Circuit or ), an antenna

  (sometimes called an inductor), and a power source. The RFID chip consists of modulation circuitry, control circuitry, memory, and a processor. Functionality of each of these elements depends on the kind of tag as well as the presence or absence of a power source. The following list highlights these items further:

  

Antenna/Inductor The antenna, or inductor, receives a

  signal from the reader and radiates a response back to the reader. Whether the tag uses an induction coil or an antenna is a function of the frequency at which the tag is designed to operate:

  Low Frequency and High Frequency tags normally use induction coils.

  Ultra High Frequency and microwave frequency tags have antennas.

  In you can see the design difference between an induction coil and an antenna.

  Figure 2.1. The antenna and induction coil design difference (respectively).

  

Modulation circuitry changes the

  signal received from the reader to include data that will be transmitted back to the reader.

  The internal functions under the

  command of the processor are controlled by control circuitry.

  

The processor interprets the signal received

from the reader and controls memory storage and retrieval.

  The memory element serves as writable and

  nonwritable data storage. Tags can be programmed to be

  

read-only or Tag programming can take place

  either at the manufacturing level or at the application level, and this depends on the kind of tag.

  Note

  Information on whether the tags are read-only or write once, read many is included in the specifications for each of the tag classes. The power source provides electrical power to the other tag elements. A tag can harvest power from the signal received from the reader, or it can have its own internal power source (battery). The way the tag gets its power generally determines the category of the tag.

  These categories include Active tags Semi-passive (battery-assisted) tags Passive tags

  Note

  Active, semi-passive, and passive tags differ not only by their power source but also by their communication techniques.

  Active RFID Tags

  Active RFID tags have a power source (usually a battery) that is used to run the microchip's circuitry and to broadcast a signal to the RFID reader. This allows the active tags to be read from larger distances than can be achieved with passive tags under the same restrictions posed by regulatory bodies. Due to the on-board power source, active tags are also able to respond to lower-level signals compared to passive tags, because passive

  Active tags can also support larger memory and processing functions because they have their own power source. Those capabilities are dependent on a particular tag type. Active tags can, for example, carry various sensors to monitor environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, or motion, and report this information to a back-end system and/or store it in their memory. They can also communicate with each other as well as with readers in the system.

  Depending on type, an active tag can transmit its ID and other data without being interrogated by a certain reader and independently of the position of a reader. It has an improved signal-to-noise ratio because it can utilize broadband and spread spectrum communication to enhance its performance against background noise and interference.

  Active tags can have read ranges up to several miles since they are limited only by their transmit circuit and power.

  Passive RFID Tags

  Passive tags have no internal power source. They draw their power from the reader that sends out electromagnetic waves, inducing a current in the RFID tag's antenna. Because they rely on RF electromagnetic energy from the reader for both power and communication, they are restricted in their read/write range.

  The read range of passive tags is much smaller in comparison to active tags (the read range of passive tags is around 10 feet, but can be up to 30 feet; the read range of active tags can be up to several miles).

  Passive tags use passive backscatter or inductive coupling to type of tag. These principles are further explained in the following section on Passive Communication Methods.