Privacy choices

Essential cookies keep the site and store working. Statistics help us improve page performance. Marketing cookies measure advertising.

Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

ID Made Easy
Get in Touch
Choose an industry
Get in Touch
RFID

Let's Talk RFID

An RFID tag carries a unique ID that a reader pulls wirelessly with no battery in the tag, no contact, and nothing to write down by hand.

Let's Talk
How a Single Scan Works
How it works

How a Single Scan Works

Each RFID tag holds its own unique ID. Scanning it with a reader sends out a radio field that powers the tag and reads its data. Once that data is read, it goes into the software of your choice automatically.

  • Passive tag No battery to charge or replace. The reader powers every read, so a tag you place today still reads the same years from now.
  • No contact The scan goes right through skin or a cage bar. The reader never has to touch the tag, or even see it.
  • Straight to digital The ID lands in whatever field your cursor is in, the same way a barcode scanner works. Nothing to read off the tag and type in by hand.
Why RFID

What You Get with RFID

  • One ID, for life

    You apply it once, and it lasts the life of the animal or asset. Nothing to fall off or wear down, so there's no re-tagging later on.

  • Read without seeing it

    A barcode has to be seen to scan. An RFID tag doesn't — it reads right through skin or a cage bar, so there's no printed surface to keep clean.

  • Less handling

    You don't have to hold the animal still to get a read, so there's less handling overall. On a production line, nothing has to stop and line up under a scanner.

  • Digital, not transcribed

    The ID goes straight from the reader into your software. No one copies a number off a cage card, and no one misreads a 2 as a 7.

Side by side

RFID vs. Traditional ID

Capability RFID Chip or PIT tag Attached tag Ear tag or sticker Printed label Barcode or label Permanent mark Tattoo or stamp
Lasts the life of the subject or asset Yes No No Yes
Readable without line of sight Yes No No No
No-contact read Yes No No No
Machine-readable, no transcription Yes No Yes No
Can carry temperature or rewritable data Yes No No No

Common Questions

  • Microchip or transponder: what's the difference?

    No difference. Microchip, transponder, RFID tag, and PIT tag are all names for the same thing: an implantable RFID tag.

  • Does the tag need a battery?

    No. UID tags are passive: no battery, no maintenance. The reader supplies the power for each read, so a tag placed today reads the same years from now.

  • Is an implanted microchip safe?

    The transponder is sealed in biocompatible glass and placed with a quick, minimally invasive injection, comparable to a routine shot. It stays inert under the skin and is read from outside the body.

  • Can the tag hold more than an ID number?

    Yes. UID tags contain up to 16 characters of programmable memory: a study number, a genotype, and a part code are all readable on the spot without a lookup. In research and veterinary work, temperature chips like the UCT-2112 return core body temperature on the same scan, accurate to ±0.1 °C.

Where it's used

Find RFID in Your Field

Pre-Clinical Research

Welfare-first identification, temperature, and home-cage monitoring.

Veterinary

Pet microchipping, controlled-substance tracking, and clinic automation.

Fish & Wildlife

Rugged FDX-B PIT tags, antennas, and field readers.

Industrial

Asset tracking, parts marking, and harsh-environment builds.

Not Sure Where RFID Fits Your Work?

Tell us what you need to identify or track. We'll help you size the tag, pick the reader, and figure out whether one of our standard products fits or whether you need something custom.

Let's Talk