CompTIA RFID+ Study Guide Exam RF0-101, includes CD-ROM

CompTIA goes to great lengths to ensure that its certification programs accurately reflect the IT industry's best practices. The company does this by establishing Cornerstone committees for each of its exam programs. Each committee comprises a small group of IT professionals, training providers, and publishers who are responsible for establishing the exam's baseline competency level and who determine the appropriate target audience level. After these factors are determined, CompTIA shares this information with a group of hand-selected Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). These folks are the true brainpower behind the certification program. In the case of this exam, they are IT-seasoned pros from the likes of DHL, RFID Journal, and ODIN Technologies, to name just a few. They review the committee's findings, refine them, and shape them into the objectives you see before you. CompTIA calls this process a Job Task Analysis (JTA). Finally, CompTIA conducts a survey to ensure that the objectives and weightings truly reflect the job requirements. Only then can the SMEs go to work writing the hundreds of questions needed for the exam. And, in many cases, they have to go back to the drawing board for further refinements before the exam is ready to go live in its final state. So, rest assured-the content you're about to learn will serve you long after you take the exam.

CompTIA also publishes relative weightings for each of the exam's objectives. The following table lists the five RFID+ objective domains and the extent to which they are represented on the exam.

As you use this Study Guide, you'll find that I have administered just the right dosage of objective knowledge to you by tailoring my coverage to mirror the percentages that CompTIA uses.

Domain 1.0 Interrogation Zone Basics

• 1.1 Describe interrogator functionality

  • 1.1.1 I/O capability

  • 1.1.2 Handheld 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/mono-static antennas

• 1.3 Define anticollision protocols (e.g., number of tags in the field/response time)

• 1.4 Given a scenario, solve dense interrogator environment issues (domestic/international)

  • 1.4.1 Understand how a dense interrogator installation is going to affect network traffic

  • 1.4.2 Installation of multiple interrogators, (e.g., dock doors, synchronization of multiple interrogators, antenna footprints)

Domain 2.0 Testing and Troubleshooting

• 2.1 Given a scenario, troubleshoot RF interrogation zones (e.g., root-cause analysis)

  • 2.1.1 Analyze less-than-required read rate

    • 2.1.1.1 Identify improperly tagged items

  • 2.1.2 Diagnose hardware

    • 2.1.2.1 Recognize need for firmware upgrades

  • 2.1.3 Equipment replacement procedures (e.g., antenna, cable, interrogator)

• 2.2 Identify reasons for tag failure

  • 2.2.1 Failed tag management

  • 2.2.2 ESD issues

• 2.3 Given a scenario, contrast actual tag data to expected tag data

Domain 3.0 Standards and Regulations

• 3.1 Given a scenario, map user requirements to standards

  • 3.1.1 Regulations, standards that impact the design of a particular RFID solution

• 3.2 Identify the differences between air interface protocols and tag data formats

• 3.3 Recognize regulatory requirements globally and by region (keep at high level, not specific requirements-may use scenarios)

• 3.4 Recognize safety regulations/issues regarding human exposure

Domain 4.0 Tag Knowledge

• 4.1 Classify tag types

  • 4.1.1 Select the RFID tag best suited for a specific use case

    • 4.1.1.1 Pros and cons of tag types

    • 4.1.1.2 Tag performance

      • 4.1.1.2.1 Tag antenna to region/frequency

  • 4.1.2 Identify inductively coupled tags vs. backscatter

  • 4.1.3 Identify the differences between active and passive

• 4.2 Given a scenario, select the optimal locations for an RFID tag to be placed on an item

  • 4.2.1 Evaluate media and adhesive selection for tags

  • 4.2.2 Tag orientation and location

    • 4.2.2.1 Tag stacking (shadowing)

  • 4.2.3 Package contents

  • 4.2.4 Packaging

    • 4.2.4.1 Items

    • 4.2.4.2 Tags

    • 4.2.4.3 Labels

    • 4.2.4.4 Inserts

  • 4.2.5 Liquids

  • 4.2.6 Metal

  • 4.2.7 Polarization

Domain 5.0 Design Selection

• 5.1 Given a scenario, predict the performance of a given frequency and power (active/passive) as it relates to read distance, write distance, tag response time, storage capacity

• 5.2 Summarize how hardware selection affects performance (may use scenarios)

  • 5.2.1 Antenna type

  • 5.2.2 Equipment mounting and protection

  • 5.2.3 Cable length/loss

  • 5.2.4 Interference considerations

  • 5.2.5 Tag type (e.g., active, passive, frequency)

Domain 6.0 Installation

• 6.1 Given a scenario, describe hardware installation using industry standard practices

  • 6.1.1 Identify grounding considerations (e.g., lightning, ground loops, ESD)

  • 6.1.2 Test installed equipment and connections (preinstall and postinstall)

• 6.2 Given a scenario, interpret a site diagram created by an RFID architect describing interrogation zone locations, cable drops, device-mounting locations

Domain 7.0 Site Analysis (i.e., before, during and after Installation)

• 7.1 Given a scenario, demonstrate how to read blueprints (e.g., whole infrastructure)

• 7.2 Determine sources of interference

  • 7.2.1 Use analysis equipment such as a spectrum analyzer to determine if there is any ambient noise in the frequency range that may conflict with the RFID system to be installed

• 7.3 Given a scenario, analyze environmental conditions end-to-end

Domain 8.0 RF Physics

• 8.1 Identify RF propagation/communication techniques

• 8.2 Describe antenna field performance/characteristics as they relate to reflective and absorptive materials (may use scenarios)

• 8.3 Given a scenario, calculate radiated power output from an antenna based on antenna gains, cable type, cable length, interrogator transmit power (include formulas in scenario)

Domain 9.0 RFID Peripherals

• 9.1 Describe the installation and configuration of an RFID printer (may use scenarios)

• 9.2 Describe ancillary devices/concepts

  • 9.2.1 RFID printer encoder

  • 9.2.2 Automated label applicator

  • 9.2.3 Feedback systems (e.g., lights, horns)

  • 9.2.4 RTLS