Que RFID plus exam cram may 2006 ISBN 0789735040

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 bookprovides important information, c

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

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

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 informationcontained herein Although every precaution has been taken inthe preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume

no responsibility for errors or omissions Nor is any liabilityassumed for damages resulting from the use of the informationcontained herein

as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark

Warning and Disclaimer

as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied.The information provided is on an "as is" basis The authors andthe publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to anyperson or entity with respect to any loss or damages arisingfrom the information contained in this book or from the use ofthe CD or programs accompanying it

Bulk Sales

Que Publishing offers excellent discounts on this book whenordered in quantity for bulk purchases or special sales For

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

Robert Sabella

United States Before coming to the United States, Eva gained abroad 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 toOTA, Rob is considered one of the most innovative leaders indeveloping 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 forRFID implementations to be successful, people must be giventhe right skills to enable that success Rob saw that first handwhen 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+ CornerstoneCommittee 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,and we were honored to have them contribute to this book:

Greg Dixon, ScanSource; Chris Zimmardi, Texas

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.

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the followingpeople 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 themost talented people in the RFID industry today, and we werehonored 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.

Sheila Bellinger, Mark Frederiksen, Bart Pacifico and Sabi Avramescu, Marco Marchetti, and Matt Galley.

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

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 areasyou'd like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdomyou'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 knowwhat you did or didn't like about this bookas well as what wecan 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 andauthor as well as your name, email address, and phone number

I will carefully review your comments and share them with theauthor and editors who worked on the book

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 bookprovides important information, critical insights, and valuablesuggestions and is intended to prepare you to take and pass theCompTIA RFID+ exam, as administered by VUE testing

organizations and VUE-certified third-party vendors such as OTATraining

This introduction explains CompTIA's RFID+ certification

program in general and describes how the Exam Cram seriescan 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 withRFID system design and installation concepts and who has agood working knowledge of RFID terms, concepts, tools,and technologies

You are interested in moving into RFID specialization whilehaving extensive experience in IT, bar-coding, supply chainmanagement, or automatic data collection and are seeking

a good place to start your training and learning

experiences

This book is not for you if

You are just getting started in RFID and have little or no

test The aim of the Exam Cram series is to bring together as

much information as possible about the certification exams thatare its primary focus

Nevertheless, if you want to completely prepare yourself for anytest, we recommend that you begin by taking the Self-

Assessment immediately following this introduction This toolwill help you evaluate your knowledge base against the

requirements for the CompTIA RFID+ exam under both idealand real circumstances

Based on what you learn from that exercise, you might decide

to begin your studies with some classroom training, or to pick

party vendors We also strongly recommend that you spend

interrogators, antennas, printers, and other RFID-related

devices, as well as learning about the RFID systems deployed inreal 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 thematerial in this book Whenever you are ready to take that

step, Chapter 1 starts with everything you need to know aboutthe examhow to apply for it; how to prepare for it; and what toexpect before, during, and after the actual test Although we try

Chapter 9 is dedicated to various standards and regulations thataffect the RFID industry, which give you a necessary overview

of different organizations and standards you have to watch forwhen working in RFID

At the end of the book, we provide you with two complete

practice RFID+ exams, as well as answer keys and explanationsabout why each choice isor is notthe best possible response

After you read the book, you can brush up on a certain area byusing the index, glossary, or the table of contents to go straight

to the topics and questions you want to reexamine After youtake the exam, we think you will find this book useful as a

need to understand and the techniques and concepts youneed to master before you can be fully conversant with thechapter's subject matter We follow these "hotlists" with afew introductory paragraphs, setting the stage for the rest

Alert

This is what an Exam Alert looks like An ExamAlert stresses concepts, terms, or activities thatwill most likely appear in one or more examquestions For that reason, we think anyinformation found offset in Exam Alert format isworthy of unusual attentiveness on your part

related material What appears in the chapter content iscritical knowledge The Exam Alert also usually points at asection or concept that is especially important and is

content in this book is associated in some way with test-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 findthe information The following is an example of a note:

surrounding a particular area of a topic under discussion.The following shows you what a tip looks like:

Tip

to approach duties RFID professionals perform inthe real world These may be quicker ways ofdoing tasks or new methods that are not as wellknown These elements help bring real-worldRFID content into the boundaries of an examprep 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 correctand 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 tothe RFID resources that offer more details on the chapter'ssubject If you find a resource you like in this collection, use

it, but do not feel compelled to use all the resources On theother hand, we recommend only those resources we

ourselves use regularly, so none of our recommendationswill waste your time or money

review the appropriate parts just before each test

How to Use This Book

The order of chapters is what we consider to be a logical

progression for someone who wants to review all the topics on

certain topics, you may elect to skip the chapter or chapters inwhich those topics are covered In any case, you should try allthe questions in the chapters and the sample tests in Chapters

10 and 12 If you find errors, sections that could be wordedmore clearly, or questions that seem deceptive, feel free to let

us know by email at feedback@quepublishing.com

Good Luck!

Thank you for choosing the Exam Cram as your preparation tool

for the RFID+ exam We hope you enjoy the book We wouldwish you luck on the exam, but we know that if you read all thechapters and work with the sample exams, you will not needluck You will do well on the strength of your knowledge, skills,and your ability to apply those skills to real-life workplace

situations

The following section describes an ideal RFID+ candidate, butonly a few candidates meet this ideal description because only afew people have extensive experience in RFID However, if youinvest the effort and time, you will be able to succeed in this

automatic data collection technologies The candidate shouldhave an understanding of networking, serial communication,engineering concepts, bar-code technology, and business

process analysis

supervision, to implement an RFID system using knowledge of

RF communication; RFID hardware functions; installation andconfiguration including interrogators, antennas,

printers/encoders, and other ancillary devices; RFID tags;

connectivity; networking; and automatic data collection

technologies This candidate should have an understanding ofnetworking 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 norelevant experience in the field

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

Put Yourself to the Test

The following questions and observations are designed to helpyou 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 inthe broad spectrum of aspiring candidates

Educational Background

To assess your educational background, answer the followingquestions:

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

No]

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

If yes, you probably can handle discussions about RF wavesand 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 www.answers.com We recommend a book

to you in your preparation for the RFID+ certification

Hands-on Experience

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 yourown, some preparation for the RFID+ exam is essential to yoursuccess We have included two practice exams in this book, so ifyou do not score well on the first test, you can study more andthen try the second test

Consider taking a class if you have completed the self-studymaterials, taken the test, and still feel unsure and nervous

about your level of knowledge of the material The opportunity

to interact with an instructor and fellow students can make a

www.examcram.com and www.cramsession.com You can sign

Taken several practice tests and are comfortable with theresults

material you need to study, but also when you are properlyprepared 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 ExamTerms you need to understand:

The Computing Technology Industry Association

(www.comptia.org) offers numerous IT certifications, primarilyaimed at entry- and intermediate-level IT professionals

candidates a chance to demonstrate the necessary general

abilities that will be relevant in most workplaces This explainswhy employers view CompTIA exams and certifications

favorably

According to a recent research study commissioned by

CompTIA and conducted by Frost & Sullivan, a global leader instrategic growth consulting, RFID implementations are expected

to grow over the next few years A survey of more than 500companies in North America found that just over 50% of thecompanies 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 thepotential to hinder the adoption of RFID technology in all

countries and industries

The CompTIA RFID+ certification is intended to address thisskills shortage by establishing an industry accepted certificationthat validates an RFID technician's knowledge and skills in theareas of installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of bothRFID hardware and software

The CompTIA RFID+ candidate will have fundamental RFID

knowledge, typically has 624 months of experience in the RFIDindustry, and performs the following tasks as part of his or herjob:

8 RF Physics: 11%

9 RFID Peripherals: 7%

After you have studied this book, have taken the sample test,and feel confident to tackle the real exam, you can sign up totake the exam either at Virtual University Enterprises (VUE) or

as a part of the OTA Training's RFID+ Certification Course TheRFID+ exam at VUE costs approximately $225; you can locatethe exact price at www.vue.com/comptia/ or www.comptia.org

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-upweb page address for the exam itself is www.vue.com/comptia/.You can also use this web page (click the Contact button, clickthe View Telephone Directory by Sponsor link, and then clickCompTIA) to obtain a telephone number for the company, if youcannot 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

www.otatraining.com and sign up for its RFID+ CertificationTraining, which includes taking the exam OTA Training is

certified by VUE and has approved proctors for administeringthis exam

To schedule an exam, call at least one day in advance, but donot count on getting an early appointment In some areas ofthe 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 informationready 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 SocialSecurity number Citizens of other nations can use theirtaxpayer IDs or make other arrangements with the ordertaker

The name and number of the exam you want to take

If you want to pay by credit card, be sure to have your cardhandy as well If you want to pay by check or other means,you need to obtain the necessary information from the VUErepresentative with whom you speak

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 takeany printed material into the testing environment, but you canstudy the Cram Sheet from the front of this book while you arewaiting Try to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduledtime slot

When taking an exam, you are not permitted to take anythingwith you into the testing area, but you are furnished with a

Typically, the test room is equipped with one to several

computers, and each of them is separated from the others bydividers to keep anyone from seeing what is going on at otherworkstation screens

All CompTIA certification exams allow a predetermined

maximum amount of time in which to complete your work Thetime is indicated by an onscreen counter/clock in the upper-right corner of the screen, so you will have an idea of how muchtime you have to complete the exam All exams are computergenerated and use multiple-choice format The exam consists of

75 randomly selected questions from a pool of several hundred

After you have completed the exam, the software tells you

whether you have passed or failed Your results are broken intoseveral topic areas Even if you fail, you should ask for a

detailed report that the proctor can print for you You can usethis report to help prepare for retaking the exam If you need toretake the exam, you must schedule it with the appropriate

organizations again CompTIA has a retake policy, which youcan find on its website

examination are multiple choices with a single answer, multiplechoices with more than one answer, and scenario-based

questions

Multiple Choices

your selection choice to complete the test item

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

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 isnot followed by an answer key

Multiple Responses

For questions requiring multiple responses, you select more

than one option that best answers the question or completes astatement In instances where there is more than one correct

Scenario-based questions involve exhibits and use charts ordiagrams to document a scenario that you are asked to design,configure, or troubleshoot The solutions are numbered and youare required to chose a correct number in a multiple-choiceanswer Careful attention to such exhibits is the key to

answering these questions correctly

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 withthe correct option After that, you will have an idea about howmany questions you have left and can divide your time moreefficiently for the remaining questions

The CompTIA software makes this approach possible by

including a check box at each question that permits you to markthe question for later review

If you are running out of time or do not know the answers forthe 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 TagsTerms you need to understand: