Whereas passive labels rely on gathering energy from the reader’s signal to wake up the label’s chip and provide the backscatter signal, BAP labels contain an integrated power source.

This power source eliminates the need to gather energy from the reader and reach excitation, which is the primary challenge for passive labels. Moreover, the BAP label’s antenna can be optimized for providing excellent backscattering, enabling increased reliability and read rate even in the most challenging environments, such as those containing liquids and metals.

BAP labels can backscatter about 90% of the energy that they receive. Passive labels, on the other hand, backscatter only 10-15% of the signal that reaches them.

PowerID offers its customers numerous advantages over competing BAP solutions:

Disposability – BAP RFID tags that use button cells and other thin and flexible batteries are not disposable, since they contain elements such as lithium and alkaline. This also makes them unsuitable for use on food and beverage pallets.  Regulations in North America and Europe dictate that batteries containing alkaline or lithium cannot be disposed together with regular trash.  This means that any customer using these types of batteries would have to worry about gathering all used tags and disposing of them properly.

Thin and flexible form factor – Button cells and off-the-shelf batteries, by definition, alter the form factor of a label.  Since these elements need to be housed or encased, the tag becomes bulky and cannot be applied to anything but a straight surface.

Printability – A printable battery offers a cheaper solution than a non-printable power source since it can be integrated into the label manufacturing process itself.  Automated machinery that allows for a form factor with a button cell does not exist today.