RAIN RFID / EPC Gen2 vs. FeliCa
Comparing 2 standards across 15 specifications. 15 key differences identified.
RAIN RFID (ISO/IEC 18000-63 / GS1 EPC Gen2) is an Ultra-High Frequency (UHF, 860–960 MHz) wireless standard utilizing electromagnetic backscatter coupling. Enabling simultaneous inventory reading of hundreds of passive tags per second over distances up to 12 meters, it is the global standard for retail apparel, aviation baggage, and logistics supply chains.
FeliCa (Fast Electronic Card) is a contactless RFID smart card technology developed by Sony, standardized under JIS X 6319-4 and ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC Type 3). Operating at 13.56 MHz with 212/424 kbps Manchester encoding, it is engineered for ultra-fast sub-100ms transit gate transactions like Suica, Pasmo, and Octopus.
Specification Comparison Table
15 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Operating Frequency Band
|
860–960 MHz (865–868 MHz EU / 902–928 MHz US) | — |
|
Standard Specifications
|
GS1 EPC Gen2 v2 / ISO/IEC 18000-63 | — |
|
Communication Mechanism
|
Passive Modulated Backscatter (Far-field EM) | — |
|
Typical Read Range
|
5 to 12 m (passive tags) | — |
|
Inventory Read Speed
|
Up to 1,000 tags/sec | — |
|
Forward Link Modulation
|
DSB-ASK, SSB-ASK, or PR-ASK (PIE encoding) | — |
|
Return Link Modulation
|
FM0 or Miller Subcarrier (40 to 640 kbps) | — |
|
Memory Banks
|
Reserved (Kill/Access passwords), EPC, TID (Factory ID), User Memory | — |
|
Frequency Bands
|
— | 13.56 MHz |
|
National / International Standard
|
— | JIS X 6319-4 / ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC-F) |
|
NFC Forum Classification
|
— | Type 3 Tag |
|
Data Transfer Rates
|
— | 212 and 424 kbps |
|
Modulation Scheme
|
— | Manchester Coding (10% ASK) |
|
Transaction Processing Speed
|
— | < 100 ms |
|
Security Algorithms
|
— | AES-128 / DES / 3DES (FeliCa Standard) |