#1321 Radio frequency engineering – add RFID & SDR change request accepted

The area of radio frequency engineering is one subject to worldwide regulatory requirements that cover frequency selection bands that can to be employed. For Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC), transmission protocols are defined in ISO/IEC standards such as 14443, 15693. Global standard protocols at UHF frequencies are defined in the EPC Gen2. These technologies are used in mobile payment mechanisms, access control passes, games, and there uses in safety, security and asset management.

Implementation of systems using RFID and NFC requires the ability for software engineers to configure and integrate with RFID readers, antennas and tags. Care must be taken to ensure devices are configured incompliance with the regulatory restrictions for the region of operation. Communication protocols must be in accordance with international standards.

In addition, advances in Software-Defined Radio (SDR) has led to increase performance that allows re-use of radio hardware and for dynamic reconfiguration of devices to work with different signal waveforms, replacing the lower physical hardware layers with software. This skill should also be updated to reference the usage and development of SDR.

The following words are proposed for this skill:

Description

The selection, integration, calibration, tuning and maintenance of radio frequency (RF) based devices and software, including the reception, transmission and conversion of data between analogue and digital devices, in accordance with applicable industry and geographical regulatory standards. The development, integration and configuration of antennas, readers and transmitters in hardware or software forms, including Software Defined Radio (SDR), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Level 6

Specifies radio frequency equipment performance requirements and sets maintenance policy. Contributes to international and industry standards and regulations related to radio frequency usage.

Level 5

Develops maintenance schedules and procedures. Approves equipment upgrades and modifications. Monitors system performance, recommends equipment modifications and changes to operating procedures, servicing methods and schedules. Reviews industry and national standards on related RF protocols and regulations. Measures and evaluates the effectiveness of RF devices and software. Reviews and contributes to national and industry standards related to radio frequency usage.

Level 4

Investigates and resolves system-wide fault conditions using a wide range of diagnostic tools and techniques. Reconfigures equipment to circumvent temporary outages. Specifies, selects and integrates RF devices in a system. Defines internal communication protocols for transmission over the available frequencies. Integrates RF devices with software applications. Reconfigures devices and software to optimise performance.

Level 3

Deploys, sets up, tunes and calibrates radio frequency devices and software following maintenance schedules and using appropriate tools and test equipment. Incorporates hardware/firmware modifications. Interprets automatic fault/performance indications and resolves faults down to discrete component level or escalates according to given procedures. Implements communication protocols between system elements in accordance with defined standards. Integrates RF devices with software applications, incorporating dynamic reconfiguration of elements under software control to optimise their application in the operating environment.

Level 2

Assists with setting up, tuning and functional checks of radio frequency devices and software. Resolves faults down to line replaceable unit (LRU) level or escalates according to given procedures. Carries out user confidence checks and escalates faults according to given procedures. Integrates RF devices with software applications using static configurations.

Proposed change applies to Radio frequency engineering

Current status of this request: accepted

What we decided

RFEN has not been reviewed/updated for some time.

What we changed

Prototype created