Microchip Technology
Microchips make use of Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology. RFID technology was discovered in 1948 by Harry Stockman, it allows information to be transmitted though radio waves, and has been used in many applications such as security and surveillance, and the tracking of animals, vehicles and even artwork for around the last 30 years. A microchip is an RFID device that can transmit stored information.
The microchip contains three components:
- Silicon chip - containing the identification number, and circuits to relay that information back to the microchip scanner
- Iron core wrapped in copper wire - acting as an antennae that receives the signal from the microchip scanner
- Capacitor - acting as a tuner with the antennae coil
These components are encased in biocompatible glass, and as such it does not have any physical or behavioural effect on your pet. The microchip is completely inert, meaning that it has no power source and it is not active until it passes under a microchip reader.
Different microchip standards
Different microchip manufacturers (usually in different countries) often use different standards in the development of microchips. This means that some microchip scanners may not be able to read the information from certain microchips. For example, AVID (a microchip manufacturer dominating the US market) encrypts the data that is stored on the microchip. A universal standard that solves this problem has not yet been reached, however newer microchip scanners have the ability to read different types of microchips.
