The EPCglobal network architecture structure is a collection of interrelated standards for hardware, software, and data interfaces (EPCglobal standards), which, together with the core services supported by EPCglobal (EPCglobal Core Services), are used for the common goal of improving the supply chain through the use of EPC, i.e., the Electronic Product Code. Basic information about this architecture has already appeared in an article published in the magazine “Logistyka” No. 1/2006. The information contained in this article, however, is taken from the “EPCglobal Architecture Framework” specification [1] available on the official EPCglobal website. Extensive excerpts of the translation of this specification into Polish can be found on the website www.epcglobal.pl (in the logged-in section).
Fig. 1 shows the data exchange between subscribers who use the EPCglobal standards described in the previous article [2] as Physical EPC Object Exchange Standards and EPC Data Exchange Standards. The blue rectangles in the diagram represent EPCglobal network components, the so-called functions, which are the responsibility of EPCglobal network hardware and software, while the green elements without frames are interfaces managed by EPCglobal standards. In order to illustrate how EPCglobal standards are used for sharing data between partners, the diagram shows only one partner (labeled as “EPCglobal Subscriber”), who observes a physical object with an EPC code in an RFID tag and shares data from this observation with a second partner (labeled as “EPCglobal Subscriber –
partner”). This interaction, for simplicity, is shown as unidirectional. In practice, the EPCglobal Subscriber’s partner can also observe physical objects and share this data with the first subscriber. In such a situation, the full diagram would also include a mirror image of the set of functions, interfaces, and interactions.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka”, No. 4/2006.