The component shown here, only millimeters long, is a key part of automatic response devices such as the Mobil 'speedpass'. It acts as the antenna listening for the questioning call signal from the 'mothership' and then as the broadcast antenna responding with the account information of the pass holder, allowing transactions to be completed without credit cards or signatures. Made by Coilcraft of Cary, Illinois, it is part of an expanding technology which is changing the face of retailing.
The problems faced in creating a concise and compelling image to illustrate this are basically two: First, the physical constraints of photographing such a small item, particularly when only hand-made prototypes were available. Second: how to show the receiving and transmitting of signals clearly, and with the 'RFID' acronym readily visible.
A number of components were shot, including one without the clear blue resin encapsulate. By having an image of the bare copper windings on film, it would later be possible to show the varied thickness of the resin that results from the tapered windings. Several images were thus combined to create a photograph that accurately shows the construction of the unit, particularly with regard to the internal structure visible through the resin encapsulate.
A surrounding background could now be created to illustrate the 'call and response' idea. Wavefronts of concentric circles were shaded and given depth, then color coded to differentiate their sources. The blue 'call' waves come from below and exhibit a slight perspective distortion. The yellow 'response' waves are tighter and clearly emanate from the RFID coil, echoing its copper color. A swirling background of magenta and purple sets off the entire shot, with the RFID lettering embossed for further dimensionality.
Delivered on disk in RGB color and greyscale versions, the shot serves as a Web graphic on Coilcraft.com and as a source file for transparencies used in press release articles.
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