I am looking to obtain a large quantity of far-field RFID readers. What is the maximum distance of such readers’ range, and which companies make them?
—Caesar
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Caesar,
When you say “far-field RFID readers,” I assume that you are referring to passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) devices. Passive UHF fixed readers have a maximum read distance of approximately 30 feet under ideal conditions—that is, a tagged item must be RF-friendly, and there must be no RF interference in the area.
Typically, you can expect to read tags from a distance of 15 to 20 feet. Handhelds have a shorter read range, and phased-array systems, such as Mojix‘s STAR technology (see The Brightest Star), offer a much greater read range with passive tags (500 feet or more).
In addition to Mojix, here are some other major suppliers, most of which will be exhibiting at this year’s RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exhibition, to be held at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla., from Apr. 30 to May 2, 2013.
• Alien Technology
• CAEN RFID
• Convergence Systems Ltd.
• Feig Electronic
• GAO RFID
• Impinj
• Intermec Technologies
• Motorola Solutions
• Sirit
• ThingMagic
Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal