Do Any Tags Have a Read Range of 2 to 4 Feet?

By RFID Journal

  • TAGS
Ask The ExpertsDo Any Tags Have a Read Range of 2 to 4 Feet?
RFID Journal Staff asked 13 years ago

If so, please provide some information about such tags.

—Name withheld

———


Yes. Most low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) RFID tags work from a distance of 1 to 3 feet, and that read range can be extended by various means, such as using a larger reader antenna. In addition, ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tags can be designed to operate at a shorter read range. One way to accomplish this is to reduce the tag antenna's size, thereby decreasing the amount of energy that the tag can harvest from the read field. Less energy for the tag means that the signal reflected back will be weaker, and the read range shorter.

Another way to reduce a UHF tag's read range is to lower the reader's power output. A weaker read field means that the tag has less energy to harvest, so it needs to be closer to the interrogator in order to receive enough energy to respond to it.

—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal

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