Crustus Ignatius asked 2 years ago I have an Impinj UHF RFID reader connected to two antennas via co-axial cables. I need a way to check that both antennae are still working, and to get notified when one of them goes offline. Is there a way of doing this without having a control tag in the field? We need it in low-duty cycle mode, as heat dissipation is an issue. I have confirmed that there is no option in their software to check this. Is there some module or instrument that I could include in the system that could trigger when an antenna goes offline, perhaps? There is an Arduino-based PLC doing some control work, so ideally some way of signaling to the Arduino would be preferable.
—Crustus
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Crustus,
As far as the experts I spoke with know, there are no modules or instruments that would enable the fix you require (notifying users if an antenna goes offline). However, an external module may not be necessary. I spoke with Impinj, which says all its readers support a feature that generates an event if an antenna becomes disconnected. Impinj's software development kits provide examples of how to enable this feature. Additionally, the company's IoT device interface automatically generates antenna disconnect and connect events. You can learn about the interface here. SensThys also reports that its readers have a built-in red/green system that displays a red light if an antenna isn't operating.
Claire Swedberg
Senior Editor
RFID Journal
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