What kind of battery, and of what voltage range, is utilized in active RFID tags? Additionally, where—and how—is the battery embedded?
—Amar
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Dear Amar,
My understanding is that most active tags use batteries of 3 to 3.7 volts, though that differs between manufacturers. These are usually lithium coin batteries, but I’m not an expert in this area. I reached out to a couple of companies I thought could provide additional information, but I did not hear back from them. Perhaps our readers will chime in.
Active tags are usually encased in a plastic housing that protects the battery, as well as the tag’s antenna and circuitry, so they are not “embedded,” as such. There is a growing use of printed and thin-film batteries that can make RFID labels that are either active or battery-assisted tags. This is an emerging area that holds great promise for improving smart-label performance.
—Mark Roberti