What Makes up an RFID System?

As usual, several pieces of hardware are involved in creating a working RFID system. If a system is set up properly with the correct equipment and thoroughly tested and tuned, then it should be able to read moving or stationary tags with near 100% efficiency. Below are the different parts that make up a UHF RFID system.

Reader – An RFID reader is the “brain” of the system. Readers can be programmed to only read certain RFID tags, read tags at a certain time, read tags once in inventory mode, or read tags over and over to gauge specific information. Readers vary from around a few hundred dollars for a simple reader/writer to over several thousand dollars for a complex, high-performance reader.

Antenna– RFID antennas actually send the RF energy to the RFID tags in order to energize them and then listen to receive the tag’s reply. They are connected to the RFID reader using a coaxial cable, and function like a reader’s “arm” to send and receive information.

Tags – RFID tags are placed on objects and unless they are active RFID tags, wait to be read or interrogated by the reader. Tags have one or more memory banks to store various information and unique identifiers.

Cables – Coaxial cables connect the reader and antenna allowing the reader to send commands via RF energy to the antenna. RFID cables vary in terms of connectors, length, and insulation rating – all of them are important to understand for an application’s success.

Auxiliary Items – Depending on the complex level of an RFID system, additional items can be added for ease-of-use or additional functionality. Those items include antenna mounting brackets, RFID printers, GPIO adapters, and portals.

Software – Some types of software is necessary in RFID system. Whether it is just firmware and a basic software program, or firmware, middleware, and complex software – some types of software must be present in order for the hardware to perform even basic functions.