What is RFID Antenna?
RFID Antennas are one of the things that never should be skipped in an RFID system because these antennas are devices that convert the signal of the RFID reader into an RF signal that can be captured by RFID Tags. Without the RFID antenna, integrated or independent, the RFID reader cannot properly send and receive signals to RFID tags.
Unlike RFID readers, RFID antennas are simple devices that only receive their power directly from the reader. When the energy of the reader is transmitted to the antenna, the antenna generates an RF field and then an RF signal is transmitted to the nearby labels. The antenna’s ability to generate waves in a certain direction is known as the gain of the antenna.
The RFID antenna emits RFID waves along a horizontal or vertical plane, defined as the poles of the antenna. If the RF field is a horizontal plane, it is defined as horizontally linear and the same principle applies to an RFID antenna forming a vertical plane.
The polarity of an antenna can have a significant effect on the reading range of the system. The key to maximizing the reading range is to ensure that the antenna poles are aligned with the polarity of the RFID tag. If they do not match, for example, a vertically linearly polarized antenna and a horizontally linearly polarized label, the reading range will be significantly reduced.
A circularly polarized antenna transmits continuous rotating waves between horizontal and vertical planes to provide an application with improved flexibility by allowing RFID tags to be read in multiple directions. However, since the energy is divided between two planes, the reading range of a circularly polarized antenna is shorter than that of a similar gain linear antenna.
Antenna Types
RFID Antennas, like most RFID equipment, are important for achieving the best performance for an application. Although the antennas are grouped according to several different factors, the most commonly used groups for RFID Antennas are polarity (circular – linear) and robustness (indoor and outdoor).
Frequency Range – 902 – 928 MHz, 865 – 868 MHz, 860 – 960 MHz
Polarity – Circular, Linear
Ruggedness – Indoor IP Class, Outdoor IP Class
Reading Distance – Near Area, Far Area
Mounting Type – Rack Antenna, Floor Antenna, Panel Antenna, Gantry Antenna, Tunnel Antenna