Sensors (Jul 2016)

A High-Gain Passive UHF-RFID Tag with Increased Read Range

  • Simone Zuffanelli,
  • Pau Aguila,
  • Gerard Zamora,
  • Ferran Paredes,
  • Ferran Martin,
  • Jordi Bonache

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071150
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 7
p. 1150

Abstract

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In this work, a passive ultra-high frequency radio-frequency identification UHF-RFID tag based on a 1.25 wavelengths thin dipole antenna is presented for the first time. The length of the antenna is properly chosen in order to maximize the tag read range, while maintaining a reasonable tag size and radiation pattern. The antenna is matched to the RFID chip by means of a very simple matching network based on a shunt inductance. A tag prototype, based on the Alien Higgs-3 chip, is designed and fabricated. The overall dimensions are 400 mm × 14.6 mm, but the tag width for most of its length is delimited by the wire diameter (0.8 mm). The measured read range exhibits a maximum value of 17.5 m at the 902–928 MHz frequency band. This represents an important improvement over state-of-the-art passive UHF-RFID tags.

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