UHF RFID reader antenna with switchable far‐field and near‐field working state

Abstract

Abstract An ultra‐low profile and high‐performance UHF RFID reader antenna is proposed in this letter, which can be switched between far‐field (FF) and near‐field (NF) operative modes. This antenna is composed of four dipoles and a reconfigurable feed network. The four dipoles form a square, and the feed network is located in the centre. The feed network is a four‐way power divider, and the phase of the output signal can be controlled by switching diodes. As a balanced structure, double‐sided parallel‐strip lines (DSPSLs) are used to feed four dipoles. Compared to the balun structure, the application of DSPSLs can reduce the area of the feed network, thereby reducing the influence of the feed network on the central magnetic field. Experimental results show that the proposed antenna can provide a NF reading area of 180 × 180 mm2, and the identification rate can reach 100% within 30–60 mm height. The FF gain of the antenna is 4.7 dBic, and the overlapping range of 3 dB AR bandwidth and −10 dB impedance bandwidth is 800–960 MHz. The good FF and NF performance of this antenna is conducive to its application in RFID systems.