Mounting RFID Antennas: Mounting Hardware and Brackets
Introduction
This video is part one in a two-part series on the process of mounting RFID antennas. Part One will go over mounting hardware and brackets, while part two will cover the ideal height and angle for mounting an antenna.
[Audio Transcription Below]
Hi, my name is Steven Wood from atlasRFIDstore, and today I’m going to talk about what you need to know before mounting RFID antennas. I’ll begin with the similarities and differences of their mounting hardware and which mounting brackets can be used with each type.
Then, I’ll walk through mounting an antenna and talk about how an antenna’s height and angle are key to covering a read zone and achieving a high level of read rates.
Mounting Options
First, there are a few different mounting options for RFID antennas:
- Flush mounting
- Adhesive (something strong like 3M's VHB Tape)
- Resting on a flat surface (for example, on a desk or on a shelf)
- Mounting to a wall or pole using a mounting bracket
If you decide to go with a mounting bracket to mount the antenna to a wall, doorway, pole, or tripod, there are a few different things to consider before selecting your antenna mount:
- Antenna mounting hardware
- The right mounting bracket (such as mounting hole patterns and mounting capabilities)
- The ideal antenna height and angle
Antenna Mounting Hardware
On the back of mountable RFID antennas, there are either Integrated Mounting Holes used for bolting RFID antennas directly to a wall, or a set of threaded studs.
Threaded studs are usually arranged in a square pattern but vary in terms of dimensions between studs. It is necessary to know the distance between studs in order to choose a mounting bracket that will fit appropriately.
The most common square patterns for RFID antennas are 66 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm, where each length is the distance between studs on an X or Y plane.
The Right Mounting Bracket
Mounting brackets come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but, more importantly, they have a variety of mounting hole patterns and mounting capabilities. There are also weight limitations on each mounting bracket which should be considered during the selection process.
Here are some common fully-articulating mounting brackets:
- EZ-M-9: The primary advantage of this mount is that it allows for quick and easy adjustments after the antenna is mounted, and both ends are fully articulating.
- MTI MT-120018: Its advantage is that, although it is fully articulating, it can be firmly locked in place using the included hardware.
- MTI MT-120018/A: It’s essentially the same as its sister bracket, but made to fit a smaller stud pattern.
- ALLPMTE: It is made exclusively to fit one type of antenna, and I’ve selected it primarily to show an example of a unique mounting bracket.
Antenna Mounting Patterns
Now, we’ll take a look at each of the plates on the backside of some antennas, so you can see some different mounting patterns.
For example, this is an antenna with a 100 mm stud pattern, and this mounting bracket was designed specifically to fit that arrangement.
This antenna has a 66 mm stud pattern, and this mounting bracket was designed specifically to fit that arrangement.
For these two mounting brackets, you can see how to easily put the bracket on because the plate and the mount align perfectly. For the EZ series, it’s a little different.
The EZ series antenna brackets mount on an antenna on a diagonal and fit a variety of antennas. To see an example of this bracket mounting on an antenna, check out the next video in the series, Mounting RFID Antennas: Part 2- Ideal Height and Angle.
Conclusion
That concludes our video, Mounting RFID Antennas: Part 1- Mounting Hardware and Brackets. Be sure to watch our other videos featuring antennas in our RFID antennas playlist.
Thanks for taking the time to walk through these steps with us. For more information on all things RFID, check out our blog, our RFID resources page, and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
And as always, if you have any questions at all, please send us an email or give us a call.
To read more about RFID antennas, check out the links below!