Introduction
Purchasing RFID equipment isn’t an easy proposition for newcomers and industry insiders alike. The ins-and-outs of RFID technology require that you properly scope the entirety of your project before the procurement phase.
Clearly outlining the goals and requirements of your application will make it easier to find the right RFID hardware. Also, it will prevent you from making costly mistakes that could cripple projects with tight budgets.
In this guide, we give you 24 questions you need to ask as you begin planning your project. Save and print out this guide so that you can use it as a worksheet and make planning easier and faster.
RFID Tags
1. What type of surface will you be tagging? On metal,
plastic, wood, etc?
2. What read range do you desire?
3. Size limitations (i.e., the tag can be no larger
than x by y by z inches)?
4. Any excessive environmental conditions to consider?
Excessive heat, cold, moisture, impact, etc.?
5. Method of attachment?
Adhesive, epoxy, rivets/screws, cable ties, etc.?
RFID Antennas
6. How much read range do you need?
7. Is it possible to always know or control the orientation of the
RFID tag relative to the antenna’s position in your application?
8. Any excessive environmental conditions to consider?
Excessive heat, cold, moisture, impact, etc.?
9. Will the antenna be mounted indoors or
outdoors?
10. Size limitations (i.e., the antenna can be no larger than x by y by z inches)?
Click here to shop RFID antennas
RFID Readers
11. How much read range do you require for your application?
12. Any excessive environmental conditions to consider?
Excessive heat, cold, moisture, impact, etc.?
13. Will you be adding the reader to a network?
14. Where will the reader be placed? Fixed location? Vehicle? Does the reader need to be mobile?
15. How many read points/read zones will you need?
16. How many tags might need to be read at one time?
17. How quickly will the tags be moving through the read zone?
For example, is this a slow moving conveyor belt or a fast moving race?
Click here to shop RFID readers
RFID Cables
18. How long do you need the
cable to be?
19. What is the read range desired for your system?
20. Which connector type does your reader have?
21. Which connector type does your antenna have?
Click here to shop RFID cables
RFID Accessories
Do I need…
22. RFID Printers?
Print human readable labels and
encode at the same time
23. RFID Portals?
Integrated reader and antenna
unit designed for choke-points
24. GPIO Adapters?
General purpose input/output box
for interfacing with readers