The 5 RFID problems and troubleshoots are good for the great challenges of RFID reader design. We know that designing and using an RFID reader can also present significant challenges. Here are the most common pain points we have found in over 20 years of providing RFID design services and testing solutions for our clients and being a member of the most common international standardization organizations.

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5 RFID Problems and Troubleshoots
The 5 RFID problems and troubleshoots are good for the great challenges of RFID reader design.
We know that designing and using an RFID reader can also present significant challenges. Here
are the most common pain points we have found in over 20 years of providing RFID design
services and testing solutions for our clients and being a member of the most common
international standardization organizations.
RFID Problems 1. Reader sensitivity
The issue of range limitations of RFID tags is a thing of the past. Today's most advanced tags
require very little energy and can be powered at ranges of 20 meters or more.
To achieve these ranges, readers need to be able to receive even a weak signal from a tag further
away. The industry has seen an increase in tag sensitivity, so RAIN RFID applications have become
limited by the return link.
This means that the reader cannot hear the tag answer due to the weak backscatter range, which
is one of the main reasons for deployment failure. As a result, reader sensitivity is mission-critical
in many successful RFID projects.
To overcome this challenge and improve reader accuracy and read rates, the new generation of
readers needs to be highly sensitive and able to cope with changes in tag parameters such as
backscatter link frequency (BLF) tolerance and changes in system parameters such as phase shift.
RFID Problems 2. Lack of reader normality
RAIN RFID readers must comply with ISO and GS1 standards and radio rules, etc. Pre-testing of
existing standard readers is not only difficult but also a long and time-consuming process.
In fact, only some of the testing was done reasonably efficiently. Engineering teams struggle with
time pressure, lack of automation, or simply knowledge about the standards required for
prescriptive testing. This can easily lead to inadequate test coverage for readers.
Measurements of link timing, physical layer, and RF envelope parameters are essential in order to
make the values defined by all readers on the market based on the Gen2 protocol more
comparable while improving the performance of RFID deployments.
RFID Problems 3. Reader Gap
The term Reader Gap first appeared in 2017 when a new generation of RAIN RFID tag chips had a
read range of more than 20 meters. While this generated a great deal of enthusiasm among
system designers, a drawback soon emerged in that the overall range achieved was typically
much lower.
Due to the low performance of the reader receiver, the reader gap determines the loss of
operating range of the RAIN RFID system. The operating range is the actual range or distance that
can be reached in an application.
The minimum distance of the forward link from the reader to the tag is determined by the
maximum to transmit power, usually limited by radio rules, and the minimum operating power of
the tag, Pmin. The return link from the reader to the tag is determined by the tag backscatter
power, Pback, and the reader receives sensitivity.
In order to build the bridge between the label and the read-write, the read-write receiving

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https://ctrfantennasinc.com/ https://lcantennas.com/ https://pcbantennas.com/
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sensitivity is an important parameter, it depends on the signal phase, the frequency (BLF) and the
antenna gain, and other values. The often occurring 6db change means the loss of half of the
range.
Figure 1 shows the operation range when using the high-end gate reader (sensitivity is -85 dBm),
the conventional fixed reader (sensitivity is -75 dBm), and often use the handheld low-cost
reader (sensitivity is only -65 dBm).
These values from 25 meters, 12 meters to 6 meters below the free space, in the harsh
environment lower. This operating range gap is caused by the reader, so also known as the reader
gap.
RFID Problems 4. Speed of Lost Protocol
Understanding and properly using the RAIN RFID air interface protocol, namely ISO/IEC 18000-63
and GS1 UHF EPC Gen2, with all its commands and parameters, is essential for high-speed arrival
at the reader and for successful RFID applications.
According to the RAIN Consortium, with 28 billion tags on the market by 2021, these tags require
advanced air interface processing to efficiently read the tags required in the application.
For example, it takes about 5 milliseconds to read a RAIN baggage tag, however, if the suitcase
contains five pairs of shoes embedded with RAIN tags, a dozen new garments, a conference
badge, and more, then a suitcase moves 1 meter instead of 5 centimeters on the conveyor belt
until it is identified.
For this reason, an understanding of air interface communication, the selection of the correct
protocol parameters, and software routines that utilize the protocol are key to achieving a
successful application. Sniffing tools can show whether filtering commands (such as Select and
Query) on data content (such as IATA baggage AFI 0xC1) are correctly applied and used in the air
interface.
RFID Problems 5. Read rate
This RFID problems 5 is often a strong expectation of reading rate. The effect achieved depends
on the selection of the correct tag and reader, tag placement, reader antenna, and environmental
parameters, but also on the priority of the application. Is the priority to identify all the tags, or

3. C&T RF Antennas Inc
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can missing some tags, will be significantly faster?
For this reason, it is important to understand how the collision arbitration is action, and whether
the label can not be read due to a weak signal. While ensuring the use of multiple read-write
interferences is less, keep to read-write transmit power of the minimum RF energy concern.
Testing is another key factor in achieving high read rates.
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