Simulation Analysis for the Performance of Integrated HF RFID Antennas

Efficient deployment of RFID systems in supply chain management applications, requires basic understanding of the system operation to provide for optimal performance. The relative position and orientation between the reader and the tag are critical, whereas the performance is furthermore strongly influenced by every object in the proximity of the antennas. Herein, we analyze a real application scenario with a simulation model to identify the positions where the reader-tag communication is distorted due to field interference and verify the results with the aid of field probe. Finally, we measure the overall system performance in real operation with the aid of a commercial RFID tag. In conclusion, the performance of an HF RFID system can be predicted through a simulation analysis, which furthermore illustrates the optimal positioning for the antennas.