RFID Systems

Depending on the area intended for its use, the reader, that is, the active reading and writing unit of the RFID system that reads impulses or commands from a data storage medium or writes onto it, can be employed locally as both a mobile or a permanently installed unit. The reader, as already mentioned, is the most important element in the RFID system, since it activates the communication between the individual units and relays transmitted data to a host system.

The antenna is the conduit between the communication units and secures the transfer of data. It is either detached or is integrated into the mobile reader. The antennas differ functionally in their range and optically in their form. The most common forms are the rod antenna and the frame antenna.

Called the transponder or the tag, the third component of the RFID system is the data storage medium. Although the transponder can have several different appearances, the structure remains the same: the transponder contains a silicon chip on which a unique identification number is stored. This number is sent to the reader when the latter activates the antenna in the tag. The range of this antenna can be increased by placing an energy source within an (active) transponder (see below for passive and active transponders).