Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation
RFID Tunnel Gates for Reliable Bulk Reading
The Fraunhofer IFF’s latest RFID Tunnel Gates guarantee that objects tagged with RFID are read without any problems. The basic electromagnetic conditions in the outwardly shielded gates are altered continuously by switching among several apertures (RFID antennas). This delivers a homogenous distribution of field strength inside the tunnel – and thus makes it possible to read every passive transponder in the entire read zone.
Electromagnetic Reverberation Is the Principle of New RFID Tunnel Gates for Reliable Bulk Reading
In 2010, the principle of electromagnetic reverberation for RFID (in the frequency range of 868 MHz) developed and patented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF in Magdeburg was successfully tested in the latest generation of UHF RFID gates in various domains of logistics and integrated in existing process environments. While minimizing RFID reader output, the principle has the same read performance as conventional RFID gates and thus reads EPC Class-1 Gen-2 transponders in bulk in open and closed handling cycles and other applications (e.g. forklift transport) in logistics.
The RFID Tunnel Gate's Advantages at a Glance
- RFID transponders are read reliably with low reader power output.
- A shielded read zone eliminates false positive scans.
- RFID transponders are read reliably regardless of their orientation because they are fully independent of polarization.
More Flexibility
Their high technical flexibility makes RFID Tunnel Gates freely scalable and thus suitable for the widest variety of applications – from small systems on belt conveyors to systems that automatically inventory entire truckloads.