Types of RFID Antennas Series | Panel, Portal, Shelf, Ground, & Desktop Antennas
Posted by Suzanne Smiley on Mar 02, 2023
RFID Antenna Series: Overview
Welcome to this video series, we will walk through the different types of RFID antennas based on utility to help you decide which type will work best for your application.
In each video, we will introduce one of the 5 most common types of RFID antennas, grouped by their function, and discuss details like size, expected read range, mounting, and ideal applications. Let’s jump in.
When grouping UHF RFID antennas by their utility - 5 main types stand out:
⁃and Desktop Antennas
To learn about creating an ideal read zone with one of these antennas, check out our article A 3D Picture of an RFID Read Zone.
1. RFID Panel Antennas
RFID Panel Antennas are the most common type of antenna used in RFID applications.
Appearance/Size
These antennas are typically square or rectangular and can vary in size from around 5” square to around 27” in length. They typically have a plastic radome with a metal back plate - similar to this one here. They are available in different IP ratings that will determine if they are more suited for indoor or outdoor use.
Estimated Read Range
Panel antennas are typically far-field antennas which means they are generally able to provide a read range of anywhere between 5 to 30+ feet depending on their gain, polarity, and the type of tag used.
Mounting
Panel antennas are typically mounted with screws via a mounting bracket, which can be placed on a flat surface or pole, depending on the bracket. To learn more about mounting RFID antennas - checkout our video guide to mounting RFID antennas - Part 1 - Mounting Hardware & Brackets; Part 2 - Ideal Height & Angle
RFID Applications
I’m going to quickly set this antenna up with our Impinj R700 so that you can see what an RFID Panel Antenna looks like in an RFID system and how it reads RFID tags in the area.
The great thing about panel antennas is that they are very multifunctional and can be used in a large variety of RFID applications such as asset tracking, inventory tracking, race timing, laundry tracking, supply chain management, tolling, access control, and returnable transit items (RTI). To checkout some of these RFID Applications, take a look at our RFID Technology Hub which breaks down RFID Applications.
Featured RFID Components:
2. RFID Portal Antennas
RFID Portal Antennas are antennas used specifically for creating a portal or gateway within which RFID-tagged items can be easily read while moving through.
Appearance/Size
Portal antennas are typically rectangular in shape, but they can also be square to accommodate smaller portal form factors. These antennas are typically around 20 - 25 inches long with a short width so they can better fit into a slim threshold. Portal antennas can be rated for indoor or outdoor use, but are more commonly created for indoor usage.
Estimated Read Range
Portal antennas are typically far-field antennas, meant to be paired with another portal antenna to properly cover a trafficked area. Portal antennas typically have a read range of 3 - 4 meters or 10 - 15 feet, but it’s important to remember not to take that range for granted. If you have two portal antennas across from each other that both read between 10 and 15 feet, err on the side of caution when gauging the distance between the two. This way tagged items going through the center do not get missed.
Mounting
Portal antennas are typically mounted via a mounting bracket to a portal, a metal truss, or directly to a wall. However, some can be attached via foam adhesive, like the one we are using today.
RFID Applications
I’m going to quickly set this antenna up with our Impinj R700 so that you can see what an RFID Portal Antenna looks like in an RFID system and how it reads RFID tags in the area.
RFID applications that use RFID portal antennas include RFID loss prevention, asset tracking, warehouse inventory tracking, document tracking, returnable transit items (RTI), and logistics. Portal antennas are basically used for any application that needs to read items moving through a doorway, gateway, dock door, or any other type of threshold. To checkout some of these RFID Applications, take a look at our RFID Technology Hub which breaks down RFID Applications.
Featured RFID Components:
3. RFID Shelf Antennas
Shelf antennas are a unique category of RFID antennas that are suited for very specific applications and tagged item placement. Shelf antennas are unique because they are designed to read any tagged item placed on or right above their surface.
Appearance/Size
Shelf antennas are generally square or rectangular in shape and the average size is about 12 in by 12 in. These antennas are typically made strictly for indoor use, so they are usually rated with lower IP ratings such as IP 52 or IP 54.
Estimated Read Range
The average read range for shelf antennas is usually mid-range, around 3 meters, or 10 feet in distance; however, for this type of application, generally long read range isn’t necessary.
In most smart shelving applications, it’s important to show you that the goal is to create a defined read area so that if our tagged items are taken off the antenna, the RFID system will not be able to read them, even if they are right next to the antenna.
For example, when using a shelf antenna for Jewelry Tracking, the tagged jewelry will be placed directly on the antenna or on a shelf directly above the antenna, so only a few inches of read range is necessary. To reduce read range, most applications use a near-field shelf antenna and/or small RFID tags with very limited read range.
To learn more about Defined Read Zones, checkout our articles (videos included) - RFID Inventory Tracking: How to Set Up Defined Read Zones; How-to Setup a Defined RFID Read Zone | The Cornhole Edition
Mounting
I’m going to quickly set this antenna up in a smart shelf configuration with our Impinj R700 so that you can see what an RFID Shelf Antenna looks like in an RFID system and how it reads RFID tags in the area.
Shelf antennas are typically either placed directly on a shelf, table, or display, or mounted to a shelf to either face down and read tags, like we’ve done here, or face up and read tags through the shelving.
Some antennas have fabricated mounting holes for screw mounting, while others require an antenna mount specific to that antenna.
RFID Applications
Shelf antennas are ideal for creating smart shelves, smart displays, or a smart cabinet for tracking and managing inventory of small tagged items, like tools, jewelry, machinery parts, high-end retail items like purses and sunglasses, and healthcare items like instruments, disposables, and medicines. To checkout some of these RFID Applications, take a look at our RFID Technology Hub which breaks down RFID Applications.
Featured RFID Components:
4. RFID Ground Antennas
RFID ground antennas are antennas that lay on the ground and can be walked over, run over, or rolled over by people wearing RFID tags or by items/assets tagged with RFID tags.
Appearance/Size
Ground antennas are very large in order to cover as much space as possible and are generally rectangular in shape. They average about 36 - 48 inches in length and can hold a significant amount of weight. Ground antennas can be either the typical rectangular shape with a plastic radome, or covered in a flexible, thick mat for additional protection. Ground and mat antennas vary in IP ratings depending on if they are manufactured for outdoor or indoor use.
Estimated Read Range
Ground antennas are typically high-gain antennas, however, because most tagged people/items will be directly above the antennas, a long read distance isn’t typically required for these applications. Users can expect an average of 10 feet or more depending on the RFID tag and reader transmit power.
Mounting
Ground antennas are typically not mounted but instead will lie flat on the ground.
RFID Applications
I’m going to quickly set this antenna up with our Impinj R700 so that you can see what an RFID Ground Antenna looks like in an RFID system and how well it can read RFID tags in the area.
Applications that use RFID ground antennas include race timing, attendee tracking, and asset tracking applications that walk or roll tagged assets over a specific area or threshold, like the finish line of a race or the entrance to a storage room. To checkout some of these RFID Applications, take a look at our RFID Technology Hub which breaks down RFID Applications.
Featured RFID Components:
- Times-7 A6590C Indoor RFID Antenna
- Impinj's R700 UHF RFID Reader
- Integrated Side Pigtail
5. RFID Desktop Antennas
Desktop antennas are RFID antennas for applications that only require a short read distance.
Appearance/Size
RFID desktop antennas are small and square in appearance and are typically between 3 and 5 inches in length and width, with a few exceptions, both larger and smaller. Desktop antennas are typically indoor antennas with a low IP rating.
Estimated Read Range
The desired read range for desktop antennas is generally only a few inches at most, but for the intended applications, that small range is more than enough. However, some application-specific desktop antennas are capable of reading up to 6 feet.
Mounting
Most desktop antennas have mounting holes for screw mounting underneath a desktop or other surface, or for facing downward in a small cabinet configuration. These antennas can also be placed on a flat surface and used without mounting.
RFID Applications
I’m going to quickly set this antenna up with our Impinj R700 so that you can see what an RFID Desktop Antenna looks like in an RFID system and how it reads RFID tags in the area. I’ll demonstrate using this antenna to read each of these books tagged with RFID tags.Software can be used to associate each of these EPC numbers with information about each of the corresponding books.
RFID desktop antennas are used for applications that require a very small amount of read range. Examples include library check-in/check-out desks, file management, generic RFID tag reading and writing stations, access control, ticketing, point-of-sale (POS), and other item check-in/check-out stations. To checkout some of these RFID Applications, take a look at our RFID Technology Hub which breaks down RFID Applications.
Featured RFID Components:
Conclusion
For more information on Panel, Portal, Shelf, Ground, and Desktop Antennas - don't hesitate to contact us or comment below!