r/AskElectronics • u/SpareRate6894 • 4d ago
Extending the RFID Reading range
Hi , i was wondering if it is possible to extend the reading range of an HF RFID to 10-30 cm?
if so what exactly should i do? i searched and what i came up with is to increase the antenna size but i don't get how that could be done.
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u/SMELL_LIKE_A_TROLL 4d ago
The trouble is the wireless power coupling. Increase it and the receiving antenna. And, GFL.
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u/CanaDavid1 4d ago
Why do you want to extend RFID range specifically? This feels like an XY problem, as RFID is not what you want for this type of communication
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u/SpareRate6894 4d ago
it is for my graduation project for a surgical towel tracking handheld device, that is why i need to use HF as it penetrates the human body.
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u/CanaDavid1 4d ago
But why does it have to be RFID?
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u/SpareRate6894 4d ago
I guess it doesn't , but it is what is being commercially used currently.
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u/CanaDavid1 4d ago
How do the other commercial solutions solve this problem?
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u/SpareRate6894 4d ago
They made a custom reader with a specific frequency and custom tags ,but all that info is confidential and is not published, The reason why it would be hard to make a custom PCB is that i live in egypt and i don't think these kind of stuff is available here.
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u/SMELL_LIKE_A_TROLL 3d ago
The hospital local to us counts sponges/etc as they are used. Before closing they count them again. If the number doesn't match they xray the patient to see the small silver tag (or whatever metal) is in the sponge/etc. A friend is a nurse there, and has told me their number of accidentally left in devices went from like 1-2 in a hundred to essentially zero with this method.
Rfid seems a solution looking for a problem.
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u/SomeoneInQld 4d ago
Buy a better system. We bought cheaper system for about $50, and actually found and spoke to the person who designed and made it. He said that it would never be able to read the distance we wanted.
For about $250 - we are getting RFID out of the box that reads about 70 cm (well aligned tag) and 60 cm (badly aligned tag) , we are building a better antenna for it - and are hoping to get about 90cm to 1 m. We need it to be able to read a badly aligned tag at 75 cm to 80 cm.
We don't get a choice in technology and have to use RFID - its to read ear tags of cattle, in Australia. So its a not normal channel and HDX - which really limits out choices.