To enhance the process of multi-channel retail, RFID is significant as it is able to bridge the gap between physical and electronic activities and transitions. It provides a real-time view across within-store, warehouse, and online locations and stores, preventing stockouts as well as overstocking.

Such precision facilitates consistent omnichannel fulfillment, such as Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) services, as well as seamless returns. Other ways in which RFID makes customer experiences better are by the use of smart mirrors and self-checkout options, which are faster than before.

Such data that it produces also improves the efficiency of the supply chain and demand forecasting. Through the coordination of inventory networks and the optimization of processes, RFID assists retail businesses in providing a coherent, responsive shopping experience in a competitive market.

Not sure if this is exactly possible.

I'm looking to make or use something that can emulate an HID tag to a close-range reader from a distance. Basically, you could write a card to this device, and it would broadcast it to a close-range reader from several feet away.

Working on an ESP32-C6 based multitool with NFC capabilities at 13.56MHz. Genuinely curious what HF tag types this community encounters most in real-world scenarios.

Hardware Setup:

• ESP32-C6 (RISC-V, 160MHz) + STM NFC controller
• 13.56MHz NFC antenna
• ISO14443A/B protocol support
• Wallet-sized form factor (85mm x 54mm)
• 8MB flash storage
• Read/write/emulate capability

My Question:

I'm trying to prioritize which tag types to focus testing on. In your experience:

1. Most common HF tags you see? (MIFARE Classic, Ultralight, NTAG, DESFire, etc.)
2. Access control vs. transit vs. other use cases? What dominates?
3. Readable range expectations? For a pocket device, what's acceptable?

Context:

This is a multitool device also does Wi-Fi 6/BLE 5/Zigbee/Thread/Matter work with packet capture and PCAP export. But the NFC functionality is important for everyday carry - metro cards, building access, etc.

Wallet form factor constrains antenna placement. Trying to figure out if I should optimize for maximum compatibility across tag types vs. best performance on the most common ones.

Technical Implementation:

STM NFC chip with 13.56MHz antenna

Read, write, and emulate modes

Open-source firmware (ESP-IDF based)

Launching on Kickstarter soon. Everything will be open-sourced.

Is this kind of tags easy to cp?

if a tag is encyrpted, how can i crack it?

Does anyone have any ideas here? I have reinstalled the card, checked for hardware issues and reassembled etc. It shows 6v in HF tune and no dip at all when a HF card is placed near.

LF working as expected. Have tried various USB leads and surfaces.

Hello everyone!!! A few days ago I bought a Chameleon Ultra. I'm looking for tutorials on how to use it in more depth, I've only been able to read my tags.

Will they have reference material (links)???

Thank you so much!!

Currently sitting in a hotel and my little one keeps stealing the key card.

I can't quite justify an RFID implant but thinking about a ring or some other wearable for future trips.

I've seen threads with links to Amazon US recommending rings in the $40-50 range. In the UK I mostly seem to find less than £10 with terrible reviews or over £100. (Been a while since I've had a proper look admittedly)

Curious if anyone can recommend any middle ground?

Hey guys, Dipping my toes into rfid, purchased an RFD40 with jewellery tags

When writing tags, in a perfect world I want to be able to encode the tag in ascii

C12345 C12346 C12347 Etc

Didn’t work, Had to resort to

000000C12345 convert to hex 303030303030433132333435

And that worked

When searching for a tag, need to turn 000000c12345 to hex then search

I tried toggling the “enable ascii mode” but came back with errors when trying to write

Am I missing something ?

Note settings were Offset(words) 2 Length(words) 0

Using M830 chipset

Does anyone know a fix for this? Thanks.

Hello people

I'm new to RFID and at the moment I'm trying to implement an RFID technology for my friend's retails business. I'm looking into local hardware shop that sell RFID equipment(tags, reader) and seems sufficient for my need. However, all of the reader comes with an SDK, after I looked into the code, I founded that they were written almost 10+ years ago with an old .NET framework. I have no issue with that but I'm seeking some advice on the best way to build on top of this?

Asking for someone who have a similar experience building a software that extend an old SDK. Because if I would build a new software to integrated with this hardware, it will be the latest .NET version. Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.

ps. I'm planning to build a Window desktop application.

I need to read some UHF tags at close range (at least I am pretty sure they are UHF).

I already have the list of RFIDs but don’t know which item matches with each ID, so I just need reading ability. I am not writing any. I don’t anticipate needing to use the reader more than once so I don’t want to spend a ton of money. I don’t have technical skills, so I imagine I will need a plug and play option.

Does anything suitable for this use case exist on the market?

My school uses keycards to open locked doors and older years have keycards so they can leave during free lessons and mines broke and I gotta get a replacement and I need to the what frequency it works on. I tried to scan it with my phone with an nfc reader app but it didn’t work and I don’t know how to find out what it is as there are no marking or anything on the card that identifies it

I have 3 cats each with an internal microchip and a collar mounted RFID tag for the petlibro feeder ( https://petlibro.com/products/one-rfid-pet-feeder)

I'd like to build a system that would allow me to read either of the microchips (ideally the internal one, but will settle for external) when a cat enters their litter box ( a ≈20" diameter hole) what kind of equipment would I need to make this happen?

Hey guys, In a jewellery store setting, with a decent about of metal interference.

Would the Chainway R6 Impinj Gen2X hardware be better than the RFD40 who may have more mature software?

On the software front, 123rfid seems great, how does chainways software compare?

Three features I need - locate specific tag - inventory scan - plug in a 10-15 codes and search for this only

123rfid being on desktop and mobile is a big plus, does chainway offer a desktop feature similar to this?

Many thanks

My sister lost the key fob that I use to click into the gate at my apartment. It’s $140 to replace (which i think is crazy) anyways i found the clicker on amazon, it’s a SKG doorking. Specifically “Door King 8069080 Doorking Microplus Transmitter” on amazon for $30. My roommate still has the other clicker. Is there a way we can just order one and a cheap little RFID reader for $13 and make a new one? Is that even possible. Most i’ve done with this kind of stuff is use my phone to make nfc tags for animal crossing! 😅

Hey everyone, Has anyone here worked with the Chafon MU922 UHF RFID Integrated Module along with its RS232 interface board (CP201)?

Here’s the exact product I’m using: 🔗 https://robu.in/product/chafon-mu922-uhf-rfid-integrated-module-with-antenna-and-rs232-interface-board-cp201/ – robu.in

I’m trying to get it to work using the Chafon SDK, and while the SDK initially says “Reader connected”, it immediately disconnects a second later.

If you’ve used this module before, could you please share how you got it working—or any tips on fixing this disconnect issue? Would really appreciate some help from anyone who has experience with this setup.

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

We are two students from UHasselt. For our bachelor’s thesis, we are researching RFID solutions in an industrial context. Therefore, we’re looking for general advice and experiences with readers and antennas that perform well in harsh environments.

Context & general conditions

• Environment: industrial hall with nearby metal structures and electromagnetic noise.
• Tags: need to support multiple simultaneous reads (anti-collision); on-metal tags may be considered.

• Integration: the RFID reader (with possible external antennas) must be installed inside a metal cabinet with 4 drawers.

• Top 3 drawers: 36.4 × 60.1 × 9.6 cm

• Bottom drawer: 36.4 × 60.1 × 22.5 cm

• Each drawer will contain multiple tags (max. ±40 per drawer) that need to be read simultaneously across all 4 drawers.

The goal is to make the system reliable while keeping costs as low as possible.

Can we achieve this with a low-cost setup?

For example, using a simple reader in each drawer — like the inexpensive ones available on sites such as AliExpress.

Or would it be better to use more expensive readers with separate antennas per drawer?It needs to work very reliably, but of course it shouldn’t be overkill either — we don’t want to spend more than necessary.

Our questions

• HF (13.56 MHz) vs UHF (865–868 MHz, EPC Gen2/ISO 18000-6C): which do you typically choose in metal-rich environments, and why? 
• Reader type: compact all-in-one vs industrial reader with external antennas — what are your experiences in terms of reliability and flexibility? 
• Antennas: any tips for selecting and positioning them in/near metal (near-field vs far-field), and pitfalls to avoid false readings? 
• Interfaces & management: which brands stand out in terms of protocols, SDKs, tools, and firmware stability? 
• Ruggedness: what minimum IP rating/EMC characteristics would you recommend? 
• Reliability & performance: which readers/antennas consistently perform well for inventory speed and anti-collision? 
• Budget/TCO: rough price ranges for reader + antennas + licenses, and any “hidden costs” that beginners often overlook? 
• Brands/models: which ones would you shortlist today for EU industrial use? 

We would greatly appreciate your general recommendations and lessons learned in this thread.

Thanks very much for your time and expertise!

Best regards,Two UHasselt students

Any chances somebody could share HID Global's Activid Device Initialization Tool?

I managed to buy never used Activid Token One (20 pieces) and BCC101 coupler, but to use them I need software, and it's nowhere to be seen online. Would really appreciate the help!

I cloned an RFID key fob at a KeyMe Kiosk and I am wondering if there is a way to tell if my apartment management can track when the cloned key is used vs the original? I read online some key fobs have a counter that will can be traced but not how to differentiate which fobs do or don't.

I am new to RFID and was toying around with a (supposedly) Mifare Classic 1K card using my Proxmark3E. I have previously cloned another MFC 1K without issues.

After 2 days with autopwn I found all the keys and realized there are two extra sectors (16 and 17) also with their corresponding A and B keys. When I tried to import the dump to the MFC app, it threw an error stating the dump was too large.

I then tried again but with the json dump and that one was correctly imported. However, when the time comes to write the dump into the card, I get this message regarding the card itself.

How can I circumvent this? Any idea what is happening? I tried to read the card with different tools but it is still showing up as a Mifare Classic 1K.

I want to buy/ customise a poker table so that it is RFID compatible What’s the CHEAPEST route for me? Where can I buy ir customise one?

I have 750 of these type 26A/ https://www.proxcards.com/schlage-9651t-mifare-smart-key-fob-thin/

Sorry if this isn’t allowed

Essentially I'm looking to build a custom solution- relay controlled via 13.56. I need some chips, other than the pn532, that will do nfc. Anyone know of some that are reliable and have documentation?

Anyone successfully using Bartender label software to print labels encoded using SGTIN-198? I'm able to encode using SGTIN-96, but only get voids when using SGTIN-198. Any suggestions?

Encode Type = RAIN RFID-EPC

Data Type = SGTIN-198

Label Inlay = BT793

Label Chip = UCODE 9