UHF RFID Near-Field Antenna IDTS-RANF150 (150 × 150 mm)

What the IDTS-RANF150 near-field UHF RFID antenna does

Most UHF antennas are built to reach: a far-field panel sends energy metres into a room. At a billing counter or a jewellery tray that is a problem, because the reader also picks up items on the next shelf or in the next customer's basket. A near-field antenna such as the RANF150 is designed for short-range reading, so the tags that respond are the ones placed on or just above it.

Built to sit under a surface

The RANF150 is a flat PCB 150 × 150 mm across and only 7 mm thick, weighing 150 g. It fits beneath a countertop, under a shelf liner, in a drawer base or below a display tray. UHF passes through non-metallic surfaces such as wood, laminate and glass, so the antenna can stay out of sight. Do not place it under a metal top, tray or drawer base, because metal between the antenna and the items blocks UHF.

Where it is used

• Retail checkout: tagged garments placed on the counter are read together and passed to the POS, while stock on nearby racks is ignored.
• Jewellery and luxury goods: reading the pieces on one tray during display or stock checks, without reading the rest of the showcase.
• Smart cabinets and canteen counters: settling what was taken from a shelf or placed on a dining tray.
• Tool cabinets and libraries: checking tools or books in and out at a desk.

Setting it up

The RANF150 has an SMA-J connector and DC-ground lightning protection, and it covers 865–868 MHz for India and Europe as well as 902–928 MHz for the US. Connect it to a UHF reader with an external antenna port. Reader output power sets how far above the antenna tags will read, so start low and raise it until items on the counter read every time while items beside it do not.

Our guide to RFID billing counters and self-checkout covers stopping stray reads, and the jewellery inventory guide covers tray-level stock checks. Other antennas are listed under RFID antennas.