white paper Multi-Band, Low-Cost EPC Tag Reader

In collaboration with the Auto-ID Center, ThingMagic LLC has developed a unique multi-band RFID tag reader reference platform. This reader has been designed to read tags conforming to the the Auto-ID Center’s emerging EPC specifications at both the 13.56MHz (HF) and 902 – 928MHz (UHF) frequency bands. The hardware architecture consists of a general purpose analog front end up/downconverter for each band, followed by a software radio architecture allowing easy adaptation to new frequencies and protocols. The reader's modular software architecture allows easy expansion while at the same time providing sophisticated networking capabilities including Web configurability, dynamic firmware update, and a TCP/IP reader interface by means of an embedded SQL-compatible database engine. This design offers excellent scalability and flexibility allowing rapid deployment and an in-situ upgrade path.