Everything you need to know about RFID Tag Shadowing

It’s important to know the boundaries and challenges related to any know-how that you just implement. Fortunately, within the case of RFID methods, there aren’t any important challenges that one could face. Even after years of implementation, RFID methods work simply as nice. Nonetheless, with Electromagnetic waves, there are all the time some precautions required in order that the system can work flawlessly. This text focuses on RFID Tag Shadowing and the way one can mitigate it.

Table of Contents

What’s RFID Tag Shadowing?

Environmental situations and interference are sometimes an issue on the subject of radio waves. Nonetheless, one other distinctive problem for RFID is RFID Tag Shadowing which might have an effect on the accuracy of RFID learn price within the system. Tag Shadowing is commonly an issue related to the bodily setup of RFID methods, and due to this fact, it may be mitigated successfully to make RFID methods sturdy.

Because the title may counsel, RFID Tag Shadowing is a phenomenon that takes place when one RFID tag shadows one other RFID tag. Right here, shadowing a tag represents interference of one other tag between the shadowed tag and RFID reader. It usually takes place when a tag overshadows one other tag by bodily masking it in close to proximity. This overshadowing blocks RF power from reaching the shadow card. As the cardboard doesn’t get sufficient RF power, it’s not learn inside the RFID system.

Functions the place RFID Tag Shadowing can happen:

RFID Tag Shadowing happens in environments and purposes the place many RFID tags are positioned in a stack. Here’s a checklist of a number of purposes the place tags are positioned collectively carefully and will trigger Tag Shadowing:

Retail stock monitoring & administration
Utilizing RFID to trace recordsdata and paperwork
Pallet stock administration in warehouses
Managing books into libraries
Garments stacked in a vogue retailer

Methods to mitigate RFID Tag Shadowing

RFID Tag Shadowing may be mitigated via numerous strategies:

Rearranging Readers & tags in a distinct orientation:
That is the only methodology the place simply altering the location of tags and readers ensures that every one the tags are uncovered to readers with out shadowing. The important thing right here is to both enhance the space between tags or have tags on totally different locations or angles so to eliminating probabilities for shadowing.
Utilizing actions of things or readers to reveal each tag:
This one can be a easy methodology the place the motion of the reader via each facet of the cart can be utilized to scan all of the RFID tags with out fail. Additionally, the tags may be handed via mounted readers at a place and may learn tags via totally different angles.
Staggered tag placement to keep away from alignment and shadowing:
Think about inserting RFID tags on recordsdata in a staggered method. A reader can learn each tag although the tags can be shut as none of them are positioned within the precise alignment. Due to this fact all of the tags may be learn with none misses attributable to shadowing.

Conclusion

Tag Shadowing is an easy phenomenon and may be simply mitigated via a correct bodily setup. The benefit of mitigation right here as soon as once more proves the robustness of RFID-based technical structure in all of its purposes.