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RFID Read Performance

 

The Tagged Asset and the Surrounding Environment

 

Radio waves from the reader are reflected by metals and absorbed by liquids, which may hamper or prevent tag reading. If this cannot be worked around by repositioning the tags, then special tags such as ones from Omni-ID may be needed.

 

 

The Environment in Use

 

The tags are electronic components and can be damaged by static electricity, so precautions may be needed.

 

Extreme temperatures, humidity and handling should also be taken into account as these can degrade and damage the tags. In harsh environments, paper-based tags should be coated, or harsh-environment / durable tags can be used. Most tag manufacturers have spec sheets that state optimal environmental ranges for their different tags.

 

 

Reader Distance and Tag Antenna Size

 

In general, the larger the tag, the farther away it can be read, although antenna design and technology has improved and a newer but smaller tag may outperform an older but larger one.

 

The antenna design and orientation was discussed on the RFID Intro page. Tags that have single-dipole antennas will best read with the reader's polarization parallel to the tag antenna.

 

 

Reader

 

StockCheck uses the system clock to record the time of the scans.

 

There is a backup battery inside the reader that is used to keep the system clock running, and if it is drained, the clock will need to be set up again when the system is powered up.

 

For extended periods of non-use, it is recommended that the reader be powered off rather than put into standby.

 

(Battery life remaining is reported in the Help menu > About StockCheck, and it is also shown in the Windows Mobile task bar).

 

 

Excel File Sizes

 

The MC9090's CPU and memory (624 MHz and 128 MB ROM, 64 MB RAM) are limited compared to a typical notebook or desktop computer. A file with more than 1000 tags takes several seconds to open, for instance. For speedier performance, we recommend organizing the tags across more files with smaller files sizes.