Unified Technology Concepts Inc. unveils product production by Unified Transponder Concepts Inc.

Antennas

UTC has a set of RFID system development antenna designs for high frequency 13.56Mhz RFID & AIDC applications. They come in different shapes, sizes and architectures; to allow a variety of read ranges and to take full benefit of the different output power settings of readers/couplers currently available in the market.

Select models of the antenna line come packaged in enclosures strong enough to withstand harsh industrial environments. The durable package allows easy integration with devices used in either portable or fixed position installations. Antenna elements are also available without packaging for use in OEM projects. Use of ferrite in some antenna baluns enables efficient isolation from metallic environments.

Custom Design Inquiries Welcome.

High Frequency 13.56MHz Industrial Antenna  - order/inquiry

In general, the distance at which a transponder inlay (tag) can be read is related to the size of the reader’s antenna system and its associated magnetic field strength. The larger the antenna, the greater the range. Industrial applications frequently require extended range reading of tags.

The UTC Industrial RFID Development antennas are engineered for the rugged industrial manufacturing and warehousing environment. Constructed primarily of copper tube, the selected geometries maximize the development of the read field. The matching baluns complete the design with configuration tuning capability to ensure reliable and accurate operation in the installation environment.

High Frequency 13.56 MHz Mid-Range/Vicinity Antenna - order/inquiry 

The Vicinity antenna designs from UTC may be either the Panel designs described above in a smaller form factor, or they may be a printed circuit board (PCB) design. Most of these designs are intended to incorporate a small surface mounted, capacitance matching balun design. Packaging designs may vary widely from countertop mats to plastic case enclosures depending on the application.

The widely accepted standards for HF systems operate in the High Frequency band at 13.56 MHz and antennas utilize the magnetic (H) field to transfer power to the battery-less tag during reading, writing or locking operations. The reader expects an antenna to be tuned to a centre frequency of 13.56MHz, have 50Ω impedance and when connected to a reader have a (loaded) Q factor of 30. For optimum performance, the reader matching should have a VSWR ratio of less than 1:1.2. Feeder coax cables can be up to 8 m in length. 

A single antenna 50cm x 50cm has a reading range of about 50cm at 800 - 1000mW or a pair of similar antennas (connected to the same reader) can cover distances greater than 1m. With larger antennas and greater power outputs, longer reading distances can be achieved. The writing distance is approximately 65 - 70% of the reading range. Integrators are advised that they should build a margin of safety into their designs when specifying maximum read performance

UTC presents a series of antennas designed for  commercial indoor installations. These designs are ideal for installations in retail, corporate, or institutional applications. The panel design is attractive and lightweight. Panels may be mounted in several orientations such as wall posters or signs, countertop covers, pedestal displays, door panels and floor mats. 

Antenna inlays may be incorporated in a variety of shapes and materials for custom appearance in any application.

Design requirements are expected to be for “Long Range” and “Mid Range” read applications. These Vicinity applications are typical of the ISO15693 requirements for both read and write capability.  Designs are also available for Microchip 13.56MHz RFID systems.

High Frequency 13.56MHz Proximity/Short Range Antennas - order/inquiry

Proximity and Short Range applications generally presume a “near contact” orientation of the tag to the antenna for reliable read and write. As with the other PCB designs, there are a variety of sizes available and custom designs and packaging can be readily produced. Designs incorporate a small surface mounted, capacitance matching balun.

Antenna Accessories

Baluns - order/inquiry

UTC has several balun designs available to match the requirements of the antenna configuration and environmental conditions.

The Balun converts an unbalanced load to a balanced load and is primarily used to remove common mode noise problems associated with multiple antennas with different ground potentials. It is also used to connect balanced antennas to unbalanced coax. These differences may set up common mode currents that can disturb receive circuits.

UTC is a member of Team Tag-it

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