Proprietary to NeWave® Sensor Solutions 1.0
7
Wave™ Antenna Test Guidelines
Pre-Test Survey Questions
•
Are you testing RFID tags with UHF 902-928MHz frequencies?
•
What type of materials/assets will you be trying to read?
•
In what type of environment do want to use these antennas?
•
What is the maximum distance you want to be able to read tags?
•
How much space is allotted for your antenna install?
•
Describe where these will be installed, i.e. doorway, hallway, dock door, exit, on the ceiling, etc.
•
What type of reading pattern are you trying to achieve, i.e. 360°, 180°, 90° or less?
Test Recommendations
•
If you are used to working with patch antennas, you will find our Wave antennas to be dramatically
different in use and superior in performance if properly used.
•
Tips on getting to know our product line. Our customers tell us these are important:
o
Antennas should be used in pairs to optimize coverage. If antennas are not used in pairs the
blind spots or fading becomes unpredictable and tag reads could be missed.
o
Most users need a ground plane and foam backing to insure they have front forward RFID
tracking. Our antennas will radiate 360 degrees. Thus, if you desire 180-degree coverage in
front alone, you will not be obtaining optimal performance without the proper ground
plane.
o
We have a variety of different applications. Our portals for example are best suited to use at
a door or entrance way versus our antennas.
o
Our coverage is based on the antenna length. The three-foot antenna is meant to cover a
smaller zone, say 5 feet tall. The five-foot antenna covers about 7 feet in height and the
seven antenna covers about nine to ten feet in height. The range of coverage is dependent
on the input power.
o
Unlike patch antennas, you can test our antennas out by reducing power at the reader
which will limit the range and the possibility of having extraneous reads.
o
Our antennas connect to the reader with RP TNC cables. If you don't have this type of cable,
you will need to order them separately.
