Breaking Down RFID Frequency

Let’s talk about frequency – what it is and why it's important. Frequency is the pitch at which RF waves operate. It's important to understand and regulate this; otherwise, there would be a lot of interference and poor performing RF devices out in the world. RFID frequency bands are typically measured in megahertz. The two most common are UHF or ultra-high frequency and HF, or high frequency. For simplicity’s sake we will focus only on UHF, which in RFID has a global range of 860 MHz to 960 MHz.

UHF Tags Performance & Read Range

Different countries use different frequency windows to read their RFID tags. This can get really complicated and confusing, but you just need to remember there are two main frequency bands – the FCC band and the ETSI band. The FCC band is used in the United States and has a frequency band of 902 to 928 MHz, whereas the ETSI band which is primarily used in European countries is a smaller window of 865.6 to 867.6 MHz. So, does this mean only certain tags work in certain countries? Yes and no. Most passive UHF tags are designed to work in the global frequency range, which is 860 MHz to 960 MHz. However, it does mean the performance and read range of the RFID tag might vary country to country.

For more information or to speak with one of our RFID Specialists, please contact us at 800-437-5283 or metalcraft@idplate.com.

About the Author: Colynn Black Colynn is Metalcraft's RFID Business Development Director. He started his Metalcraft journey as an RFID Technician, moving onto being an RFID Lead/Technician, an RFID Engineer and then his current role. He enjoys being able to utilize his technical skills and experiences to aid Metalcraft in acquiring new partnerships and customers. He's married to his wife, Allie and he has two children named Cruze and Ella. He enjoys being outside, working with his hands to build things, working on his car/boat, golfing, ice fishing, reading and wrestling with his son.