Ray Tracing Method for System Planning and Analysis of UHF-RFID Applications With Passive Transponders

摘要

This paper proposes a new method of planning and analyzing the operation and function of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system with passive transponders in the UHF 865-868 MHz band. A showcase model of a distribution center for consumer items is presented to highlight the planning details and procedures. Typical antenna parameters and characteristics of the building will be applied. Wave propagation between RFID transmitters, transponders and readers is determined using ray tracing methods. Distortions caused by multipath propagation and/or interference from neighboring RFID systems will also be calculated and evaluated. Simulation results provide information about the spatial coverage of the RFID system on the physical layer of wave propagation, i.e. the radius of tag detection is retrieved. From there, overall functionality of the RFID system for the proposed realistic environment is investigated. Finally, the efficiency of ray tracing as a planning tool for RFID systems is evaluated.