Performance Analysis of a Compact UHF RFID Ceramic Tag in High-Temperature Environments

In this paper an experimental analysis of the effect of high temperature on the performance of a compact UHF RFID tag is described and discussed. The tag is designed to be integrated into small cavities carved out of metal objects to identify themselves during the entire fabrication and assembly line. Since the UHF RFID tag is applied just after the die casting operations needed to model the metal component, it must be robust to high temperature manufacturing environments and processes. Tests demonstrated a significant chip input impedance variation by increasing the surrounding temperature, with a consequent read-range reduction. However, the considered ceramic tag can be detected at a satisfactory distance of 30 cm when employed with temperatures so high as up to 120°C.