Broadband U-Slot patch antenna for RFID-UHF reader

A broadband rectangular patch antenna with U-slot intended for RFID UHF readers is designed, fabricated, and measured. The proposed antenna operates in the whole RFID UHF band (860-960 MHz) and radiates in a unidirectional manner with high gain and front-to-back ratio (F/B). The measurement results of this antenna are in excellent agreement with the simulation results. Tag detection tests, performed using a USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) device, validate the good performance of the designed antenna.