RFID HF Card frequency check

Electronics
1

Hello,

I want to check the frequency of an HF RFID Card to see if it is on frequency. It has a center frequency of 13.56MHz and a bandwidth of 14kHz. Has anyone ever done this on a spectrum analyzer? I need to figure out what type of antenna I need to check this.

any help or recommendations would be appreciated.

2

In general, RFID cards don’t transmit so they don’t have a particular frequency to measure. You could check the reader to see if it’s operating at the right frequency.

3

How does the signal get from the prox card to the reader… I know there is some inductance involved but sure how all the magic happens. This is a technology I would love to learn more about.

I am definitely interested in checking the reader as well to see what the tolerance of the reader is. If you have done this or have any idea on how to test this please share.

Thanks,

Joseph

4

Tags operate at the frequency of the reader. They aren’t exactly transmitters and don’t generate their own RF. They modulate the carrier provided by the reader.

Here is a good primer:

http://ftp.it.murdoch.edu.au/units/ICT219/Papers%20for%20transfer/Passive%20RFID%20Basics.pdf

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