User's Guide

Power Node Reader V2 User's Guide
18/33 Revision 3.2 07/03/2019
4.2 Power Node Antenna Clusters
This new generation of distributed RFID interrogators readers can only work with specific set of antennas call clusters for the
Power node optimum operation.
The Power Node Reader V2 915MHz transmit antenna Clusters are supplied by CXIgnited. They have been
designed to efficiently illuminate and interrogate items and tested to be compliant to US and EU ETSI
regulations. They also limit the human exposure to Electromagnetic fields.
Do not connect any other antenna but the one supplied and fitted by CXIGNITED!
Each RF port can supply 4 clusters of 4 antennas without significant loss in performance. Each cluster possesses an MCX RF inlet
from either the PN RF port for the first one of from a cluster. In that case, a specific cable from SMB to MCX must used to daisy
chain the cluster. It is made of LRM195 coaxial cable with losses of 0.4dB/m at 915MHz operating frequency.
Figure 6 shows the cable arrangement supplied by TAGSYS – CXI to connect the first cluster to one of the 8 RF ports available
from the Power Node. The length A ranges from 0.5m to 3m in 0.5m steps.
Figure 7 shows the cable arrangement supplied by TAGSYS – CXI to connect the cluster n nearest to the PN V2 to the cluster
n+1. The lengths available range from 0.5m to 3m in 0.5m steps.
Figure 6: MCX PN V2 RF Port to Cluster Input Port Cable
Figure 7: MCX Cluster n RF Input left to SMB female RF Cluster n-1 RF Output
When connecting the PN V2 RF Port or daisy chaining from a previous cluster make sure to use the low loss
supplied cables by TAGSYS – CXI!
The use of any other type of RF coaxial cables will heavily degrades the system performance
Figure 8 shows inside a typical antenna cluster made of conventional dipoles. It tends to radiate all over the place with a preferred
polarization i.e. communication is optimum when tags and Bow-Tie Dipole longest sides are parallel. Its Bow-Tie radiating element