User's Guide

April 4, 2019
USER GUIDE: UBS-200L LF DESKTOP READER
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Chapter 4 – Tips and Tricks for Optimum Performance | Unified Information Devices
001.006.03 v1.3
Chapter 4 – Tips and Tricks for Optimum Performance
Read Range and Read Field
Metal vs. Non-Metal
Metal interferes with the transmission and receiving of RF signals. As such, the UBS-200L performs best
when operated with the antenna away from metal objects. Placing the antenna on a metal surface may
reduce the read distance. Placing a metal object between the antenna and transponder may interfere
with or block communications completely. As such, best practice is to keep antenna as far from metal
objects as possible. When in doubt, as a general rule, if the UBS-200L seems to be performing well with
the antenna in the presence of metal, then there is no issue. If the UBS-200L is underperforming with
the antenna in the presence of metal, increase the distance from the antenna to the metal to improve
performance.
Neighboring Readers
RFID readers are radio transmitter/receivers, and like radios, they can interfere with each other. A
sudden drop in performance may be due to another reader antenna being operated in close proximity.
Best practice is to maintain a distance of at least 18 inches between readers and antennas operating at
the same frequency. e.g. a handheld reader and a desktop reader. If interference between two readers
is suspected, increase distance between the readers to mitigate the interference.
Transponder Orientation
The area in which a transponder can be read depends greatly on the transponder type, size, and
orientation to the UBS-200L antenna. The following diagrams show the typical area where glass and disc
transponder can be read reliably.
Glass transponders can best be read standing up at the center of the antenna, or sideways pointing to
the center at the edge of the antenna, as shown in Figure 14. Glass transponders inside needles must
be carefully positioned over the antenna, as the metal interferes greatly with RF communications.
Note:
Glass transponders inside needles must be carefully positioned
over the reader antenna, as the metal interferes greatly with RF
communications.