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Dense RFID Reader Deployment in Europe using Synchronization

Kin Seong Leong, Mun Leng Ng, Alfio R. Grasso, Peter H. Cole
Auto-ID Laboratory, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the University of Adelaide

Abstract—For a dense RFID reader deployment, such as in awarehouse, where hundreds of readers will be positioned ina building, the interference between all these readers mustbe studied carefully to avoid disruption of operations. StrictRFID regulations and standards have been imposed, tryingto address the problem of reader collision and also theproblem of RFID devices interfering with other devicesoperating in the same and nearby frequency bands.However, these guidelines and regulations are not entirelyfriendly for dense RFID reader deployment; in some cases itis not possible to have a feasible RFID system whileadhering to these regulations. Hence, this paper proposesthe synchronization of RFID readers to enable successfuldense RFID reader deployment. A case study targeted atEuropean operations is presented in this paper to illustratethe actual synchronization of RFID readers in realapplications. Some fine-tuning methods are also suggestedto further improve the performance of readers in a highreader density population area.

Index Terms—Radio frequency identification, RFID,synchronization, dense reader.

Cite: Kin Seong Leong, Mun Leng Ng, Alfio R. Grasso, Peter H. Cole, "Dense RFID Reader Deployment in Europe using Synchronization," Journal of Communications, vol. 1, no. 7, pp. 9-16, 2006.