Robust RFID tag design for reliable communication within the Internet of Things

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a cost-effective method to support the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and is an enabling technology for Industry 5.0. The use of RFID is particularly suited to IIoT as it does not require a line of sight for communication and can be retroactively affixed to non-smart items. However, RFID communication is affected by the properties of the material the tag is affixed to, specifically the material permittivity. Metal is commonly present in smart factory environments and supply chains and impedes RFID communication. A suitable tag design is required to accommodate these challenges and ensure resilience for Industry 5.0 applications. The research presented in this paper has assessed the communication performance of RFID antenna designs with and without metal present beneath the tag. The RFID tag designs that performed reliably in the simulation were manufactured, and their read range was tested on materials of varying relative permittivity and thickness to represent MP and NMP scenarios. The results have verified the robustness of “Cyber” to “Physical” designs and provide recommendations to support practitioner IIoT tag selection.