ODIN Releases First Benchmark of European RFID Readers

ODIN Technologies has completed a benchmark report based on the results of tests it performed on seven EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID interrogators. The readers were certified by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to operate under current RF regulations in the European Union. ODIN put each interrogator through a battery of tests. Six were performed in a controlled environment, while three were conducted inside a warehouse, with RF noise, to determine the readers’ performance in a real-world environment. “No one reader was superior in every test,” says Bret Kinsella, ODIN’s chief operating officer. “In fact, no one reader was superior in more than three tests.”

The readers tested were Alien’s ALR8800, Caen’s A968EU, Feig’s ID ISC.LRU2000, Impinj’s URP1000-ETSI, Intermec’s IF61, Motorola’s XR480EU and Sirit’s IN510.

According to ODIN, Siemens, maker of the Simatic RS600R, was the only major manufacturer that refused to have its equipment tested for the report.

ODIN confirmed that each of the seven readers performed within the proposed ETSI EN 302-208 specification, which removes the present requirement that each RFID reader listen to every channel within allowed UHF frequencies before transmitting over the channel. The listen-before-talk protocol is designed to prevent RF interference, while also limiting the ability of end users to operate numerous readers in close proximity to one another, such as at adjacent dock doors. Interrogators optimized for use under the present and proposed European guidelines, Kinsella explained, do not perform as well as those made for use under FCC requirements.

The goal of the European RFID Reader Benchmark report, according to ODIN, is to help end users reduce the amount of risk when selecting RFID hardware. The report details the performance of each reader in a variety of use cases, and should provide insight as to which interrogator is best for a specific company’s applications. The report can be purchased from the ODIN Technologies store.