---
title: "The simpler way to build your own RFID reader"
id: "16785"
type: "post"
slug: "the-simpler-way-to-build-your-own-rfid-reader"
published_at: "2021-06-04T10:36:34+00:00"
modified_at: "2022-01-04T15:11:58+00:00"
url: "https://www.caenrfid.com/it/the-simpler-way-to-build-your-own-rfid-reader/"
markdown_url: "https://www.caenrfid.com/it/the-simpler-way-to-build-your-own-rfid-reader.md"
excerpt: "Designing a high performance RAIN RFID reader is not an easy job. Even if today you can choose..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "News"
---

# The simpler way to build your own RFID reader

4th June2021

Designing a high performance RAIN RFID reader is not an easy job. Even if today you can choose a chipset platform on the market that implements most of the needed features and build the reader around it, you still **have to face with many technical details, especially regarding the correct handling of Ultra High Frequency signals**. So, even if you don’t need to know every detail of the RAIN RFID air protocol[1], you still need very good radio frequency skills to obtain good reading performances and to comply with regulations.  
 Reading tags at long distances requires two main things: **generate a high power signal to “activate” the tags** and **a good receiver sensitivity** in order to be able to “intercept” the very small signals reflected by the tags[2] but none of the two come for free. To generate high power levels **you need to add a power amplifier** (and other circuitry) between the chipset output and the antenna connector and assure that the resulting signal is clean enough in order to **avoid interferences**, to **comply with regulations** and **to avoid the self jamming effect**[3]. All these aspects require high radiofrequency skills for the design and a specific care on the manufacturing of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board).  
 But, if you are looking to build a RAIN RFID reader or to embed the technology in your device, there is a simpler way: **CAEN RFID provides a wide range of embedded components to integrate RAIN RFID functionality**. You can always find the component that fits perfect on your device, because CAEN RFID offers various modules diversified for form factor, read distance and power consumption.  
 **Combining the embedded module with a computing platform, you can design a smart and high performance RAIN RFID reader** with limited design efforts. Depending on the project, the computing platform can be custom designed or chosen from the many available on the market, such as an Arduino, a Raspberry or a BeagleBone just to cite some of the well-known ones.  
 **CAEN RFID provides a complete SDK for the most common programming languages** (Java, .NET and C) so that you don’t need to write the code for the protocol interpretation but just the code for the solution. Furthermore CAEN RFID offer in depth **technical support on both hardware and software topics as well as support for the certification process of your product using its modules**.  
 You can discover all CAEN RIFID embedded modules offer on the [website](https://www.caenrfid.com/en/applications-embedded/)
 or [contact us](https://www.caenrfid.com/it/contattaci/)
to get advise on the right module for your application.

[1] the protocol used by readers and tags to communicate each other.  
 [2] passive RAIN RFID tags have no power source to generate signals so they use a technology called backscatter that use signal reflections to communicate with the reader.  
 [3] self-generated noise that create problems with the receiver part of the reader.