Electrical – How does RFID reader reads a passive RFID tag

rfid

There are different types of RFID tags like active, passive, semi-active ect.

I can see that the active ones emits radio waves which is received by an RFID receiver and hence the data is transferred. This is like a classic radio transmission.

But how can a passive(non-powered) RFID tag is read by an RFID receiver as an overall system? What is the idea behind? Are the passports using passive tags? I cannot sense a sort of battery on a passport tag.

Best Answer

The first hit for "passive RFID" search on Google returns this:

A passive tag is an RFID tag that does not contain a battery; the power is supplied by the reader. When radio waves from the reader are encountered by a passive rfid tag, the coiled antenna within the tag forms a magnetic field. The tag draws power from it, energizing the circuits in the tag. The tag then sends the information encoded in the tag's memory. Source: Technovolgy.com.

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Figure 1. A passive RFID tag showing a 6-turn antenna and the chip. Source: SCM Wiki 2012.

Are the passports using passive tags? I cannot sense a sort of battery on a passport tag.

Some countries have added RFID to their passports. They have no need of a battery as the passport does not need long range detection. (You wouldn't want someone to be able to identify you from a distance.)

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