I have been working on a project where I have to read data from an NFC tag and store the information locally.
Currently I have a range for the NFC tag of about 5 cm. The tags will be present inside a case with a glass lid on one side which is where the NFC tag will be facing out. Without the glass lid I am able to read the tags successfully but when I out on the lid and try to read it works 50% of the time and fails the rest of the time.
I have recently read that by partially shielding the antenna and making it directional we can increase the range of RF signals like wifi, bluetooth, etc.
I would like to know if the same trick can work with NFC readers as well? Is this a good method to increase the range of NFC by another 1 or 2 cm to read the tags?
Best Answer
No the same trick cannot work with near-field tags using aluminium foil. Aluminium foil placed close to the tag will act as a partially shorted turn of wire and reduce the magnetic field due to eddy current losses in the aluminium.
However, you can purchase rubberized ferrite sheets that can offer some improvement. They would normally be placed behind the tag thus attracting a higher density magnetic field to pass through the tag.