Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) - RFID Antenna Design Project

This report details the design and simulation of an RFID antenna, focusing on improving performance and reducing losses in RFID systems. The project involved designing a passive antenna operating at 2.45 GHz to address the issue of antenna performance degradation on metallic objects. The report covers the project's objectives, including antenna design, specification determination, simulation, and performance analysis on various materials. The author's responsibilities included designing the antenna, simulating its performance using CST software, and analyzing the impact of different dielectric substances. The report highlights the challenges faced, such as impedance matching, and the solutions implemented. The author successfully designed an antenna with reduced sensitivity to various objects, achieving desired impedance matching and radiation characteristics. The project's findings demonstrate the successful design and simulation of an RFID antenna with improved performance and reduced sensitivity to its environment.

Competency Demonstration Report (CDR)
Career Episode 1

CE 1.1: Project Introduction
Name of the Project : Design of RFID Tag Antenna
Geographical Location : [Please Fill]
Project Duration : [Please Fill]
Organization : [Please Fill]
Position in the Project : Team Member
CE 1.2: Project Background
CE 1.2.1: Characteristics of the Project
In recent times the system developed with the RFID (Radio frequency identification)
technology uses antenna for communication with the tag that is attached to an object used within
the system. Various dipole antennas including meandered dipole and folded dipole are the most
common types of antennas that are widely used in the RFID systems. During this project I have
observed that degradation of the antenna performance is identified due to the variable impedance
of the antenna mounted on the metal body of the objects. In the RFID system the tag mounted in
the objects does not require an external power sources. Therefore, in this project I have proposed
a design of passive antenna used in the RFID system for improving the performance and
reducing the losses. In addition to that I have aimed at establishing the matching of the
impedance between the microchip and antenna tag.
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CE 1.2.2: Objectives developed for project
In a detailed literature, I have found that the antenna impedance of the RFID system
significantly varies based on the object it has been mounted on. I have identified that the metallic
object lower’s the efficiency and performance of the antenna. During the project, I have
developed the vital objective of the project to design a sustainable antenna design that can be
used in various metallic object and platform while reducing the energy loss. Therefore, I have
proposed an advanced design of an RFID tag antenna that can be operated in the 2.45 GHz.
Therefore, for the effective and successful implementation of the project, I have developed and
formulated the following objectives:
 To evaluate and propose a design of advanced RFID antenna;
 To determine the specification of the antenna design;
 To simulate the antenna for determining the change in the performance and
impedance;
 To simulate and determine the performance of the antenna while mounting the on the
solid metallic objects;
 T enhance the overall performance of the proposed RFID antenna;
CE 1.2.3: My area of work
During this project, I have subdivided the entire work in three major divisions. The three
division included the evaluation and determination of the antenna design and characteristics,
modeling the antenna based on the specific design and third, the simulation of the proposed
antenna. I have worked in this project for providing the physical characteristic and design
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specification of the antenna. After completing the design of the RFID antenna, I have carried out
the simulation in CST software.
CE 1.2.4: Project Group
Figure 1: Team Member associated in this project
CE 1.2.5: My responsibilities throughout the project
I was involved as a team member working for the development of advances RFID
antenna. I was allocated with the responsibility of implementing the design and simulation
process based on the sensitivity of the various objects where the RFID tag was used. Apart from
that, I took more responsibility in comparing the results of simulation with wood, rubber and
glass substance.
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CE 1.3: Distinctive Activity
CE 1.3.1: Comprehending the Theory of the project
I have proposed a design of an antenna through this project that is capable of utilizing the
electromagnetic fields around the metallic ad rubber objects nearby. Through this, the antenna
and the RFID system would able to operate with various kinds of surface and objects. Therefore
in this project, I have designed the microstrip patch as the required tag of the antenna for the
RFID system. I have integrated a microchip for developing the RFID tag. In order to match the
impedance between the tag chip and the antenna, I have conjugated maximum power to the chip.
I have utilized impedance matching method while combining the microstrip line feed and steps
cutting method in the patch radiating plate.
Figure: Antenna Structure Developed
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CE 1.3.2: Engineering Knowledge and Skills applied in the project
In this project I have used microstrip line feed, step cutting element and two elements
with short radiating along with an inset for designing the radiating patch plate of the antenna tag.
I have further shorted the radiating element electrically to the ground with the application of the
vias while connecting the microstrip line feeding with the microstrip. I have adjusted the ground
shortening and the microstrip line gap for achieving the conjugate match. I have used 1.5λ by
1.5λ dielectric platform for simulating the antenna structure.
CE 1.3.3: Accomplishment and Task Performed
I have evaluated the various requirement of the antenna and tag design, I was successful
in developing the dielectric parameter and geometrical design of the antenna. In this project I
have used 33 mm length and 31 mm width of patch antenna with 1.60 mm substrate thickness. In
addition to that, I have ensured 3 mm of strip width and 9 mm of inset depth for the microstrip
RFID antenna.
CE 1.3.4: Identified Issues and Their Solutions
Issue: While developing the design of the RFID based micro strip antenna, I have
observed that the vital requirement of the project was to match the impedance of the micro strip
with the tag used for the RFID system. I have faced significant difficulty while working in this
project during the design and development of the passive tag and matching the impedance with
the antenna. I have observed due to high capacitive reactance and smaller resistance; I was
unable to achieve the detailed design and impedance for the antenna.
Solution: I have studied and reviewed various research and papers for resolving the issue.
After understanding the design requirement I have conjugated the RFID chip design having the
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impedance of the chip between 3.7- j60.02 Ω. I have simulated the design of the proposed
antenna for the RFID system. I have therefore inputted the impedance to the antenna between the
desired bands. In the second analysis of the antenna, I have observed that return loss of -30 dB
when the inputted impedance was observed at 2.45GHz. Apart from that, I have observed the
radiation efficiency of the antenna was 88% while the 6.393 dBi of directivity was achieved.
CE 1.3.5: Plan for producing creative and innovative work
In order to develop creativeness in this project, I have simulated the antenna while
placing the tag on glass, rubber and wooden surfaces. After conducting the simulation process, I
have observed that the impedance of the designed antenna almost remains the same as the
impedance of the designed antenna in the free space. After simulating the impedance of the
antenna between the different dialectic elements I have found that the impedance is higher than
the observed impedance over the free space. I have further attached the metallic object with the
tag for enhancing the antenna gain with the elimination of the backward radiation obtained from
the designed antenna. Through this I was able to achieve the drop in the gain when mounted to
wood, glass and rubber substance. In addition to that, I have grounded the patch antenna that has
provided me with less sensitiveness of the tag with the wood, glass and rubber substance.
CE 1.3.6: Collaborative work
I have designed the RFID antenna and determined the specification and design
characteristic with the team members following team and collaborative work. For the simulation
of the designed antenna, I have worked alone with for ensuring detailed process. I seek the
guidance of the assistance professor who have provided me with the technical information for
carrying out the simulation process with various dielectric substrate in this project. With the
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application of both collaboration and individual work, I was successful in completing the project
with great effectiveness and quality.
CE 1.4: Project Review
CE 1.4.1: Project Overview
After completing the design and simulation of the RFID antenna developed for the
project, I have observed that the designed tag have less sensitivity to various types of object that
is placed over. I have used the ground plate in the antenna that has allowed me in reducing the
effect the surface where the antenna is being placed at various surface. In addition to that, I was
successful in achieving the cross polarization and co-polarization of radiation. From the project, I
have concluded that the beam direction of the RFID antenna developed in the project gents
distorted due to the side lobe on the metallic platform.
CE 1.4.2: My contribution to work
I have worked mainly for the determining the deign characteristic and simulating the
antenna performance based on the various dielectric substance used in the project. I was
successful in developing the proper and effective design through which I was able to reduce the
loss and increase the gain of the RFID tag antenna. I have further worked for the antenna
simulation and determined the impact of the various substances on the reading range, input
impedance and gain of the antenna.
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