Modified UTD-based UHF RFID tag antenna with two-pronged fork slot for coated metallic cylindrical surface

Abstract

This research has proposed a modified uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) for radiation to investigate the radiation pattern on the coated metallic curved surface. The modified UTD, which accounts for the existence of the impedance surface (coating), is applied to the development of a compact UHF RFID passive tag antenna with a two-pronged fork slot to be mounted on the coated metallic cylindrical drum. In the calculation, the UHF RFID tag was initially represented by electric tangential (E_z-source) and equivalent magnetic tangential to the surface (M_z-source). The results indicated that the M_z-source could achieve a greater communication area, and thus the design of the tag antenna is of equivalent magnetic source. Simulations were then carried out to determine the optimal antenna parameters, and an antenna prototype was fabricated and tested. The simulation and measured results are in agreement. The research findings validate the effectiveness of the modified UTD-based UHF RFID tag for application on the coated metallic curved surface.

Keywords:

• Coated cylinder
• tag antenna
• UHF RFID
• UTD