• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Electrical Engineering News and Products

Electronics Engineering Resources, Articles, Forums, Tear Down Videos and Technical Electronics How-To's

  • Products / Components
    • Analog ICs
    • Battery Power
    • Connectors
    • Microcontrollers
    • Power Electronics
    • Sensors
    • Test and Measurement
    • Wire / Cable
  • Applications
    • 5G
    • Automotive/Transportation
    • EV Engineering
    • Industrial
    • IoT
    • Medical
    • Telecommunications
    • Wearables
    • Wireless
  • Learn
    • eBooks / Handbooks
    • EE Training Days
    • Tutorials
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Design Guide Library
    • Digital Issues
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • DesignFast
  • Videos
    • EE Videos and Interviews
    • Teardown Videos
  • EE Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online.com
  • Bill’s Blogs
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

When should passive or active RFID be used?

February 28, 2023 By RFrank

The main difference between passive and active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags is the absence (passive) or presence (active) of an internal power source. Because of these primary differences, there are several secondary differences. Understanding these differences is the key to properly selecting the most appropriate RFID system for a specific application.

Passive RFID
Since they have no internal power source, a standard passive RFID tag consists only of an IC and internal antenna. To operate, the passive RFID tag obtains its energy from the signal transmitted by an RFID reader. After reception at the tag’s antenna, the energy powers the IC which generates a signal back to the RF system. This limited system places restrictions on the capabilities of the passive RFID based on operating frequency.

Low Frequency (LF) (125 – 134 kHz) has an extremely long wavelength with usually a short read range of about 1 – 10 centimeters. This frequency range it is not significantly affected by water or metal.

High Frequency (HF) & Near-Field Communication (NFC) (13.56 MHz) is a medium wavelength with a typical read range of about 1 centimeter up to 1 meter.

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) (865 – 960 MHz) is short, high-energy wavelength of about a one meter which provides a long read range. While they can be read from an average distance of about 5 – 6 meters, larger UHF tags can achieve up to 30+ meters of read range.

Because of their lower price point per tag, passive RFID tags are used for applications such as access control, file tracking, race timing, supply chain management, smart labels and more.

Active RFID
With an internal battery as their power source, active RFID systems have three essential parts: a reader or interrogator, antenna, and a tag. The battery enables these RFIDs to have extremely long read ranges and large memory banks. The two main frequencies used by active systems are 433 MHz and 2.45 GHz. The longer wavelength of RFID systems that operate on the 433 MHz enables them to work a little better with non-RF friendly materials like metal and water.

There are two different types of active RFID tags: transponders and beacons.

In a system with an active transponder tag, similar to a passive system, the reader initially sends a signal, and then the active transponder replies by sending a signal back with the appropriate data. Transponder tags are very efficient and conserve battery life when the tag is out of range of the reader.

In a system that uses an active beacon tag, the tag will beacon or send out its specific information every 3 – 5 seconds. While active tag’s beacons can be read hundreds of meters away, to conserve battery life, their transmit power can be reduced to reach around 100 meters read range.

Active RFID systems are usually used in the oil and gas industry, shipping and logistics, construction, mining and high-value manufacturing. Table 1 provides a quick summary of the differences that may impact the choice of passive vs active RFID.

Table 1. Summary of key differences between passive and active RFID tags. Source: Difference Between Active And Passive RFID Tag Systems (tutorialsweb.com)

References

Active RFID vs. Passive RFID: What’s the Difference? – atlasRFIDstore
Difference Between Active And Passive RFID Tag Systems (tutorialsweb.com)

You Might Also Like

Filed Under: FAQ, Featured, Sensor Tips Tagged With: atlasrfidstore, FAQ

Primary Sidebar

EE Engineering Training Days

engineering

Featured Contributions

Meeting demand for hidden wearables via Schottky rectifiers

GaN reliability milestones break through the silicon ceiling

From extreme to mainstream: how industrial connectors are evolving to meet today’s harsh demands

The case for vehicle 48 V power systems

Fire prevention through the Internet

More Featured Contributions

EE Tech Toolbox

“ee
Tech Toolbox: Internet of Things
Explore practical strategies for minimizing attack surfaces, managing memory efficiently, and securing firmware. Download now to ensure your IoT implementations remain secure, efficient, and future-ready.

EE Learning Center

EE Learning Center
“ee
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.
“bills

R&D World Podcasts

R&D 100 Episode 10
See More >

Sponsored Content

Advanced Embedded Systems Debug with Jitter and Real-Time Eye Analysis

Connectors Enabling the Evolution of AR/VR/MR Devices

Award-Winning Thermal Management for 5G Designs

Making Rugged and Reliable Connections

Omron’s systematic approach to a better PCB connector

Looking for an Excellent Resource on RF & Microwave Power Measurements? Read This eBook

More Sponsored Content >>

RSS Current EDABoard.com discussions

  • Power on delay circuit
  • General purpose CMOS Op Amp and PMOS & NMOS from LTSpice library
  • Power switches to replace Mechanical Relay in the HV pulse tester setup
  • Single Ended- Differential Ended LNA comparison
  • Help with HFSS: Mesh error, found 6 bodies without triangles

RSS Current Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Guitar electronics project
  • Arduino picking up button presses on power up of the board
  • 12v battery, 18v magic
  • Behringer MX 1602 mixer - reading block diagram
  • how to work on pcbs that are thick
Search Millions of Parts from Thousands of Suppliers.

Search Now!
design fast globle

Footer

EE World Online

EE WORLD ONLINE NETWORK

  • 5G Technology World
  • Analog IC Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Engineer's Garage
  • EV Engineering
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips

EE WORLD ONLINE

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Teardown Videos
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • About Us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy