UHF RFID Read Range in Pharma — Nordic ID HH83 + RAIN TAR17 V2

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Laboratory · Read Range Calculation

Friis model calculation for pharma. Nordic ID HH83 handheld reader (B-HH83-UHF-EU), RAIN TAR17 V2 tag (Impinj M750, −24 dBm). 4 packaging scenarios. Near-field warning. FMD compliance.

Reader
Nordic ID HH83
ETSI EU · 33 dBm · IP65 · Android 10
Antenna
Integrated V/H/V+H
~2 dBi · SW-controlled polarisation
Tag
RAIN TAR17 V2
Impinj M750 · −24 dBm · 44.5×19 mm
Standard
ETSI EN 302 208
866 MHz · EIRP 3.3 W (35.2 dBm)
01 · Link Budget 

Input Parameters & Results — 4 Scenarios

ParameterValueNotes
Frequency 866 MHz ETSI EU centre
Wavelength (λ) 0.346 m ~35 cm
EIRP (max) 35.2 dBm (3.3 W) Nordic ID HH83 datasheet
Internal losses ~0.3 dB Integrated antenna
Reader antenna gain ~2 dBi Handheld integrated
Tag antenna gain ~2 dBi TAR17 V2 dipole
M750 sensitivity −24 dBm Read mode, datasheet
Fading margin 6 dB Handheld, operator compensates
Near-field boundary (λ/2π) ~0.055 m (5.5 cm) Friis valid from ~0.2 m
Scenario 1 · Cardboard
~1.7 m
Practical: ~1.1 m
Scenario 2 · Plastic (HDPE)
~1.5 m
Practical: ~0.9 m
Scenario 3 · Glass / Ampoule
~1.1 m
Practical: ~0.7 m
Scenario 4 · Alum. Blister
~0.25 m
Practical: ~0.15 m
⚡ M750 (−24 dBm) delivers twice the range of Higgs-3 (−18 dBm). Optimal handheld distance: 30–80 cm on cardboard. Aluminium blister: secondary packaging only, or on-metal tag.
⚠️ Near-field boundary: Friis is not valid at d < 0.2 m. Keep HH83 at 20–80 cm from the tag.
ScenarioMismatch LossPolarisation LossFade MarginMax PLR_max (theor.)R_max (pract.)
Cardboard 2.5 dB ~2.5 dB 6 dB 49.7 dB ~1.7 m ~1.1 m
Plastic (HDPE) 3.5 dB ~2.5 dB 6 dB 48.7 dB ~1.5 m ~0.9 m
Glass / ampoule 6.5 dB ~2.5 dB 6 dB 45.7 dB ~1.1 m ~0.7 m
Alum. blister ~20 dB ~2.5 dB 6 dB 32.2 dB ~0.25 m ~0.15 m
02 · Aluminium Blister 

Aluminium Blister: Problem Physics & Solutions

Aluminium Blister — Critical CaseAluminium reflects ~99% of RF energy. Direct + reflected signal = antiphase → destructive interference. Tag antenna resonance shifts from 866 MHz to 700–750 MHz. VSWR: 1.5 → 5.0+. Losses 15–25 dB. Practical range: 10–25 cm.
#SolutionDescriptionEffectivenessCost
1 Tag on secondary packaging Cardboard box over blister — pharma standard Best option €
2 On-metal tag Special air-gap tag (e.g. Omni-ID Exo) +12–18 dB €€
3 Ferrite spacer 0.5–1 mm ferrite pad under standard tag +10–15 dB €€€
03 · M750 vs Higgs-3 

Why M750: Chip Comparison

ChipRead sensitivityvs M750Write sens.FastIDPharma use
Alien Higgs-3 −18 dBm −6 dB (0.5× range) −15 dBm ❌ Outdated
Impinj Monza R6 −22 dBm −2 dB −18 dBm ❌ Acceptable
Impinj M750 −24 dBm baseline −21 dBm ✅ Recommended
04 · Polarisation 

Polarisation Selection for Pharma

SituationTag orientationHH83 polarisationLoss
Boxes upright on shelf Vertical V (vertical) 0–1 dB when matched
Boxes flat on pallet Horizontal H (horizontal) 0–1 dB when matched
Manual inventory Random V+H Switching 0–3 dB (average)
Conveyor (known orient.) Fixed V or H Optimum speed
V→H mismatch Perpendicular Avoid 20–30 dB loss!
05 · Operator Distance 

Recommended Scanning Distances

Packaging typeMin. distanceOptimumMax workingPolarisation
Cardboard box 20 cm 50 cm 80 cm V+H
Plastic bottle 20 cm 40 cm 70 cm V+H
Glass bottle / ampoule 20 cm 35 cm 50 cm V+H
Alum. blister (on-metal) 10 cm 15 cm 20 cm V+H
06 · Model Limitations 

What Friis Does Not Account For

#FactorImpactWhere critical
1 Multipath (metal racking) ±5–15 dB Cold storage rooms
2 Tag orientation (random) up to 20 dB Without V+H Switching
3 Condensation (cold chain) +5–8 dB After cold storage
4 Tag shadowing (stacked) 10–20 dB Pallets, multi-layer
5 M750 chip variation ±2–3 dB Different batches
6 Operator movement speed 2–5 dB Fast scanning
7 HH83 battery discharge 1–2 dB End of working day
8 EM noise (WiFi, equipment) 3–10 dB Production environment
9 Cold chain temperature (+2°C) 1–3 dB Without acclimatisation
10 Near-field (d < 0.2 m) unpredictable Scanner too close to tag
Model limitationFriis equation does not account for: multipath in metal-racked warehouses (±5–15 dB), condensation on cold-chain products (+5–8 dB), tag shadowing in stacks (10–20 dB), operator movement speed (2–5 dB). For FMD compliance (100% read rate) double-scanning and verification are mandatory.
07 · Recommendation 

Engineering Summary

MetricValueNotes
R_max (cardboard, theor.) ~1.7 m Ideal conditions
R_max (cardboard, pract.) ~1.1 m With 6 dB margin
R_max (plastic, pract.) ~0.9 m Tablet bottles
R_max (glass, pract.) ~0.7 m Ampoules, injectables
R_max (blister, pract.) ~0.15 m On-metal tag required
M750 vs Higgs-3 2.0× range +6 dB sensitivity
Read rate (cardboard) 98–99.5% FMD-compliant
Read rate (glass/plastic) 85–95% Liquid = extra losses
Read rate (blister, no on-metal) 60–80% Not FMD-compliant
Final recommendationTag on cardboard + V+H + 30–80 cm distance = 98–99.5% read rate. Blisters: secondary packaging only. Cold chain: 15–30 min acclimatisation. FMD: double-scan mandatory.
✓ Best practices for pharma:
  • ✓ Tag on secondary cardboard packaging, not on blister
  • ✓ V+H Switching for manual inventory
  • ✓ 30–80 cm scanning distance for cardboard
  • ✓ 15–30 min acclimatisation for refrigerated products
  • ✓ Double-scan for FMD compliance
  • ✓ M750 chip for critical zones (not Higgs-3)
✗ Avoid:
  • ✗ Direct blister scanning without on-metal tag
  • ✗ Fixed V or H polarisation with random tag orientation
  • ✗ Distance under 20 cm (near-field)
  • ✗ Scanning condensation-covered packs from cold storage
  • ✗ Fast movement (< 0.5 sec per tag)
08 · FAQ 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is aluminium blister packaging critical for RFID?
Aluminium reflects ~99% of RF energy. Direct signal + reflected = antiphase → destructive interference. Tag antenna resonance shifts from 866 MHz to 700–750 MHz, VSWR degrades from 1.5 to 5.0+, losses 15–25 dB. Range drops to 10–25 cm. Solution: tag on outer cardboard secondary packaging.
Why is M750 better than Higgs-3 for pharma?
M750 sensitivity is −24 dBm — 6 dB better than Higgs-3 (−18 dBm). By Friis equation +6 dB equals doubled read range. FastID reads TID and EPC in one query — critical for FMD verification during high-speed inventory.
Which polarisation to choose for manual pharma inventory?
V+H Switching is the only correct choice for handheld work with random tag orientation. V→H mismatch causes 20–30 dB loss. HH83 supports software-controlled polarisation switching.
rfid.org.ua · Laboratory · 2026-02-27Model: Friis · ETSI EN 302 208 · FMD 2011/62/EU

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