Chipless RFID Reader Architecture
RF Cafe Quiz #53

This quiz is based on the information presented in Chipless RFID Reader Architecture, by Nemai Chandra Karmakar, Randika V. Koswatta, Prasanna Kalansuriya, and Rubayet E-Azim.

Graciously provided by Artech House

1.  What is a major advantage of chipless RFID over existing RFID?

a)  Increased read range
b)  Lower cost
c)  Increased sensitivity
d)  All the above

2.  What is a name given to fully printable, passive microwave and millimeter-wave chipless RFID tags?

a)  PPMM arrays
b)  Radar arrays
c)  Sonar arrays
d)  Inverse arrays

3.  What is the assigned frequency (or band) on (within) which RFID systems must operate?

a)  13.65 MHz
b)  UHF / VHF bands
c)  2.4 GHz ISM band
d)  There is no specific assigned frequency / band

4.  What type(s) of frequency domain based RFID tags are currently in use?

a)  Chemical tags
b)  Space-filling tags
c)  Dipole array tags
d)  All the above

5.  What is the common name given to the device that performs the interrogation of an RFID system?

a)  A reader
b)  A broadcaster
c)  A transponder
d)  A pinger

6.  What is / are the current limitation(s) of chipless RFID readers?

a)  Reader cost
b)  Read range
c)  Reading speed
d)  All the above

7.  What is a rectenna?

a)  A back-end antenna
b)  A rectangular antenna for efficient square wave reception
c)  A rectifying antenna that converts a microwave signal into DC power
d)  No such thing

8.  What type of antenna is shown to the right?

a)  Left-hand polarized
b)  Right-hand polarized
c)  Circular log periodic
d)  Fractal

9.  What is the most basic antenna that can yield omnidirectional radiation patterns over a UWB (ultra wide bandwidth) band?

a)  Disk-loaded monopole
b)  Biconic
c)  Standard feedhorn
d)  1/2-wave dipole

10.  How can smart antenna technology mitigate the interference problem of RFID reading?

a)  With artificial intelligence (AI)
b)  With electronic beam steering
c)  With dumb tag exploitation
d)  With ultra high power interrogation

Need some help? Click here for the answers and explanations.

Quizzes from vintage electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics, Electronics-World, QST, and Radio News were published over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert P. Balin created most of the quizzes for Popular Electronics. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

Posted September 25, 2013