Transponder technologies Read more than 60 RFID technologies from low (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands with the ELATEC TWN family
What is TWN MultiTech?
There are many manufacturers and providers of RFID transponder technologies. The protocols through which they communicate are just as varied and different. Technically, a different RFID reader is required for each of these protocols. But with TWN MultiTech, we have developed a technology that can be used to read all of the world’s most common transponder protocols at the same time. TWN MultiTech is the basis for our versatile and powerful RFID readers/writers.
RFID readers with TWN MultiTech are only available from ELATEC!
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What is an ELATEC reader option?
ELATEC RFID devices can be delivered in different configurations that support more or fewer RFID (transponder) technologies. Depending on the device (i.e. single- or multi-frequency reader, NXP or LEGIC frontend), a standard configuration can usually support more than 60 RFID technologies, like MIFARE Classic or LEGIC Advant. In addition, a reader can also be upgraded in field or delivered ex-works with further ELATEC own options, also called functional extensions. Thanks to these options, the reader can support additional RFID technologies, like illustrated below.
Overview Supported Transponders
Depending on the installed firmware version* and ELATEC options, your device can support a wide range of RFID technologies. Please refer to the relevant ELATEC transponder matrix below for detailed information about the RFID technologies supported by your device.
* The firmware version installed ex-works on your device is displayed in the firmware string, under the bar code, on the product label.
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There are more than 60 transponder technologies in common use across the globe, along with emerging smartphone-based technologies such as Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Low-frequency (LF) RFID uses frequency ranges of 125 kHz, while high-frequency (HF) RFID uses a frequency of 13.56 MHz. Within those frequencies, there are dozens of proprietary transponder technologies, each with their own unique communication formats.
Most RFID readers are only able to support a small number of transponder technologies. Many RFID readers provided by transponder manufacturers are designed to only support their proprietary technologies. Other readers may only support a single frequency (LF or HF), or be limited in the number of transponder technologies that they can be configured to support at once, or lack the ability to add new transponder or smartphone-based technologies.
This becomes a problem when integrators want to sell a device to a broad client base using many different transponder technologies. If they do not have an RFID reader that supports all of the technologies their clients are using, they will have to stock multiple versions of their device with different readers installed. This creates significant inventory management issues. End purchasers may also have the need for a solution that supports multiple transponder technologies at once. For example, a building manager may have multiple corporate tenants, each with existing company ID cards they want to leverage for building access.
A universal RFID reader can accommodate these and other scenarios where support for multiple RFID and smartphone technologies is desirable. ELATEC TWN4 readers can be programmed to support 60+ transponder technologies, plus BLE and NFC applications for smartphone. Our readers support all major transponders from suppliers including ATMEL, EM, ST, NXP, TI, HID and LEGIC.
The world of RFID is changing all the time. Currently, there are 60+ commonly used transponder technologies across the globe, including both LF (125 kHz) and HF (13.56 MHz) technologies. In addition, there are newer smartphone applications using Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Single frequency readers can only support transponder technologies in the frequency that they were designed for. A multi-frequency reader that can support both HF and LF technologies provides more flexibility to meet future needs.
A flexible, reconfigurable multi-frequency RFID reader benefits both integrators and their end customers. Customers may need to reconfigure installed RFID readers to accept new technologies for a number of reasons. For example, a company may have a merger and want to update readers so they do not have to issue new cards to all of the employees of the acquired company. Or, a building management company may acquire a new tenant with existing corporate cards they want to use for building access. Integrators may also want to update readers currently in inventory—for example, to add the ability to accept BLE or NFC technologies to meet emerging customer demands. If the reader does not have the right hardware and software attributes to support the desired new technology, or if it cannot be reconfigured once installed, the only way to add the new technology is to physically replace the reader.
ELATEC TWN4 multi-frequency readers come equipped with the right antennae to support both LF and HF RFID as well as BLE and NFC technologies. That means they can be configured to read any technologies required by the end user. And as those needs change, the readers can be easily reconfigured in the field to add support for additional transponder technologies. They are built for maximum flexibility, so they are “future proof.”