RFID readers come in four form factors: fixed readers, handhelds, USB desktop readers and embedded modules. This overview shows which form factor fits which job, names devices from the IDCRAFT portfolio and points to price and availability in the shop.
The four form factors compared
- Fixed — UHF up to approx. 12 m, HF up to approx. 50 cm. Ethernet, PoE, RS-232, GPIO, some Wi-Fi. For stationary read points: dock door, conveyor, shelf, access point.
- Handheld — UHF approx. 4 to 15 m depending on the device, HF a few centimetres. Android device, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, some 5G. When people go to the goods: stocktaking, goods-in, maintenance.
- Desktop — a few centimetres to approx. 35 cm. USB-A or USB-C, some Bluetooth LE. When items are captured or encoded one at a time at a desk.
- Embedded module — range depends on the external antenna. TTL, UART, USB, CCID. When the reader becomes part of your own device.
Range figures are indicative under good conditions. What a given installation actually achieves depends on the tag, the antenna orientation and the material around it, and only a trial will tell you.
Matching devices from the portfolio
Fixed: Chainway UR300 with Android 11, an Impinj E Series chipset with Gen2X and over 1,300 tags per second, Chainway UR4 and CAEN Proton. Full lists under UHF fixed readers and HF fixed readers.
Handheld: Chainway MC51 with Android 14, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, IP67 and up to 4 m read range, CAEN fIDo as a sled with SP-Connect mount and wireless phone charging, and the rugged Chainway P80 UHF tablet. Overview: UHF handheld readers and HF handheld readers.
Desktop: Chainway R3S with 30 dBm, an integrated antenna, USB-C and Bluetooth LE, CT DeskID with 17 dBm and up to 35 cm read range, CAEN Slate with a circular polarised antenna. For HF and NFC the ACS ACR1552U with ISO 14443 A/B, ISO 15693, ISO/IEC 18092 and a SAM slot.
Embedded modules: the Chainway CM710 series with 4, 8 or 16 antenna ports, the CAEN Lepton-x4 TTL and for HF the ACS ACM1552U-Z2. Overview: UHF reader modules and HF reader modules.
Price and availability: the IDCRAFT Shop shows prices for the Chainway UR4, Chainway R3S, CT DeskID, Chainway MC51 G and ACS ACR1552U, among other models. Devices without a shop listing, such as the CAEN Proton or Impinj R700 / R720, come with samples and project pricing on request.
Deep dive for the 13.56 MHz side: our NFC reader guide compares desktop, Bluetooth, module and panel readers and shows how to choose.
RFID readers for industrial use
In manufacturing and intralogistics, what counts is ingress protection, interfaces and suitability for continuous operation. On the UHF | RAIN side, devices that meet these requirements include the CAEN Proton with IP65, 4 antenna ports and PoE with M12 industrial connectors, the Zebra FX9600 with up to 8 antenna ports, and the Zebra FXR90 with IP67 protection. Built-in readers sit right at the machine: the Kronotech PH22 panel reader for the 22 mm mounting concept, with 13.56 MHz and 125 kHz, USB-A and IP67 front protection, and the cylindrical Kronotech M30 UHF with an integrated antenna, an IP65 rating and a read range of up to 40 cm. Full lists: UHF RFID readers for dock doors, conveyors and shop floors and fixed HF | NFC readers. How these devices work on the line is covered in RFID in industrial automation.
Mini RFID readers and USB readers
If you only read individual cards, tags or labels at a desk, you need a small USB reader, not a gate. For UHF | RAIN these are the CT minID (USB-C, R/W or HID mode, about the size of a Bluetooth headset charging case), the CT PocketID with a read range of up to 15 cm and the CT DeskID with keyboard emulation. For HF | NFC it is the ACS ACR1552U with USB-A or USB-C. Interfaces, drivers and selection by application are covered in the guide to RFID USB readers and desktop readers.
RFID scanners: handhelds for stocktaking and goods-in
People searching for an RFID scanner usually mean a mobile reader: an Android handheld with a UHF module, often with a pistol grip, that reads whole shelves or pallets in one pass. Examples are the Chainway MC51 G (Android 14, IP67, up to 15 m read range) and the Zebra TC22R (up to 12.2 m read range). The Chainway SR160 combines a UHF reader and a 2D barcode scanner in one device. All mobile devices are listed under UHF handheld readers and HF handheld readers.
RFID reader manufacturers at a glance
IDCRAFT is not tied to any manufacturer. What each brand in the portfolio stands for:
- ACS: HF | NFC desktop readers, Bluetooth readers and reader modules such as ACR1552U, ACR1555U and ACM1552U.
- HID: OMNIKEY desktop readers and reader boards for HF | NFC.
- rf IDEAS: WAVE ID readers, most of them dual-frequency for 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz.
- Chainway: UHF | RAIN handhelds, fixed readers and reader modules.
- Zebra: fixed UHF readers such as FX9600 and FXR90, handhelds and RFID printers.
- Impinj: R700 / R720, fixed readers for large tag populations and challenging RF conditions.
- CAEN RFID: Proton as a fixed reader, Slate as a desktop reader, fIDo and skID as mobile readers, Lepton as a module.
- Kronotech: the PH22 panel reader for the 22 mm mounting concept and cylindrical M30 readers for HF and UHF.
- CT (CRAFT Technologies): UHF | RAIN desktop readers DeskID and minID, the URIIA fixed reader and the GateSense gate reader. How a gate is built from reader, antennas and sensors is covered in our guide to the RFID gate.
How does an RFID reader work?
RFID readers are the active core of every RFID system. Their primary function is to communicate wirelessly with RFID transponders (tags) using radio frequency signals in order to identify, read, and—if required—write data. An RFID reader generates an electromagnetic field via its antenna. When an RFID tag enters this field, it is energized either inductively (LF/HF) or via electromagnetic waves (UHF). The tag then responds by modulating and reflecting part of the signal back to the reader, a process known as backscatter. For the whole picture, from frequency bands to form factors, see What is RFID?
The device decodes this response and forwards the captured data—such as a unique ID, EPC number, or user memory—to backend systems like ERP, WMS, or MES platforms. Modern devices support anti-collision algorithms, enabling the reliable reading of hundreds of tags simultaneously without line-of-sight, even in dynamic environments.
At IDCRAFT, RFID readers are selected and configured based on real-world application requirements, including frequency range (LF, HF/NFC, UHF/RAIN RFID), read distance, environmental conditions, and system integration. Whether for intralogistics, production, asset tracking, or Digital Product Passport use cases, IDCRAFT supports customers with the right RFID reader hardware for reliable, scalable RFID solutions.
HF, NFC or UHF: which frequency for which job?
HF and NFC operate at 13.56 MHz. Read range runs from a few centimetres to around 50 cm depending on antenna and transponder, and typically stays under 10 cm for NFC under ISO 14443. That is often the point rather than a limitation: when someone presents a card at a reader, you want to read exactly that card and nothing else nearby. HF is far less affected by water and human tissue than UHF, which is why it dominates healthcare and industrial laundry. The governing standards are ISO 14443 (A and B), ISO 15693 and ISO/IEC 18092.
UHF, also called RAIN RFID, operates at 865 to 868 MHz in Europe. Read range reaches around 12 m depending on tag, antenna and environment. Transmit power is capped by ETSI EN 302 208 at 2 W ERP. The US uses 902 to 928 MHz at 4 W EIRP, so devices need regional approval. UHF reads whole populations of tags at once, pays for it with sensitivity to metal and liquids, and needs on-metal tags and a considered antenna layout in those environments.
Is NFC the same as RFID? NFC is a subset of HF RFID, not a separate technology alongside it. An HF reader that supports ISO 14443 and ISO/IEC 18092 reads NFC tags as a matter of course. A UHF reader does not read NFC tags and vice versa, because the frequency and the air interface differ. Devices that do both carry two separate reader modules.
