A Dual-Band Low-Power-Consumption Active RFID Tag Based on a Meander FPCB Antenna for Subway Vehicle Management

A meander microstrip antenna was designed to operate in the UHF and microwave bands. Laser direct structuring (LDS) and the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) method were used to fabricate the antenna, and their results were compared. A dual-band low-power-consumption active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag based on the present antenna was developed and fabricated for an automated subway vehicle maintenance system. The recognition distance of the active tag is more than 20 m at 900 MHz and more than 170 m at 2.4 GHz, while the recognition rate is >95% at 900 MHz and 100% at 2.4 GHz. The 100% recognition rate was obtained when the RFID readers were placed in a line parallel to the subway track. Therefore, we have shown that our active RFID tag can be used in a subway vehicle management system.