ISO/IEC TR 18047-3:2004

TECHNICAL ISO/IEC
REPORT TR
18047-3
First edition
2004-09-01
Information technology — Radio
frequency identification device
conformance test methods —
Part 3:
Test methods for air interface
communications at 13,56 MHz
Technologies de l'information — Méthodes d'essai de conformité du
dispositif d'identification de radiofréquence —
Partie 3: Méthodes d'essai pour des communications d'une interface
d'air à 13,56 MHz
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2004
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©  ISO/IEC 2004
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ii © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 2
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms. 2
5 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 — 13,56 MHz. 3
5.1 General. 3
5.2 Default conditions applicable to the test methods. 3
5.2.1 Test environment . 3
5.2.2 Pre-conditioning. 3
5.2.3 Default tolerance . 3
5.2.4 Spurious inductance. 3
5.2.5 Total measurement uncertainty. 3
5.3 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1. 3
5.3.1 General. 3
5.3.2 Test apparatus and test circuits. 3
5.3.3 Functional test – tag . 7
5.3.4 Functional test – interrogator . 8
5.4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2. 9
5.4.1 General. 9
5.4.2 Test apparatus and test circuits. 10
5.4.3 Functional test – tag . 11
5.4.4 Functional test – interrogator . 12
Annex A (normative) Test setup parameters and dimensions for tags smaller than or equal to an
ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 outline . 13
Annex B (normative) Guideline for RFID tags larger than ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 size . 15
Annex C (normative) Test interrogator antenna. 19
Annex D (informative) Test interrogator antenna tuning. 22
Annex E (normative) Sense coil. 24
Annex F (normative) Reference tag for interrogator power test . 26
Annex G (informative) Reference tag for load modulation test . 28
Annex H (informative) Program for evaluation of the spectrum. 29
Bibliography . 33

© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
In exceptional circumstances, the joint technical committee may propose the publication of a Technical Report
of one of the following types:
 type 1, when the required support cannot be obtained for the publication of an International Standard,
despite repeated efforts;
 type 2, when the subject is still under technical development or where for any other reason there is the
future but not immediate possibility of an agreement on an International Standard;
 type 3, when the joint technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that which is
normally published as an International Standard (“state of the art”, for example).
Technical Reports of types 1 and 2 are subject to review within three years of publication, to decide whether
they can be transformed into International Standards. Technical Reports of type 3 do not necessarily have to
be reviewed until the data they provide are considered to be no longer valid or useful.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC TR 18047-3, which is a Technical Report of type 2, was prepared by Joint Technical Committee
ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee SC 31, Automatic identification and data capture
techniques.
ISO/IEC TR 18047 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Radio
frequency identification device conformance test methods:
 Part 3: Test methods for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz
 Part 4: Test methods for air interface communications at 2,45 GHz
Test methods for air interface communications below 135 kHz, at 860 MHz to 960 MHz, and at 433 MHz will
form the subjects of future Parts 2, 6 and 7, respectively.

iv © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

Introduction
ISO/IEC 18000 defines the air interfaces for radio frequency identification (RFID) devices used in item
management applications. Part 3 of ISO/IEC 18000 defines the air interface for these devices operating in the
13,56 MHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band and used in these applications.
The purpose of ISO/IEC TR 18047 is to provide test methods for conformance with the various parts of
ISO/IEC 18000.
Each part of ISO/IEC TR 18047 contains all measurements required to be made on a product in order to
establish whether it conforms with the corresponding part of ISO/IEC 18000. For ISO/IEC TR 18047-3, each
product needs to be assessed following either the procedure defined for Mode 1 or for Mode 2.

© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved v

TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/IEC TR 18047-3:2004(E)

Information technology — Radio frequency identification device
conformance test methods —
Part 3:
Test methods for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz
1 Scope
This part of ISO/IEC TR 18047 defines test methods for determining the conformance of radio frequency
identification devices (tags and interrogators) for item management with the specifications given in the
corresponding part of ISO/IEC 18000, but does not apply to the testing of conformity with regulatory or similar
requirements.
The test methods require only that the mandatory functions, and any optional functions which are
implemented, be verified. This may, in appropriate circumstances, be supplemented by further, application-
specific functionality criteria that are not available in the general case.
This part of ISO/IEC TR 18047 includes the following interrogator and tag conformance parameters:
 mode-specific conformance parameters including nominal values and tolerances; and
 parameters that apply directly affecting system functionality and inter-operability.
This part of ISO/IEC TR 18047 does not include the following:
 parameters that are already included in regulatory test requirements; and
 high-level data encoding conformance test parameters (these are specified in ISO/IEC 15962).
Clause 5 describes all necessary conformance tests, while clause 5.3 applies to Mode 1 products only and
clause 5.4 applies to Mode 2 products only.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 7810, Identification cards — Physical characteristics
ISO/IEC 18000-1, Information technology — Radio frequency identification for item management — Part 1:
1)
Reference architecture and definition of parameters to be standardized
ISO/IEC 18000-3, Information technology — Radio frequency identification for item management — Part 3:
1)
Parameters for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz
ISO/IEC 19762 (all parts), Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques —
1)
Harmonized vocabulary
1) To be published.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 1

3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 19762 (all parts) apply.
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms
ar reference tag width
asp air spacing
br reference tag height
ca calibration coil width
cb calibration coil height
co calibration coil corner radius
dis distance between test interrogator antenna and sense coils
DUT device under test
fc frequency of the operating field
fs frequency of sub-carrier
H maximum field strength of the interrogator antenna field
max
H minimum field strength of the interrogator antenna field
min
lx length of test interrogator assembly connection cable
lya test interrogator and sense coil PCB width
lyb test interrogator and sense coil PCB height
lyd test interrogator coil diameter
lyw test interrogator coil track width
nr number of turns of reference tag
oa calibration coil outline width
ob calibration coil outline height
PCB printed circuit board
rs sense coil corner radius
sa sense coil width
sb sense coil height
sr reference tag track spacing
wr reference tag track width
2 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

5 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 — 13,56 MHz
5.1 General
This part of ISO/IEC TR 18047 specifies a series of tests to determine the conformance of interrogators and
tags. The results of these tests shall be compared with the values of the parameters specified in
ISO/IEC 18000-3 to determine whether the interrogator or tag under test conforms.
Unless otherwise specified, the tests in this document shall be applied exclusively to RFID tags and
interrogators defined in ISO/IEC 18000 Part 3 Mode 1 and Mode 2.
5.2 Default conditions applicable to the test methods
5.2.1 Test environment
Unless otherwise specified, testing shall take place in an environment of temperature 23 °C +/- 3 °C
(73 °F +/- 5 °F) and of relative humidity 40 % to 60 %.
5.2.2 Pre-conditioning
Where pre-conditioning is required by the test method, the identification tags to be tested shall be conditioned
to the test environment for a period of 24 h before testing.
5.2.3 Default tolerance
Unless otherwise specified, a default tolerance of +/- 5 % shall be applied to the quantity values given to
specify the characteristics of the test equipment (e.g. linear dimensions) and the test method procedures (e.g.
test equipment adjustments).
5.2.4 Spurious inductance
Resistors and capacitors should have negligible inductance.
5.2.5 Total measurement uncertainty
The total measurement uncertainty for each quantity determined by these test methods shall be stated in the
test report.
NOTE Basic information is given in “ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement”,
ISBN 92-67-10188-9, 1993.
5.3 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1
5.3.1 General
The conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 mode 1 are described independent of the tag size. For tests of
tags smaller or equal to ID-1 (as defined in ISO/IEC 7810) all dimensions are specified in Annex A, while
Annex B applies to larger tags.
5.3.2 Test apparatus and test circuits
This clause defines the test apparatus and test circuits for verifying the operation of a tag or an interrogator
according to the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3. The test apparatus includes:
- Calibration coil (see 5.3.2.1)
- Test interrogator assembly (see 5.3.2.2)
- Reference tag (see 5.3.2.4)
- Digital sampling oscilloscope (see 5.3.2.5).
These are described in the following clauses.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 3

5.3.2.1 Calibration coil
This clause defines the size, thickness and characteristics of the calibration coil PCB.
5.3.2.1.1 Size of the Calibration coil
The calibration coil PCB consists of an area, which has the height and width defined in Figure 1 containing a
single turn coil concentric with the tag outline.
Outline oa ob
x
connections
Coil ca x cb
1 turn
Figure 1 — Example calibration coil
5.3.2.1.2 Thickness and material of the calibration coil substrate
The thickness of the calibration coil PCB shall be 0,76 mm +/- 10 %. It shall be constructed of a suitable
insulating material such as FR4 or equivalent.
5.3.2.1.3 Coil characteristics
The coil on the calibration coil PCB shall have one turn. The outer size of the coil shall be as defined in
Figure 1 with a corner radius co.
The coil is made as a printed coil on PCB plated with 35 µm copper. Track width shall be 500 µm +/- 20 %.
The size of the connection pads shall be 1,5 mm × 1,5 mm.
A high impedance oscilloscope probe (e.g. >1 MΩ, <14 pF) shall be used to measure the open circuit voltage
in the coil. The resonant frequency of the whole set (calibration coil, connecting leads and probe) shall be
above 60 MHz.
5.3.2.2 Test interrogator assembly
The test interrogator assembly for load modulation consists of an interrogator antenna and two parallel sense
coils: sense coil A and sense coil B. The test set-up is shown in Figure 2. The sense coils are connected such
that the signal from one coil is in opposite phase to the other. The 50 Ω potentiometer P1 serves to fine adjust
the balance point when the sense coils are not loaded by a tag or any magnetically coupled circuit. The
capacitive load of the probe including its parasitic capacitance shall be less than 14pF.
IMPORTANT The capacitance of the connections and oscilloscope probe should be kept to a minimum for reproducibility.
4 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

+ +
sense coil B
220 Ohm
- -
P1
identical length
twisted pairs of less
50 Ohm
than lx mm
220 Ohm
Interrogator
probe
antenna
+ +
sense coil A
- -
to
oscilloscope
Figure 2 — Example test set-up
5.3.2.2.1 Test interrogator antenna
The test interrogator antenna shall have a diameter and a construction conforming with the drawings in
Annex C. The tuning of the antenna may be accomplished with the procedure given in Annex D.
5.3.2.2.2 Sense coils
The size and the sense coil construction shall conform with the drawings in Annex E.
5.3.2.3 Assembly of test interrogator
The sense coils and test interrogator antenna shall be assembled parallel to each other. The sense and
antenna coils shall be coaxial and the distance between the active conductors shall be as defined in Figure 3.
The distance between the coil in the DUT and the coil of the test interrogator antenna shall be equal to the
distance between the calibration coil and the coil of the test interrogator antenna.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 5

dis  dis
active
conductors
DUT
asp air
calibration coil
spacing
sense coil b
Interrogator
sense coil a
antenna
NOTE The asp air spacing avoids parasitic effects such as detuning by closer spacing or ambiguous results due to
noise and other environmental effects.
Figure 3 — Test interrogator assembly
5.3.2.4 Reference tags
Reference tags are defined
 to test H and H produced by an interrogator (under conditions of loading by a tag) and thus to
min max
test the ability of an interrogator to power a tag
 to generate the minimum tag reply load modulation signal.
5.3.2.4.1 Reference tag for interrogator power
The schematic for the power test is shown in Annex F. Power dissipation can be set by the resistor R1 or R2,
in order to measure H and H respectively as defined in clause 5.3.4.1.2. The resonant frequency can be
min max
adjusted with C2.
5.3.2.4.2 Reference tag for load modulation reception test
A suggested schematic for the load modulation reception test is shown in Annex G. The load modulation can
be chosen to be resistive or reactive.
This reference tag is calibrated by using the test interrogator assembly as follows:
The reference tag is placed in the position of the DUT. The load modulation signal amplitude is measured as
described in clause 5.3.3. This amplitude should correspond to the minimum amplitude at all values of field
strength required by the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
5.3.2.4.3 Dimensions of the reference tags
The reference tag which is used for the measurements has to be described in the measurement report.
Figure 4 shows as an example an ISO card sized reference tag which consists of an area containing a coil
which has the same height and width as those defined in ISO/IEC 7810 for ID-1 type.
An area external to this, containing the circuitry that emulates the required tag functions, is appended so as to
allow insertion into the test set-ups described below and so as to cause no interference to the tests.
6 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

Example outline ISO/
Coil
Circuitry
IEC 7810 ID-1 type
172 mm
Figure 4 — Example of an ISO card sized reference tag
5.3.2.4.4 Thickness of the reference tag board
The thickness of the reference tag active area shall be 0,76 mm +/- 10 %.
5.3.2.4.5 Coil characteristics
The coil in the active area of the reference tag shall have nr turns and shall be concentric with the area
outline.
The outer size of the coils shall be ar x br.
The coil is printed on PCB plated with 35 µm copper.
Track width shall be wr and spacing shall be sr.
5.3.2.5 Digital sampling oscilloscope
The digital sampling oscilloscope shall be capable of sampling at a rate of at least 100 million samples per
second with a resolution of at least 8 bits at optimum scaling. The oscilloscope should have the capability to
output the sampled data as a text file to facilitate mathematical and other operations such as windowing on
the sampled data using external software programmes. An example of the programme is shown in Annex H.
5.3.3 Functional test – tag
5.3.3.1 Purpose
The purpose of this test is to determine the amplitude of the tag load modulation signal within the operating
field range [H , H ] as specified in the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3 and the functionality of the tag with
min max
the modulation under emitted fields as defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for tag to interrogator link
(reference M1-Tag:7).
5.3.3.2 Test procedure
Step 1: The load modulation test circuit of Figure 2 and the test interrogator assembly of Figure 3 are used.
The RF power delivered by the signal generator to the test interrogator antenna shall be adjusted to produce
the required field strength (H and H ) and modulation waveforms defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 as
min max
measured by the calibration coil without any tag. The output of the load modulation test circuit of Figure 2 is
connected to a digital sampling oscilloscope. The 50 Ω potentiometer P1 shall be trimmed to minimise the
residual carrier. This signal shall be at least 40 dB lower than the signal obtained by shorting one sense coil.
Step 2: The tag under test shall be placed in the DUT position, concentric with sense coil A. The RF drive into
the test interrogator antenna shall be re-adjusted to the required field strength.
IMPORTANT Care should be taken to apply a proper synchronization method for low amplitude load modulation.
Exactly two sub-carrier cycles of the sampled modulation waveform shall be Fourier transformed. A discrete
Fourier transformation with a scaling such that a pure sinusoidal signal results in its peak magnitude shall be
used. To minimize transient effects, a sub-carrier cycle immediately following a non-modulating period must
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 7

be avoided. In case of two sub-carrier frequencies this procedure shall be repeated for the second sub-carrier
frequency.
The resulting amplitudes of the upper sideband(s) at fc + fs1 (and fc + fs2 if both are present) and the lower
sideband(s) at fc - fs1 (and fc - fs2, if present) respectively shall be above the value defined in the base
standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
An appropriate command sequence as defined in the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3 shall be sent by the
test interrogator to obtain a signal or load modulation response from the tag.
5.3.3.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured amplitudes of the upper sideband(s) at fc + fs1 (and fc + fs, if present)
and the lower sideband(s) at fc - fs1 (and fc - fs2, if present) and the applied fields and modulations. The
pass/fail condition is determined by the values defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for tag to
interrogator link (reference M1-Tag:7).
5.3.4 Functional test — interrogator
5.3.4.1 Interrogator field strength and power transfer
5.3.4.1.1 Purpose
This test measures the field strength produced by an interrogator with its specified antenna in its operating
volume as defined in accordance with the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3. The test procedure of clause
5.3.4.1.2 is also used to determine that the interrogator with its specified antenna generates a field not higher
than the value specified in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for interrogator to tag link (reference M1-Int:3 for
H and reference M1-Int:3a for H ).
max min
This test uses a reference tag as defined in Annex F to determine that a specific interrogator to be tested is
able to supply a certain power to a tag placed anywhere within the defined operating volume.
5.3.4.1.2 Test procedure
Procedure for H test:
max
1. Tune the reference tag to 13,56 MHz.
NOTE The resonant frequency of the reference tag is measured by using an impedance analyser or a LCR-meter
connected to a calibration coil. The coil of the reference tag should be placed at a distance of 10 mm from the calibration
coil, with the axes of the two coils being congruent. The resonant frequency is that frequency at which the resistive part of
the measured complex impedance is at maximum.
2. Set Jumper J1 to position b to activate R2 .

3. Sweep the reference tag coaxially with the antenna through the defined operating volume of the interrogator
under test at a maximum rate of 1 cm/s.
4. The DC voltage (V ) across resistor R3 (Annex F) is measured with a high impedance voltmeter and shall
DC
not exceed 3 V where the load resistor parallel to the coil L is set to R2 and the field strength equals H .
max
Procedure for H test:
min
1. Tune the reference tag to 13,56 MHz.
2. Set Jumper J1 to position a to activate R1.
3. Sweep the reference tag coaxially with the antenna through the defined operating volume of the interrogator
under test at a maximum rate of 1 cm/s.
4. The DC voltage (V ) across resistor R3 is measured with a high impedance voltmeter and shall exceed
DC
3 V where the load resistor parallel to the coil L is set to R1 and the field strength equals H .
min
8 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

5.3.4.1.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured values for V at H and H under the defined conditions. The
DC min max
pass/fail condition is determined by the values defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for interrogator to
tag link (reference M1-Int:3 for H and reference M1-Int:3a for H ).
max min
5.3.4.2 Modulation index and waveform
5.3.4.2.1 Purpose
This test is used to determine the index of modulation of the interrogator field as well as the rise and fall times
and the overshoot values as defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 M1-Int:7d parameter table for interrogator to tag link
(reference M1-Int:7, reference M1-Int:7d, figure M1-1 and figure M1-2) within the defined operating volume.
5.3.4.2.2 Test procedure
The calibration coil is positioned anywhere within the defined operating volume, and the modulation index and
waveform characteristics are determined from the induced voltage on the coil displayed on a suitable
oscilloscope.
5.3.4.2.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured modulation index of the interrogator field, the rise and fall times and
the overshoot values within the defined operating volume. The pass/fail condition is determined by the values
defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for interrogator to tag link (reference M1-Int:7, reference M1-
Int:7d, figure M1-1 and figure M1-2).
5.3.4.3 Load modulation reception (informative only)
This is an indirect test of the ability of the interrogator to receive a minimum signal from the tag. This test
verifies that an interrogator correctly detects the load modulation of a tag that conforms to the base standard,
ISO/IEC 18000-3. It is supposed that the interrogator has means to indicate correct reception of the sub-
carrier(s) produced by a test tag.
Annex G shows a circuit which can be used in conjunction with the test apparatus to determine the sensitivity
of an interrogator to load modulation within the defined operating volume.
The pass/fail condition is determined by the values defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for tag to
interrogator link (reference M1-Tag:7). Failure under this criterion shall not be interpreted as failure of
conformance for an otherwise conforming interrogator.
5.4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2
5.4.1 General
The conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 are described independent of the tag size. For tests of
tags smaller than or equal to ID-1 all dimensions are specified in Annex A, while Annex B applies for all other
cases.
The manufacturer shall specify the tag H and H and the minimum tag reply load modulation at H and
max min max
H .
min
The tag reply load modulation is measured as described in 5.4.3.2.
IMPORTANT Due to field strengths applicable in current 13,56 MHz RFID systems, tags should be capable of handling
field strengths of up to 12 A/m.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 9

5.4.2 Test apparatus and test circuits
This clause defines the test apparatus and test circuits for verifying the operation of a tag or an interrogator
according to the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3. The test apparatus includes:
— Calibration coil
— Test interrogator assembly
— Reference tags.
These are described in the following clauses.
5.4.2.1 Calibration coil
See 5.3.2.1.
5.4.2.2 Test interrogator assembly
See 5.3.2.2.
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 a resistance of 85 Ω shall be connected across the output of the test
interrogator measurement circuit in Figure 2 (between P1 and ground).
5.4.2.2.1 Test interrogator antenna
See 5.3.2.2.1.
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 the impedance matching network in Figure C.3 shall be altered to be a tuning
network. The components for the tuning network shall be:
— C1 selected and adjusted such that the test interrogator antenna is series resonant at
13,56 MHz.
— C2 to C4 omitted (open circuit)
— R zero (closed circuit)
ext
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 the power driver, tuning network and test interrogator antenna shall provide the
manufacturer specified field strengths (H and H ) and modulation as specified in the base standard,
max min
ISO/IEC 18000-3.
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 the power driver output impedance is not constrained to 50 Ω and is not
required to provide an adjustable range of modulation index for amplitude modulation.
IMPORTANT In order to avoid adverse effects on the measurement results due to reflection, the connection between the
power driver and the test interrogator antenna should be kept as short as possible.
5.4.2.2.2 Sense coils
See 5.3.2.2.2.
5.4.2.3 Assembly of test interrogator
See 5.3.2.3.
5.4.2.4 Reference tags
Reference tags are defined:
10 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

 to test H and H produced by an interrogator (under conditions of loading by a tag) and thus to
min max
test the ability of an interrogator to power a tag
 to generate the minimum tag reply load modulation signal.
5.4.2.4.1 Reference tag for interrogator power
See 5.3.2.4.1.
This reference tag shall be calibrated in accordance with Annex B clause B.8.
5.4.2.4.2 Reference tag for load modulation reception test
See 5.3.2.4.2
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 the load modulation shall be resistive only.
For ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 the load switching signal shall be as per the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
This reference tag is calibrated using the procedure described in clause 5.4.3.2. Adjusting or modifying the
value of Rmod1 and Rmod2 (see Annex G) sets the tag reply load modulation amplitude.
5.4.2.4.3 Dimensions of the reference tags
See 5.3.2.4.3.
5.4.3 Functional test – tag
5.4.3.1 Purpose
The purpose of this test is to determine the amplitude of the tag reply load modulation signal within the
specified operating field strength range [H , H ] and functionality of the tag with modulation under emitted
min max
fields as defined in the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
5.4.3.2 Test procedure
This test uses the test interrogator assembly (see 5.4.2.2).
The RF power delivered by the signal generator to the test interrogator antenna shall be adjusted to the
required field strength and modulation waveforms (see 5.4.4.2) as measured by the calibration coil without
any tag. The output of the load modulation test circuit of Figure 2 is connected to a digital sampling
oscilloscope. The 50 Ω potentiometer P1 shall be trimmed to minimise the residual carrier. This signal shall be
at least 40 dB lower than the signal obtained by shorting one sense coil.
The tag under test shall be placed in the DUT position, concentric with sense coil A. The RF drive into the test
interrogator antenna shall be re-adjusted to the required field strength. The output of the load modulation test
circuit shall then be connected via a coax cable to a 50 Ω input spectrum analyser.
An appropriate command sequence as defined in the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3 shall be sent by the
interrogator to obtain a load modulation response from the tag. (When calibrating the reference tag (see
5.4.2.4.2) the load modulation is provided by applying the load switching signal.)
The resulting sidebands at the spectrum analyser shall be greater than or equal to the value for tag reply load
modulation as specified by the manufacturer.
IMPORTANT The sensitivity of the test set up is affected by the settings of the spectrum analyzer and care must be
taken to set the spectrum analyzer to maintain consistent test results.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 11

5.4.3.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured amplitudes of the sidebands and the applied fields and modulations
for all sub-carriers.
5.4.4 Functional test – interrogator
5.4.4.1 Interrogator field strength and power transfer
5.4.4.1.1 Purpose
This test measures that the field strength produced by an interrogator with its specified antenna in its
operating volume is no greater than a specified maximum value and no less than a specified minimum value,
and therefore determines that the interrogator will correctly power a tag within the operating volume.
This test uses a reference tag (see 5.4.2.4.1).
5.4.4.1.2 Test procedure
The test report shall give the measured values for V at H and H under the defined conditions.
DC min max
5.4.4.1.3 Test report
See 5.3.4.1.3.
5.4.4.2 Modulation phase shift waveform
5.4.4.2.1 Purpose
This test is used to determine the phase shift waveform characteristics of the interrogator field as defined in
the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3 within the defined operating volume.
5.4.4.2.2 Test procedure
The calibration coil (see 5.4.2.1) is positioned anywhere within the defined operating volume.
An unmodulated 13,56 MHz reference signal (synchronous with the 13,56 MHz interrogator clock) and the
calibration coil output are both connected to a phase discriminator. The interrogator shall have means to
provide such reference signal. The phase shift waveform characteristics are displayed on a suitable
oscilloscope via the discriminator output.
5.4.4.2.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured phase shift times.
5.4.4.3 Load modulation reception (informative only)
This is an indirect test of the ability of the interrogator to receive a minimum signal from the tag. This test
verifies that an interrogator correctly detects the reply load modulation of a tag, which conforms to the base
standard. ISO/IEC 18000-3. It is supposed that the interrogator has means to indicate correct reception of the
sub-carrier(s) produced by a test tag.
A reference tag (see 5.4.2.4.2) can be used in conjunction with the test apparatus defined in Annex G, which
shows a circuit that can be used to determine the sensitivity of an interrogator to load modulation within the
defined operating volume.
The pass/fail condition is determined by the values defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3 parameter table for tag to
interrogator link (reference M2-Tag:7). Failure under this criterion shall not be interpreted as failure of
conformance for an otherwise conforming interrogator.
12 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

Annex A
(normative)
Test setup parameters and dimensions for tags smaller than or equal to
an ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 outline
A.1 General
This normative Annex describes guidelines for the modification of the test set-up if RFID tags equal to or
smaller than ID-1 size are to be measured.
A.2 Calibration coil
Table A.1 — Definition of calibration coil for ID-1 or smaller
Symbol Value
oa defined in ISO/IEC 7810 for ID-1 type
ob defined in ISO/IEC 7810 for ID-1 type
ca 72 mm (+/- 2 %)
cb 42 mm (+/- 2 %)
co 5 mm (+/- 2 %)
NOTE 1 The area over which the field is integrated is approximately 3000 mm .
NOTE 2 At 13,56 MHz the approximate inductance is 250 nH and the approximate resistance is 0,4 Ω.
NOTE 3 A parasitic capacitance of the probe assembly of less than 35 pF normally ensures a resonant frequency for
the whole set of greater than 60 MHz.
The open circuit calibration factor for this coil is 320 mV (rms) per A/m (rms) [equivalent to 900 mV (peak-to-
peak) per A/m (rms)].
A.3 Test interrogator assembly
Table A.2 — Definition of test interrogator for ID-1 or smaller
Symbol Value
asp 3 mm
lx 150 mm
dis 100 mm
A.4 Reference tag
Table A.3 — Reference tag for ID-1 or smaller
Symbol Value
nr 4
ar 77 mm (+/- 2 %)
br 47 mm (+/- 2 %)
wr 500 µm (+/- 20 %)
sr 500 µm (+/- 20 %)
NOTE At 13,56 MHz the nominal inductance is 3,5 µH and the nominal resistance is 1 Ω.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 13

A.5 Test interrogator antenna
Table A.4 — Test interrogator antenna for ID-1 or smaller
Symbol Value
lya 170 mm
lyb 170 mm
lyd 150 mm
lyw 1,8 mm
A.6 Impedance matching network
Table A.5 — Impedance matching network components for ID-1 or smaller
Component Value
C1 47 pF
C2 180 pF
C3 33 pF
C4 2-27 pF
R
5 x 4,7 (parallel) Ω
ext
A.7 Sense coil
Table A.6 — Sense coil for ID-1 or smaller
Symbol Value
lya 170 mm
lyb 170 mm
sa 70 mm
sb 100 mm
rs 10 mm
A.8 Reference tag for interrogator power test
Table A.7 — Reference tag for interrogator power test for ID-1 or smaller
Component Value
C3 27 pF
R1 11 kΩ
R2
91 Ω
14 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved

Annex B
(normative)
Guideline for RFID tags larger than ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 size
B.1 General
This normative Annex describes guidelines for the modification of the test set-up if RFID tags larger than ID-1
size are to be measured.
B.2 Calibration coil
oa, ob:
The calibration coil PCB shall be of a suitable size to carry the single turn calibration coil and printed
connections.
ca, cb, co:
The single turn calibration coil shall be of the same shape and dimensions as the RFID tag Antenna under test.
NOTE  A parasitic capacitance of the probe assembly of less than 25 pF normally ensures a resonant frequency for
the whole set of greater than 60 MHz for ca = 81 mm and cb = 47 mm. A parasitic capacitance of the probe assembly of
less than 15 pF normally ensures a resonant frequency for the whole set of greater than 60 MHz for ca = 125 mm and
cb = 73 mm.
Calibration factor
The open circuit calibration factor k of the calibration coil can be calculated as follows:
c
k = 1 / (2 x √2 x µ x ω x A )
c 0 0 c
k Calibration factor of the calibration coil [ A/m (rms) per Volt (peak to peak) ]
c
-7
µ Permeability equal to 4 x π x 10 [Vs / Am] for free space
ω 2 x π x f ( f = System frequency of the RFID system [Hz] )
0 0 0
A Area of the single turn calibration coil [m ]
c
The induced voltage V (peak-peak) in the calibration coil can be calculated as follows:
c pp
V = H / k
c.pp rms c
H  Magnetic field strength (rms value)
rms
V Induced voltage in the calibration coil (peak-peak value)
c, pp
B.3 Test interrogator assembly
asp:
The air spacing shall be chosen depending on the DUT form factor to get the appropriate compromise
between adverse loading effect and reduction in measurement sensitivity.
© ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved 15

lx:
The length of the test interrogator assembly connection cable shall be as short as possible but not longer than
1,5 times the distance between the test interrogator antenna and the sense coils.
dis:
The distance between the test interrogator antenna and the sense coils shall be chosen so that the
modulation of the tag under test is negligible at the position of the calibration coil.
B.4 Reference tag
nr:
The reference tag number of turns shall equal those of the RFID tag antenna under test.
ar, br:
The outer size of the coil shall equal that of the RFID tag antenna under test.
wr, sr:
The reference tag track width and track spacing shall equal those of the RFID tag antenna under test.
B.5 Test interrogator antenna
lya, lyb:
The test Interrogator antenna PCB shall have a suitable size to carry the test interrogator antenna and the
impedance matching network.
lyd:
The diameter of the test interrogator antenna shall be approximately twice the maximum linear dimension
of the RFID tag antenna under test.
lyw:
The test interrogator coil track width shall be sufficient to carry the current and maintain thermal stability
for the materials being used.
B.6 Impedance matching network
R
ext
Cs
R
ant
Z
Cp
L
ant
Figure B.1 — Impedance matching network
16 © ISO/IEC 2004 – All rights reserved
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