Design of a RFID System for Real-Time Tracking of Laboratory Animals

In this paper, a real-time RFID system capable of tracking laboratory animals is designed and implemented. Four passive RFID tags based on low frequency are designed and implemented. The tags can be read by any RFID reader that operates on the low frequency range 125-134 kHz. The tags are designed through the investigation of various antenna, encoding, modulation, and energy harvesting techniques. The tag receives the electromagnetic signal via the antenna, and converts it to a DC signal that the micro-controller can use to manipulate the electromagnetic signal with the data such that the reader can decode the unique tag identifier. RFID sensors are designed and implemented to collect data from various monitored areas of a semi natural environment. The data is sent to a central data coordinator for pre-processing and middleware for data error checking, display and storage. The RFID system can successfully detect and store movement data in real time. A read range of 14.5 cm is achieved.