Extending Temperature Range of UHF RFID Sensors for Industrial Applications

While current Internet of Things (IoT) deployment is ready to cover most cases of digital industries, there are still some lacks in critical applications where high temperature, cost-effective, and battery-less sensors could enhance the manufacture process. In this letter, we propose the use of a standard ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) battery-less sensor for measuring high temperatures in industrial settings. To achieve this, we modify the thermal properties of a commercial tag using a rubber enclosure and thermal tape. We then develop a physical thermal model of the encapsulated tag to predict the external temperature using the tag's temperature readout. Two applications of the model and two approaches for measurement range enlargement are presented and compared, proving that this could be a powerful way to address high temperature applications in a fast and cost-effective manner.