rfidfyi 0.1.1

RFID tag and frequency band encyclopedia API client — look up passive, active, and semi-passive tags, EPC Gen2, ISO 18000 standards, and read range specifications from RFIDFYI.

rfidfyi

RFID tag and frequency band encyclopedia API client for Python. Look up passive, active, and semi-passive RFID tags, readers from Impinj, Zebra, and Alien Technology, EPC Gen2 encoding schemes, ISO 18000-series standards, and frequency band specifications from RFIDFYI -- the comprehensive RFID reference with 318 records covering tag ICs, reader hardware, air interface protocols, and real-world deployment use cases across retail, logistics, healthcare, and industrial automation.

Extracted from RFIDFYI, an RFID technology platform with 318 records spanning tag specifications, reader hardware, frequency regulations, EPC encoding, antenna types, and industry deployment guides used by supply chain engineers, inventory management architects, and IoT developers worldwide.

Explore RFID at rfidfyi.com -- Tag Explorer | Standards Reference | Frequency Bands | EPC Schemes

Table of Contents

• Install
• Quick Start
• What You'll Find on RFIDFYI
  • RFID Tag Types
  • Frequency Bands
  • EPC Encoding Schemes
  • Tag IC Families
  • Reader Hardware
  • Read Range Factors
  • Key RFID Standards
• API Endpoints
• Command-Line Interface
• MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
• REST API Client
• Learn More About RFID
• Also Available
• Tag FYI Family
• FYIPedia Developer Tools
• License

Install

pip install rfidfyi[api]     # API client (httpx)
pip install rfidfyi[cli]     # + CLI (typer, rich)
pip install rfidfyi[mcp]     # + MCP server
pip install rfidfyi[all]     # Everything

Quick Start

from rfidfyi.api import RFIDFYI

with RFIDFYI() as api:
    # Search tags, readers, standards, frequency bands
    results = api.search("uhf")
    print(results)

    # Look up a specific RFID tag IC
    tag = api.tag("impinj-monza-r6")
    print(tag["name"], tag["frequency"])  # Impinj Monza R6 UHF

    # Compare two RFID tags side-by-side
    diff = api.compare("impinj-monza-r6", "alien-higgs-ec")
    print(diff)

    # Discover a random tag
    surprise = api.random()
    print(surprise["name"])

What You'll Find on RFIDFYI

RFIDFYI is a comprehensive RFID encyclopedia covering tags, readers, frequency bands, air interface protocols, EPC encoding schemes, and industry standards. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects -- powering supply chain visibility, inventory management, access control, asset tracking, and anti-counterfeiting across every major industry.

RFID Tag Types

RFID tags are classified by their power source, which fundamentally determines read range, cost, size, and application suitability:

Type	Power Source	Read Range	Cost	Battery Life	Examples
Passive	Harvested from reader RF field	LF: <10 cm, HF: <1 m, UHF: 1-12 m	$0.03-0.15	Unlimited	Impinj Monza, NXP UCODE, Alien Higgs
Semi-Passive (BAP)	Battery-assisted backscatter	15-30 m	$2-10	3-5 years	ON Semiconductor Magnus S3
Active	Internal battery + transmitter	30-100+ m	$10-50+	3-7 years	Zebra WhereTag, Confidex Ironside

Passive tags dominate commercial deployments (90%+ of all RFID tags shipped) due to their low cost, no maintenance requirements, and effectively unlimited lifespan. Active tags serve specialized long-range applications like real-time location systems (RTLS) and container tracking.

Learn more: Tag Explorer | Glossary

Frequency Bands

RFID operates across four primary frequency bands, each with distinct physics governing read range, data rate, and material penetration:

Band	Frequency	Range	Data Rate	Penetration	Primary Use
LF	125-134.2 kHz	<10 cm	<1 kbps	Excellent (water, metal)	Animal tracking, access cards
HF	13.56 MHz	<1 m	25-424 kbps	Good (water), poor (metal)	NFC payments, library books
UHF	860-960 MHz	1-12 m	40-640 kbps	Poor (water), fair (metal)	Retail, logistics, supply chain
SHF (Microwave)	2.45 GHz	1-2 m	High	Poor	Toll collection, industrial

UHF regional allocations: UHF RFID frequencies vary by region due to regulatory differences -- 902-928 MHz (Americas, FCC Part 15), 865-868 MHz (Europe, ETSI EN 302 208), 920-925 MHz (China, MIIT), 916-921 MHz (Japan, ARIB). Tags must be designed for the target market's frequency range, and multi-region tags use broadband antenna designs covering 860-960 MHz.

Learn more: Frequency Bands | Standards

EPC Encoding Schemes

The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a universal identifier for physical objects, encoded in the EPC memory bank of UHF RFID tags. GS1's EPC Tag Data Standard (TDS) defines encoding schemes that map existing GS1 identifiers to binary tag formats:

Scheme	Bits	Encodes	Use Case
SGTIN-96	96	GS1 Company Prefix + Item Ref + Serial	Retail items (most common)
SGTIN-198	198	Same + alphanumeric serial	Pharmaceutical serialization
SSCC-96	96	GS1 CP + Serial Reference	Shipping containers, pallets
GRAI-96	96	GS1 CP + Asset Type + Serial	Returnable assets (totes, kegs)
GIAI-96	96	GS1 CP + Individual Asset Ref	Fixed assets (equipment, tools)
SGLN-96	96	GS1 CP + Location Ref + Extension	Physical locations (warehouses)
GDTI-96	96	GS1 CP + Document Type + Serial	Documents, certificates

SGTIN-96 is the most widely deployed EPC scheme, used in Walmart, Target, and Zara item-level tagging mandates. It encodes a 14-digit GTIN plus a 38-bit serial number, enabling unique identification of every individual item (not just SKU-level).

Learn more: EPC Schemes | Industry Applications

Tag IC Families

Major RFID tag IC product lines from leading semiconductor manufacturers:

Family	Manufacturer	Band	Sensitivity	Memory	Key Feature
Monza R6	Impinj	UHF	-22.1 dBm	96-bit EPC	Industry-best sensitivity
Monza R6-P	Impinj	UHF	-20.5 dBm	96-bit + 32-bit user	Read-only access password
UCODE 8	NXP	UHF	-22.5 dBm	96-bit EPC	Smallest IC die (0.33 mm2)
UCODE 9	NXP	UHF	-23.0 dBm	128-bit EPC	AES-128 authentication
Higgs EC	Alien Technology	UHF	-20.5 dBm	96-bit + 128-bit user	Extended memory for encoding
Magnus S3	ON Semiconductor	UHF	-8.2 dBm (BAP)	512-bit	Battery-assisted, temperature sensor

Reader Hardware

RFID readers transmit RF energy to power passive tags and decode their backscattered responses. Fixed readers mount at dock doors, conveyor belts, and portals; handheld readers serve inventory counting and asset verification:

Reader	Manufacturer	Ports	Max Power	Interface	Use Case
Speedway R420	Impinj	4	32.5 dBm	Ethernet, USB	Dock door portals
FX9600	Zebra	4/8	33 dBm	Ethernet, USB	Warehouse, distribution
ALR-F800	Alien Technology	4	33 dBm	Ethernet, GPIO	Manufacturing, logistics
MC3330xR	Zebra	Integrated	24 dBm	Wi-Fi, BT	Handheld inventory

Read Range Factors

RFID read range depends on physics and environmental conditions:

Factor	Impact	Optimization
Tag IC sensitivity	-22 dBm IC reads at 2x distance vs -18 dBm	Choose latest-gen ICs
Reader TX power	+3 dBm = ~40% range increase	Max regional EIRP limits
Tag antenna gain	Higher gain = longer range, narrower beam	Match antenna to orientation
Frequency	UHF travels farther than HF/LF	UHF for long-range applications
Material interference	Water absorbs UHF, metal reflects	Specialized on-metal tag designs
Multi-path	Reflections cause null zones	Antenna placement, circular polarization

Learn more: Tag Explorer | Frequency Guide

Key RFID Standards

Standard	Organization	Scope
ISO/IEC 18000-63	ISO	UHF RFID air interface (EPC Gen2 aligned)
EPC Gen2 v2.1	GS1/EPCglobal	UHF Class 1 Gen 2 protocol
ISO/IEC 14443 A/B	ISO	HF proximity cards (NFC compatible)
ISO/IEC 15693	ISO	HF vicinity cards (up to 1 m)
ISO 11784/11785	ISO	LF animal identification
EPC TDS 2.0	GS1	Tag Data Standard -- encoding schemes
RAIN RFID	RAIN Alliance	UHF RFID ecosystem certification

Learn more: Standards Reference | EPC Schemes

API Endpoints

Free, no authentication required. JSON responses with CORS enabled.

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/tag/{slug}/	RFID tag detail with specs
GET	/api/reader/{slug}/	Reader detail with protocols
GET	/api/family/{slug}/	Tag family with member tags
GET	/api/frequency/{slug}/	Frequency band with regional allocations
GET	/api/standard/{slug}/	Standard detail with linked tags
GET	/api/epc/{slug}/	EPC scheme encoding structure
GET	/api/use-case/{slug}/	Use case with recommended tags
GET	/api/term/{slug}/	Glossary term definition
GET	/api/search/?q={query}	Search across all content types
GET	/api/compare/?a={slug}&b={slug}	Compare two tags
GET	/api/random/	Random tag discovery
GET	/api/openapi.json	OpenAPI 3.1.0 specification

Example

# Search for UHF RFID tags
curl -s "https://rfidfyi.com/api/search/?q=uhf" | python -m json.tool

Full API documentation at rfidfyi.com/api/. OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec: rfidfyi.com/api/openapi.json.

Command-Line Interface

rfidfyi search "epc gen2"                     # Search all content
rfidfyi tag impinj-monza-r6                   # Tag detail
rfidfyi compare impinj-monza-r6 alien-higgs-ec  # Side-by-side comparison
rfidfyi random                                # Discover a random tag

MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "rfidfyi": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": ["--from", "rfidfyi[mcp]", "python", "-m", "rfidfyi.mcp_server"]
        }
    }
}

Tools: rfid_search, rfid_lookup, rfid_compare

REST API Client

from rfidfyi.api import RFIDFYI

with RFIDFYI() as api:
    api.search("uhf")                          # Full-text search
    api.tag("impinj-monza-r6")                 # Tag detail
    api.reader("impinj-speedway-r420")         # Reader detail
    api.family("passive-uhf")                  # Tag family
    api.frequency("uhf-860-960")               # Frequency band
    api.standard("iso-18000-63")               # Standard detail
    api.epc("sgtin-96")                        # EPC scheme
    api.use_case("retail-inventory")           # Use case
    api.glossary_term("backscatter")           # Glossary term
    api.compare("impinj-monza-r6", "alien-higgs-ec")  # Compare
    api.random()                               # Random discovery
    api.openapi()                              # OpenAPI 3.1.0 spec

Learn More About RFID

• Browse: Tag Explorer · Frequency Bands · EPC Schemes
• Reference: Standards · Use Cases · Glossary
• API: REST API Docs · OpenAPI Spec

Also Available

Platform	Install	Link
npm	npm install rfidfyi	npm
Go	go get github.com/fyipedia/rfidfyi-go	pkg.go.dev
Rust	cargo add rfidfyi	crates.io
Ruby	gem install rfidfyi	rubygems.org
MCP	uvx --from "rfidfyi[mcp]" python -m rfidfyi.mcp_server	Config

Tag FYI Family

Part of the FYIPedia open-source developer tools ecosystem -- automatic identification and data capture technologies.

Site	Domain	Focus
BarcodeFYI	barcodefyi.com	518 records -- barcode symbologies, standards, GS1 prefixes
QRCodeFYI	qrcodefyi.com	425 records -- QR code types, versions, encoding modes
NFCFYI	nfcfyi.com	288 records -- NFC chips, NDEF records, standards
BLEFYI	blefyi.com	261 records -- BLE chips, GATT profiles, beacons
RFIDFYI	rfidfyi.com	318 records -- RFID tags, frequency bands, EPC schemes
SmartCardFYI	smartcardfyi.com	280 records -- smart cards, EMV, Java Card, platforms

FYIPedia Developer Tools

Package	PyPI	npm	Description
barcodefyi	PyPI	npm	Barcode symbologies, standards -- barcodefyi.com
qrcodefyi	PyPI	npm	QR code types, versions, encoding -- qrcodefyi.com
nfcfyi	PyPI	npm	NFC chips, NDEF, standards -- nfcfyi.com
blefyi	PyPI	npm	BLE profiles, beacons, chips -- blefyi.com
rfidfyi	PyPI	npm	RFID tags, readers, frequencies -- rfidfyi.com
smartcardfyi	PyPI	npm	Smart cards, EMV, platforms -- smartcardfyi.com

License

MIT