The Resonance Frequency Measurement Method of PICCs and the Environmental Influence

A chipcard- or RFID-system operating at 13.56 MHz normally consists of three main components: a Proximity Coupling Device (PCD), a Proximity Integrated Circuit Card (PICC) and a host computer. The PICC consists mainly of a loop antenna which provides the magnetic coupling with the PCD and the IC which is needed for the communication between PCD / PICC and digital data processing. The loop antenna and the input circuitry of the IC together form a resonance circuit whose resonance frequency has a great impact on the efficiency of the magnetic coupling and is therefore an important parameter to characterize the PICC.