ISO/IEC 18047-3:2022

Information technology - Radio frequency identification device conformance test methods - Part 3: Test methods for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz

This document defines test methods for determining the conformance of radio frequency identification devices (tags and interrogators) for item management with the specifications given in ISO/IEC 18000‑3. It does not apply to the testing of conformity with regulatory or similar requirements. The test methods intend to verify the mandatory functions, and any optional functions which are implemented. This can, in appropriate circumstances, be supplemented by further, application-specific functionality criteria that are not available in the general case. This document includes the following interrogator and tag conformance parameters: - mode-specific conformance parameters including nominal values and tolerances; - parameters that apply directly affecting system functionality and inter-operability. This document does not include the following: - parameters that are already included in regulatory test requirements; - high-level data encoding conformance test parameters (these are specified in ISO/IEC 15962).

Titre manque

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 03-Mar-2022
• ICS: 35.040.50 - Automatic identification and data capture techniques
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 - Automatic identification and data capture techniques
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 4 - Radio communications
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 04-Mar-2022
• Due Date: 06-Nov-2023
• Completion Date: 04-Mar-2022

Relations

• Revises: ISO/IEC TR 18047-3:2011 - Information technology - Radio frequency identification device conformance test methods - Part 3: Test methods for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz
• Effective Date: 17-Jul-2021

Overview

ISO/IEC 18047-3:2022 specifies conformance test methods for radio frequency identification (RFID) devices - both tags and interrogators - that operate at 13.56 MHz and are used for item management. The document defines how to verify mandatory functions and any implemented optional functions against the air‑interface parameters given in ISO/IEC 18000‑3. It focuses on functional and interoperability parameters for Mode 1, Mode 2 and Mode 3 air interfaces and explicitly does not cover regulatory compliance testing or high‑level data encoding conformance (see ISO/IEC 15962).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope of testing: Conformance verification of tag and interrogator behavior relative to ISO/IEC 18000‑3 parameters (mode‑specific nominal values and tolerances).
• Default test conditions: Environmental conditions (23 °C ± 3 °C, 40–60 % RH), 24‑hour pre‑conditioning for tags when required, and a default tolerance of ±5 % for test equipment and procedure dimensions.
• Measurement rigor: Requirement to state total measurement uncertainty in test reports (reference to ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3).
• Test apparatus and circuits: Defined test elements include calibration coils (PCB coil details and substrate thickness 0.76 mm ±10 %), test interrogator assembly (interrogator antenna plus sense coils for load modulation), reference tags, and digital sampling oscilloscopes.
• Mode‑specific tests: Separate conformance procedures and circuits for ISO/IEC 18000‑3 Mode 1, Mode 2 and Mode 3 (mandatory ASK part), with annexes detailing dimensions and setups for tag sizes, test antennas, sense coils and reference tags.
• Exclusions: Regulatory parameters and high‑level encoding conformance (handled in ISO/IEC 15962) are out of scope.

Practical applications and users

• Who uses it: RFID test laboratories, device manufacturers, product quality and compliance engineers, systems integrators and certification bodies performing laboratory conformance testing.
• Why it matters: Ensures interoperability, predictable performance and functional conformance of 13.56 MHz RFID devices used in item management (e.g., inventory, logistics, asset tracking). Results are used to validate product design, support certification and reduce field interoperability issues.
• Typical outcomes: Measured conformance reports that compare device behavior to ISO/IEC 18000‑3 parameters, documented measurement uncertainty, and reproducible test setups described in normative annexes.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 18000‑3 - Air interface parameters for 13.56 MHz RFID (normative linkage).
• ISO/IEC 15962 - High‑level data encoding conformance (out of scope for 18047‑3).
• ISO/IEC 19762 - Harmonized vocabulary for AIDC.
• ISO/IEC Guide 98‑3 - Guide for expressing measurement uncertainty (informative reference).

Keywords: ISO/IEC 18047-3:2022, RFID conformance testing, 13.56 MHz RFID, air interface communications, ISO/IEC 18000-3, test methods, calibration coil, interrogator antenna, load modulation, measurement uncertainty.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 18047-3
First edition
2022-03
Information technology — Radio
frequency identification device
conformance test methods —
Part 3:
Test methods for air interface
communications at 13,56 MHz
Reference number
© ISO/IEC 2022
© ISO/IEC 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 2
4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 — 13,56 MHz . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Default conditions applicable to the test methods . 3
4.2.1 Test environment . 3
4.2.2 Pre-conditioning . 3
4.2.3 Default tolerance . 3
4.2.4 Spurious inductance . 3
4.2.5 Total measurement uncertainty . 3
4.3 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1 . 3
4.3.1 General . 3
4.3.2 Test apparatus and test circuits . 4
4.3.3 Functional test — Tag . 8
4.3.4 Functional test — Interrogator . 9
4.4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 . 10
4.4.1 General . 10
4.4.2 Test apparatus and test circuits . 10
4.4.3 Functional test — Tag .12
4.4.4 Functional test — Interrogator . 13
4.5 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 3 (mandatory ASK part) . 14
4.5.1 General . 14
4.5.2 Test apparatus and test circuits . 14
4.5.3 Functional test – tag . 18
4.5.4 Functional test — interrogator . 19
Annex A (normative) Test setup parameters and dimensions for tags smaller than or equal
to an ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 outline .21
Annex B (normative) Guideline for RFID tags larger than ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 size .23
Annex C (normative) Test interrogator antenna .27
Annex D (informative) Test interrogator antenna tuning .30
Annex E (normative) Sense coil .33
Annex F (normative) Reference tag for interrogator power test .35
Annex G (informative) Reference tag for load modulation test .37
Annex H (informative) Program for evaluation of the spectrum .39
Bibliography .43
iii
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

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.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance
are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria
needed for the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in
accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or
www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
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. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see patents.iec.ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html. In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 31, Automatic identification and data capture techniques.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC ISO/IEC 18047 series can be found on the ISO and IEC websites.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.
iv
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

Introduction
ISO/IEC 18000 defines the air interfaces for radio frequency identification (RFID) devices used in item
management applications. ISO/IEC 18000-3 defines the air interface for these devices operating in the
13,56 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band and used in these applications.
Each part of ISO/IEC 18047 contains all measurements required to be made on a product in order to
establish whether it conforms to the corresponding part of ISO/IEC 18000. For ISO/IEC 18047-3, each
product should be assessed following either the procedure defined for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1, for
Mode 2 or for Mode 3.
v
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 18047-3:2022(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 document defines test methods for determining the conformance of radio frequency identification
devices (tags and interrogators) for item management with the specifications given in ISO/IEC 18000-3.
It does not apply to the testing of conformity with regulatory or similar requirements.
The test methods intend to verify the mandatory functions, and any optional functions which are
implemented. This can, in appropriate circumstances, be supplemented by further, application-specific
functionality criteria that are not available in the general case.
This document includes the following interrogator and tag conformance parameters:
— mode-specific conformance parameters including nominal values and tolerances;
— parameters that apply directly affecting system functionality and inter-operability.
This document does not include the following:
— parameters that are already included in regulatory test requirements;
— high-level data encoding conformance test parameters (these are specified in ISO/IEC 15962).
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements 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 18000-3, Information technology — Radio frequency identification for item management —
Part 3: Parameters for air interface communications at 13,56 MHz
ISO/IEC 19762, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) techniques —
Harmonized vocabulary
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 19762 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

3.1.1
loading effect
change in interrogator antenna current caused by the presence of tag(s) in the field due to the mutual
coupling modifying the interrogator antenna resonance and quality factor
3.2 Symbols and abbreviated terms
ar reference tag width
ASK amplitude shift keying
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
ISM industrial scientific and medical
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
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

wr reference tag track width
4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 — 13,56 MHz
4.1 General
This document 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-under-test 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 18000-3 Mode 1, Mode 2 and Mode 3.
4.2 Default conditions applicable to the test methods
4.2.1 Test environment
Unless otherwise specified, testing shall take place in an environment of temperature 23 °C ± 3 °C and
of relative humidity 40 % to 60 %.
4.2.2 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.
4.2.3 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).
4.2.4 Spurious inductance
Resistors and capacitors should have negligible inductance.
4.2.5 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/IEC Guide 98-3.
4.3 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 1
4.3.1 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 shall be as specified in
Annex A. Dimensions of larger tags shall be in accordance with Annex B.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.3.2 Test apparatus and test circuits
4.3.2.1 General
This subclause 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 4.3.2.2);
— test interrogator assembly (see 4.3.2.3);
— reference tag (see 4.3.2.5);
— digital sampling oscilloscope (see 4.3.2.6).
4.3.2.2 Calibration coil
4.3.2.2.1 General
This subclause defines the size, thickness and characteristics of the calibration coil PCB.
4.3.2.2.2 Size of the Calibration coil
The calibration coil PCB consists of an area, which has the height and width defined in Figure 1. Figure 1
shows an example calibration coil containing a single turn coil concentric with the tag outline.
Key
A coil ca x cb, 1 turn
B connections
C outline oa x ob
Figure 1 — Example calibration coil
4.3.2.2.3 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.
4.3.2.2.4 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. The track width shall be 500 μm
±20 %. The size of the connection pads shall be 1,5 mm × 1,5 mm.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

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.
4.3.2.3 Test interrogator assembly
4.3.2.3.1 General
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
14 pF.
The capacitance of the connections and oscilloscope probe should be kept to a minimum for
reproducibility.
Key
A interrogator antenna
B sense coil B
C sense coil A
D identical length of twisted pairs of less than lx mm
E probe
F to oscilloscope
NOTE The values for the parameters are listed in Table A.2.
Figure 2 — Example test set-up
4.3.2.3.2 Test interrogator antenna
The test interrogator antenna shall have a diameter and a construction conforming to the drawings in
Annex C. The tuning of the antenna may be accomplished with the procedure given in Annex D.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.3.2.3.3 Sense coils
The size and the sense coil construction shall conform to the drawings in Annex E.
4.3.2.4 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.
Key
A DUT
B sense coil A
C interrogator antenna
D sense coil B
E calibration coil
NOTE 1 The asp air spacing avoids parasitic effects such as detuning by closer spacing or ambiguous results
due to noise and other environmental effects.
NOTE 2 The values for the parameters are listed in Table A.2.
Figure 3 — Test interrogator assembly
4.3.2.5 Reference tags
4.3.2.5.1 General
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.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.3.2.5.2 Reference tag for interrogator power
The schematic for the power test shall be as defined 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 4.3.4.1.2. The resonant
min max
frequency can be adjusted with C2.
4.3.2.5.3 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 4.3.3. This amplitude should correspond to the minimum amplitude at all values of field
strength required by the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
4.3.2.5.4 Dimensions of the reference tags
The reference tag which is used for the measurements shall 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.
Key
A coil
B example outline ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 type
C circuitry
Figure 4 — Example of an ISO card sized reference tag
4.3.2.5.5 Thickness of the reference tag board
The thickness of the reference tag active area shall be 0,76 mm ±10 %.
4.3.2.5.6 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.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

The coil is printed on PCB plated with 35 µm copper.
Track width shall be wr and spacing shall be sr.
NOTE The values for the parameters are listed in Table A.3.
4.3.2.6 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 programs. An example of the program is
shown in Annex H.
4.3.3 Functional test — Tag
4.3.3.1 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
min max
functionality of the tag with the modulation under emitted fields as defined in ISO/IEC 18000-3
parameter table for tag to interrogator link (reference M1-Tag:7).
4.3.3.2 Test procedure
Step 1: Use the load modulation test circuit of Figure 2 and the test interrogator assembly of Figure 3.
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
min max
ISO/IEC 18000-3 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 minimize 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.
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 should 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.
NOTE See ISO/IEC 10373-7 for appropriate command sequence.
4.3.3.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured amplitudes of the upper sideband(s) at fc + fs1 (and fc + fs2,
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).
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.3.4 Functional test — Interrogator
4.3.4.1 Interrogator field strength and power transfer
4.3.4.1.1 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 4.3.4.1.2 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 shall use a reference tag as defined in Annex F to determine that a specific interrogator to be
tested can supply a certain power to a tag placed anywhere within the defined operating volume.
4.3.4.1.2 Test procedure
a) Procedure for H test:
max
1) Tune the reference tag to 13,56 MHz.
The resonant frequency of the reference tag is measured by using an impedance analyzer 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 (see Figure F.1).
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 (see Annex F) is measured with a high impedance
DC
voltmeter and shall not exceed 3 V where the load resistor parallel to the coil L is set to R2 and
the field strength equals H .
max
b) Procedure for H test:
min
1) Tune the reference tag to 13,56 MHz.
2) Set jumper J1 to position a to activate R1 (see Figure F.1).
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
DC
shall exceed 3 V where the load resistor parallel to the coil L is set to R1 and the field strength
equals H .
min
4.3.4.1.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured values for V at H and H under the defined conditions.
DC min max
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:3 for H and reference M1-Int:3a for H ).
max min
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.3.4.2 Modulation index and waveform
4.3.4.2.1 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.
4.3.4.2.2 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.
4.3.4.2.3 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).
4.3.4.3 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.
4.4 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2
4.4.1 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
max min
H and H .
max min
The tag reply load modulation is measured as described in 4.4.3.2.
4.4.2 Test apparatus and test circuits
4.4.2.1 General
This subclause 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 (4.4.2.2);
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

— test interrogator assembly (4.4.2.3);
— reference tags (4.4.2.5).
4.4.2.2 Calibration coil
See 4.3.2.2.
4.4.2.3 Test interrogator assembly
4.4.2.3.1 General
See 4.3.2.2.
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).
4.4.2.3.2 Test interrogator antenna
See 4.3.2.2.2.
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
max min
base standard, 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.
4.4.2.3.3 Sense coils
See 4.3.2.3.3.
4.4.2.4 Assembly of test interrogator
See 4.3.2.4.
4.4.2.5 Reference tags
4.4.2.5.1 General
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;
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

— to generate the minimum tag reply load modulation signal.
4.4.2.5.2 Reference tag for interrogator power
See 4.3.2.5.2.
This reference tag shall be calibrated in accordance with B.8.
4.4.2.5.3 Reference tag for load modulation reception test
See 4.5.2.5.2
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 4.4.3.2. Adjusting or modifying the
value of Rmod1 and Rmod2 (see Annex G) sets the tag reply load modulation amplitude.
4.4.2.5.4 Dimensions of the reference tags
See 4.3.2.5.4.
4.4.3 Functional test — Tag
4.4.3.1 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
min max
under emitted fields as defined in the base standard, ISO/IEC 18000-3.
4.4.3.2 Test procedure
This test uses the test interrogator assembly (see 4.4.2.3).
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 4.4.4.2) 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 4.4.2.5.2) 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.
The sensitivity of the test set up is affected by the settings of the spectrum analyser and care should be
taken to set the spectrum analyser to maintain consistent test results.
4.4.3.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured amplitudes of the sidebands and the applied fields and
modulations for all sub-carriers.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.4.4 Functional test — Interrogator
4.4.4.1 Interrogator field strength and power transfer
4.4.4.1.1 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 4.4.2.5.2).
4.4.4.1.2 Test procedure
See 4.3.4.1.2.
4.4.4.1.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured values for V at H and H under the defined conditions.
DC min max
4.4.4.2 Modulation phase shift waveform
4.4.4.2.1 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.
4.4.4.2.2 Test procedure
The calibration coil (see 4.4.2.2) 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.
4.4.4.2.3 Test report
The test report shall give the measured phase shift times.
4.4.4.3 Load modulation reception
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 4.4.2.5) 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 should not be interpreted as
failure of conformance for an otherwise conforming interrogator.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.5 Conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 3 (mandatory ASK part)
4.5.1 General
The conformance tests for ISO/IEC 18000-3 mode 3 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.
4.5.2 Test apparatus and test circuits
4.5.2.1 General
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 4.5.2.2)
— test interrogator assembly (see 4.5.2.3)
— reference tag (see 4.5.2.5)
— digital sampling oscilloscope (see 4.5.2.6).
4.5.2.2 Calibration coil
4.5.2.2.1 Size of the calibration coil
The calibration coil PCB consists of an area, which has the height and width defined in Figure 5
containing a single turn coil concentric with the tag outline.
Key
A coil ca x cb, 1 turn
B connections
C outline oa x ob
Figure 5 — Example calibration coil
4.5.2.2.2 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.
4.5.2.2.3 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 5 with a corner radius, co.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

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.
4.5.2.3 Test interrogator assembly
4.5.2.3.1 General
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 6. 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
14 pF.
The capacitance of the connections and oscilloscope probe should be kept to a minimum for
reproducibility.
Key
A interrogator antenna
B sense coil B
C sense coil A
D identical length of twisted pairs of less than lx mm
E probe
F to oscilloscope
Figure 6 — Example test set-up
4.5.2.3.2 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.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.5.2.3.3 Sense coils
The size and the sense coil construction shall conform with the drawings in Annex E.
4.5.2.4 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 7. 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.
Key
A DUT
B sense coil A
C interrogator antenna
D sense coil B
E calibration coil
NOTE 1 The asp air spacing avoids parasitic effects such as detuning by closer spacing or ambiguous results
due to noise and other environmental effects.
NOTE 2 The values for the parameters are listed in Table A.2.
Figure 7 — Test interrogator assembly
4.5.2.5 Reference tags
4.5.2.5.1 General
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.
© ISO/IEC 2022 – All rights reserved

4.5.2.5.2 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 4.5.4.1.2. The resonant frequency can
min max
be adjusted with C2.
4.5.2.5.3 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 4.5.3. This amplitude should correspond to the minimum amplitude given below for all
field strength values
...