What is an RFID Reader ?

An RFID reader’s function is to interrogate RFID tags.
The means of interrogation is wireless and because
the distance is relatively short; line of sight between
the reader and tags is not necessary. A reader
contains an RF module, which acts as both a
transmitter and receiver of radio frequency signals.
The transmitter consists of an oscillator to create the
carrier frequency; a modulator to impinge data
commands upon this carrier signal and an amplifier
to boost the signal enough to awaken the tag. The
receiver has a demodulator to extract the returned
data and also contains an amplifier to strengthen the
signal for processing. A microprocessor forms the
control unit, which employs an operating system and
memory to filter and store the data. The data is now
ready to be sent to the network.