6dBi UHF PCB RFID Antenna – 210x170mn

An 865–868 MHz antenna is designed for UHF RFID and low-power wireless applications operating in the European ETSI SRD band. Typical uses include UHF RFID readers (EPC Gen2 / ISO 18000-6C), asset tracking, warehouse management, access control, smart retail, race timing, and IoT/M2M systems deployed in Europe and other regions following ETSI regulations.
Airplux offers this band across multiple product families: the ETSI 865–868 MHz RFID antenna line (3–15 dBi PCB, panel and mat antennas), near-field RFID antennas, narrow-beam antennas, and ETSI UHF integrated reader antennas. For example, the 3 dBi circular-polarized PCB antenna APRIA8003CM-137 suits compact desktop readers, while high-gain panel models support long-range portal and gate applications.

ETSI 865–868 MHz antennas are tuned for the European UHF RFID band (ETSI EN 302 208), while FCC 902–928 MHz antennas cover the North American band (FCC Part 15). The two bands do not overlap, so an antenna optimized for one will have degraded VSWR, gain and read range on the other. Choose the version that matches your reader’s regional profile.
Airplux manufactures both variants with matching mechanical designs — e.g., the ETSI 865–868 MHz panel series and the FCC 902–928 MHz series are available at the same gain levels (3–15 dBi). For global or multi-region deployments that need one SKU for both markets, the wideband UHF 860–960 MHz antenna line covers both bands in a single antenna, ideal for asset tracking and smart retail projects shipped worldwide.

It is not recommended. A 915 MHz antenna is resonant around 902–928 MHz; at 865–868 MHz its impedance match detunes, VSWR rises, and radiated efficiency drops — typically reducing RFID read range by 20–40% or more, and in some regions pushing the system out of regulatory compliance. Always match the antenna to the device’s operating band.
If your hardware must serve both Europe (865–868 MHz) and North America (902–928 MHz), use a genuinely wideband model instead of compromising with a single-band antenna. Airplux’s UHF 860–960 MHz RFID antenna series maintains consistent gain and low VSWR across the entire 860–960 MHz range, so one antenna design can be certified and deployed in both regions.

An ultra-thin antenna trades a little peak gain for a flat, embeddable form factor. At just 1.5 mm thick, this 210 × 170 mm PCB antenna can be mounted flush inside doors, gates, workstations, shelves and machine housings where a conventional 20–30 mm panel antenna would not fit — without a bulky radome protruding into the workspace.
Despite the slim profile it still delivers 6 dBi gain, circular polarization, ≤2.0 VSWR and a front-to-back ratio of ≥20 dB, so energy is directed into the read zone with minimal back radiation and cross-read. It weighs only 0.3 kg, which simplifies mounting on door frames, light gantries and portable fixtures.

Mount the antenna facing the tag approach path, keep its beam centered on where tags will pass, and leave clearance behind it — although the ≥20 dB front-to-back ratio suppresses rear radiation, keeping the back side away from large metal still improves match. Connect via the SMA-Female port using a short 50 Ω cable, and verify VSWR after installation.
Because this antenna is a bare PCB (green solder-mask, 1.5 mm), we recommend mounting it inside a non-metallic cover or enclosure for mechanical and environmental protection, especially outdoors or in dusty production environments. Operating temperature is –20 °C to +60 °C; for freezers or outdoor cold exposure, ask Airplux about sealed housing options in the same series. Maximum input power is 100 W, well above typical ETSI reader outputs, so no power derating is needed.

Yes — door/gate access and production-line checkpoints are exactly the kind of defined-zone applications this antenna is designed for. The wide 75°(H) × 100°(V) beamwidth creates a broad reading curtain across a doorway or conveyor, while circular polarization handles forklift-mounted tags, badges, bins and WIP items passing at any orientation.
Typical setups: one antenna per door for personnel and carton access control; two antennas (left/right or top/bottom) driven through a reader’s multiplexer for wide or high-traffic portals; and flush mounting along conveyor sections for production line tracking. In ETSI regions the system must comply with the 2 W ERP limit and listen-before-talk requirements — the 6 dBi gain works comfortably within that budget at full reader power for most portal geometries.