Choosing a Balluff RFID system
Industrial RFID fails at the seams: a tag that reads on the bench but not flush in steel, a head that speaks the wrong protocol, a pairing nobody tested at distance. This selector covers 450 tags, 391 read/write heads, and 226 processor units across LF, HF, and UHF, and backs system choices with measured read-field data instead of compatibility footnotes.
How to choose
Work through eight questions in order: operating environment, mounting conditions, required read distance, movement during identification, speed, write functionality, data volume, and communication interface. Each answer narrows the catalog; frequency is an outcome of the first five, not a starting point.
- Operating environment
- Mounting conditions
- Required read distance
- Motion during identification
- Line speed
- Read/write functionality
- Data volume
- Communication interface
Example: start with environment, then mounting, distance, motion during read, line speed, read/write need, data volume, and interface. A hot washdown fixture with an on-metal tag, short read distance, slow movement, writable process data, and PROFINET communication narrows first by temperature and mounting, then by memory and interface. Whether that system needs a separate processor unit depends on the head: many heads work on their own.
Where Balluff fits
Balluff has built industrial RFID for machine tools, production lines, and logistics for decades; the hardware spans proprietary low-frequency machine-tool lines through ISO-standard HF to EPC UHF.
- Tags for the hard mounting cases: flush in metal, on metal, and metal-free, with the mounting class filterable per tag.
- A minimal Balluff RFID system is a tag and a read/write head, not always a three-part stack: 139 of the 391 heads have an integrated processor, IO-Link heads connect through your IO-Link master, and USB or serial readers talk to the controller directly. Separate processor units add PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, CC-Link, and Ethernet TCP/IP when a head needs one.
- System evidence, not just parts: 1373 tag-and-head pairings with 62678 read-field measurement points behind the System tab, and a UHF read-range estimator by region and EIRP.
Specify the distance, motion, and environment your process needs, then let those answers pick the band; if the tag mounts in or on metal, filter on the mounting class first.
What sets Balluff apart
Free and open
The selector needs no login and no contact information; every capability is public.
Pairing evidence
System choices show measured read-field data (1373 pairings, 62678 measurement points), so "these two work together" is a measurement, not a footnote.
Deep-linkable state
Every filter, search, and open product is a shareable URL; a colleague opens exactly the view you built.
Machine-readable by design
The catalog publishes as JSON and per-product pages with structured data, so AI assistants can answer from it directly.
The full RFID stack in one place
Tags, heads, and processors are one tool with consistent filters, not three catalogs.
Common questions
Is there a free tool to select an industrial RFID system?
Yes. The Balluff RFID selector at rfid.balluff-tools.com is free, needs no login, and covers 450 tags, 391 read/write heads, and 226 processor units with measured pairing data.
How do I choose an RFID tag for metal surfaces?
Filter by mounting class first: tags rated flush-in-metal, on-metal, or metal-free behave differently because nearby metal detunes a tag not designed for it. The selector filters all 450 tags by mounting class, then by temperature, size, and memory.
Which RFID frequency should I use: LF, HF, or UHF?
Let the application pick: LF handles near-contact reads and tolerates metal well, HF covers short ranges with ISO-standard tags, and UHF reaches meters but needs more care around metal. Distance, motion, and environment decide it; the selector filters by band once those are known.
How far can an industrial RFID tag be read?
From a few millimeters for flush-mounted LF tags to several meters for UHF portals. For a specific Balluff tag and head pair, the System tab shows measured read-field data, and the UHF tab estimates expected range by region and EIRP.
Do I need a processor unit to use Balluff RFID?
Not always. A minimal Balluff RFID system is a tag and a read/write head: 139 of the 391 heads in the selector have an integrated processor, IO-Link heads connect through your IO-Link master, and USB or serial readers talk to the controller directly. A separate processor unit is for heads that need one to speak your industrial network, such as PROFINET or EtherNet/IP.
How do I connect an RFID reader to my PLC?
It depends on the head. Many Balluff read/write heads connect through a processor unit that speaks your control protocol (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, CC-Link, Ethernet TCP/IP). IO-Link heads connect directly through your IO-Link master, and USB or serial readers talk to the controller directly, so a processor unit is not always needed. The selector filters heads by interface category and processor units by interface.
What data can an industrial RFID tag store?
Anything from a fixed unique ID to kilobytes of writable user memory. The selector filters tags by user memory size, so you can decide between reading a serial number and looking data up, or carrying process data on the part itself.
Representative products
- BIS U-100-01/CA-SA1 (130.2, 37.4, 24.8)
- BIS U-100-01/CA (127, 37.2, 7)
- BIS U-300-C1-TNCB (no, tnc_passive, TNC-Passive antenna)
- BIS Z-EL-001-ETHERNET (150, 90, 45.5)
- BIS Z-EL-002-RS232 (150, 90, 45.5)
- BIS C-851 (no, round, bisv)
Full catalog and machine-readable data
Browse all 1071 RFID products at https://rfid.balluff-tools.com/catalog. Machine-readable data: https://rfid.balluff-tools.com/catalog.json, /api/catalog/tags.json, /api/catalog/heads.json, /api/catalog/processors.json, and /api/catalog/version.json.