All topics
Set reader power and frequency region
Configure an RFID reader in Beam Mobile, from transmit power and frequency region to session and scan mode, and learn when to adjust them.
Reader Settings determine how far and how quickly a reader reads tags. The defaults work for most situations. Adjust them if you miss tags, pick up too many tags from neighbouring stock or work in another country.
Open the settings
- Open Devices and tap the reader.
- Choose Scan settings. You can reach the same screen through the settings icon on the scanning page.
If the reader is scanning, the app says Stop scanning to change settings. Stop the scan first.
Key settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Power | Signal strength in dB, from Min to Max. Lower power reads nearby tags; higher power can also read through a rack. |
| Frequency region | The UHF band for your country, such as Europe 865–868 MHz or US 902–928 MHz. Always choose the band for the country where you work. |
| Reporting Speed | How often the reader reports results: Fast, Normal, Smooth or Eco. |
| Tag Silence Mode (session) | How soon a read tag responds again: S0 – Fastest rereads, S1 – Short silence, S2 – Medium silence or S1 + Tag Focus – Find weak tags. |
| RF Link Profile | The speed or range profile, from FM0 40K – Fast, short range to Miller4 250K – Maximum range. |
| Scan mode | Normal, Fast or Bulk. |
| Sound | Scan beep on the device and Reader buzzer. |
Full Module Reset (Free + reinitialise with safe defaults) restores safe default settings on the reader.
Fixed reader (Impinj R700)
A fixed reader has additional settings under Power & Antennas: Transmit power in dBm with High, Medium and Low labels, individual power per Antenna, Power Sweeping between a minimum and maximum, RF Mode, Session (Immediate, Short or Long), Search Mode and an EPC Prefix Filter. If the reader cannot apply the configuration, the app gives a reason: timeout, network error or reader rejected the configuration.
Practical guidance
- You miss tags in a full rack. Increase power and choose S1 + Tag Focus – Find weak tags.
- You read tags from the neighbouring rack. Reduce power, or use Deep scan when looking for one product.
- The reader stops responding. The app tries to recover it automatically (Recovering RFID reader…). If that fails, restart the reader.
The app stops scanning when it moves to the background. Reopen the app and start scanning again.