Zebra FX7500 Fixed RFID Reader

The Zebra FX7500 is a compact fixed UHF RFID reader with two or four antenna ports that runs on one network cable (Power over Ethernet) and reads 1,200+ tags a second. We supply, install and support it in Malta for stockroom doors, shop floors and light industrial rooms, after a read test with your own tagged goods.

Price on request · Request a quote for the FX7500 or call (+356) 2138 5911 · Download Spec Sheet

Sirap is a Zebra Premier Business Partner in Malta and a Zebra RFID Specialist.

We supply, set up and support Zebra RFID readers in Malta.

Stock that walks out of a stockroom without being booked out is found missing at the next count. The Zebra FX7500 fixed RFID reader records tagged items as they pass a door or sit within range of its antennas, with no one scanning them.

It measures 19.56 x 14.99 x 4.32 cm, about the size of a hardback book, and fixes to a wall, a ceiling or a shelf. It sends its reads to your stock or warehouse software over the network. For readers, antennas and tags beyond the stockroom door, see RFID readers, antennas and tags in Malta.

What is the Zebra FX7500 for?

The Zebra FX7500 is for indoor read points where two or four antennas are enough. Typical places are a stockroom door, a shop-floor door or a shelf bay. Zebra names it for retail, warehousing and distribution, manufacturing and transport.

In retail it watches the stockroom and shop-floor doors. Warehouses and light manufacturing rooms use it to record tagged cartons and parts as they pass a read point, often as part of warehouse automation or logistics work. A hospital can put one on a store room.

The tags matter as much as the reader, and we can supply them: see our Zebra RFID labels and inlays.

Antennas, inputs and outputs on the FX7500

The Zebra FX7500 reads only where its antennas point, so we choose the antennas for your space and quote them with the reader.

Two or four antennas. The FX7500-2 takes two external antennas and the FX7500-4 takes four, on reverse-polarity TNC ports. More ports let you cover a wider opening or more shelves. Zebra approves a set of its own antennas for the FX7500: the Zebra RFID antennas range runs from 12 mm panels that fit under a counter or in shelving to sealed panels for doors.

Read range comes from a test. Zebra gives no read range for the FX7500. How well a door reads depends on the tags, the antenna positions and the goods themselves: metal cages and bottled liquids are where reads drop first. So we test with your own tagged goods before we quote.

Inputs and outputs for sensors and lights. The FX7500 has two inputs and three outputs on a terminal block. An input from a door contact or a light barrier can start reading only when something passes; an output can switch a stack light or a buzzer.

The reader can power that light at 24 V only when it runs from its DC supply, not on PoE. We plan the power with the light.

Starting profiles for common jobs. The reader has built-in settings for a dock door with a motion sensor, a conveyor and a transition point. We use them as the starting point and then tune them at your door.

Installing the Zebra FX7500

The Zebra FX7500 takes power and data over one Ethernet cable, mounts on a supplied plate and is set up from a web browser.

PoE or PoE+. The FX7500 runs on PoE (802.3af), PoE+ (802.3at) or a 24 V DC supply. On PoE+ or DC it transmits up to +31.5 dBm; on standard PoE it is limited to +30.0 dBm. Check whether the switch port at the door gives PoE+ before the install, and keep PoE cabling inside the building.

Where it goes. The FX7500 is an indoor reader, rated from -20°C to 55°C. Zebra rates it IP40, which keeps out solid objects over 1 mm but gives no protection against water, so it stays indoors and dry. Zebra asks for about 13 cm of clear space around it, out of direct sun and away from UPS units, pumps, relays and light dimmers.

Mounting. The reader hangs on its supplied plate by key slots, or takes a VESA 75 x 75 mm bracket, in any orientation. Mounted straight on screws without the plate, it can lose read performance at high temperatures, so we use the plate. It is approved for air-handling spaces above a ceiling, where the cables must also carry the UL 2043 fire rating for those spaces.

Antennas and people. In the EU, externally mounted antennas must sit at least 34 cm from where people stand or work, which we allow for when we place them.

First login and EU security. On first login the FX7500 forces a new admin password, and we set the reader to the EU region for Malta (865-868 MHz). Under the EU radio rules the encrypted reader connection (secure LLRP) is on by default and remote shell access is off. We plan the passwords before the visit and hand them over to your IT team.

Firmware updates. Firmware is updated from a USB drive, by upload in the web console or from an FTP or SCP server. The reader keeps a backup partition, and its Revert Back function returns it to the previous firmware version.

Connecting the FX7500 to your software

The Zebra FX7500 runs Linux and passes its reads to your software over the network in several ways.

Standard and Zebra interfaces. The FX7500 speaks LLRP, the standard reader protocol that many WMS and middleware products accept. Developers can also write host applications in .NET, C or Java against Zebra’s APIs, or reach the reader from an Android app with Zebra’s RFID SDK.

IoT Connector. On firmware that includes Zebra’s IoT Connector, the reader can also send filtered reads to other systems by MQTT or HTTP POST. You then control it through a REST interface, the web-style interface developers use to configure a device. We confirm the firmware before we promise an IoT Connector feature.

Apps on the reader. Small C, C++ or Java programs can run on the FX7500 itself, installed as packages through the web console.

No direct PLC link. The FX7500 does not run Zebra’s EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Modbus TCP apps. When the reads must go straight into a PLC, the controller that runs a production line, the Zebra FX9600 is the reader to choose.

Zebra FX7500 technical specifications

Download the Zebra FX7500 spec sheet (PDF)

Zebra FX7500 models and part codes

The Zebra FX7500 comes in the two configurations below: two or four antenna ports, where more ports cover a wider opening or more shelves. The survey decides which one you need, and we specify the part code from it.

Antennas, cables and mounts are quoted with the reader once the survey has settled the build.

What does an FX7500 read point cost to run?

The Zebra FX7500 needs no supplies to run; the cost of a read point sits in what is built around it, and we cost each item with the reader:

• the antennas, antenna cables and mounts for your door or shelves;
• a PoE+ switch port or a 24 V supply at the door, and a stack light if you want one;
• the tags or RFID labels on your goods, the recurring cost;
• Zebra OneCare, if you want service cover beyond Zebra’s standard warranty.

FX7500, FX9600 or ST5500: which fixed reader fits?

The Zebra FX7500 fits an indoor door, shelf bay or store room where four antennas are enough and the reads go to software, not a PLC.

The Zebra FX9600 fixed RFID reader is the larger model. It takes four or eight antennas and has four inputs and four outputs. It is sealed to IP53 in a die-cast housing and connects straight to a PLC by EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Modbus TCP. Choose it for a wide dock door, several lanes or a production line.

For one dock door where you also want the direction of travel, the Zebra ST5500 transition RFID reader comes with its antennas in one housing that hangs from the ceiling or fixes to a wall. When you need to know where a tagged item is inside a hall, look at the overhead Zebra ATR7000 RFID locationing reader.

For an outdoor gate, a yard or a cold store, the Zebra FXR90 (IP65 and IP67, down to -40°C) is the fixed reader to ask about. At the till, the Zebra FXP20 point-of-sale RFID reader lies on the counter and connects to the till by USB.

What we do with an FX7500 order

We survey the door, shelf or room and test with your own tagged goods before we quote; the FX7500 version and the antennas follow from that test. We mount, cable and commission the reader and antennas ourselves, wire any sensors or stack lights to its inputs and outputs, and test the reads at handover.

Our sales team in San Gwann settles the reader and antenna build with you. Our technical team installs and commissions it and handles any warranty claim with Zebra. It sits in the wider Zebra range that we carry.

Frequently asked questions about the FX7500

Can the FX7500 send reads to our stock system, WMS or ERP?

Yes. The Zebra FX7500 sends reads over Ethernet by LLRP, which many WMS and middleware products accept. On firmware with Zebra’s IoT Connector it can also post them by MQTT or HTTP POST. Depending on the job, we set up the connection ourselves, work with your software partner or hand the reader interface to your IT team.

Does the FX7500 need PoE+?

No. The Zebra FX7500 runs on standard PoE (802.3af), with transmit power up to +30.0 dBm. PoE+ (802.3at) or the 24 V DC supply gives the full +31.5 dBm, and only the DC supply powers a stack light from the reader itself.

Who installs it in Malta?

The Zebra FX7500 is installed by our technical team. We mount and cable the reader and antennas, set the EU region and the passwords the EU radio rules require, and test the reads at handover with your own tagged goods.

Who repairs it and handles the warranty?

The Zebra FX7500 carries Zebra’s standard warranty, 12 months from shipment on Zebra’s spec sheet, with claims handled through our technical team. Zebra OneCare service plans are quoted on request. If a firmware update goes wrong, Revert Back returns the reader to its previous version.

Is it held in stock in Malta?

The Zebra FX7500 normally comes from stock or arrives within a few days; it depends on regional availability. The site survey and the antenna choice come first, and the survey sets the install date.

Talk to us about the FX7500

Tell us the door, shelf or room, what the tags are on and where the reads should go. We reply within one working day with the questions we need answered about the read point. An engineer visits for the survey and read test, anywhere in Malta and Gozo. The quote then lists the exact part codes, the installation scope and the warranty route.

Request a quote for the Zebra FX7500 read point or call (+356) 2138 5911 · Price on request

Monday to Friday 8:30 to 16:30. We reply within one working day.

We have been part of Maltese IT and industry since 1981.