Zebra RFID Antennas

Zebra RFID antennas cable to a Zebra fixed UHF reader such as the FX7500, FX9600 or FXR90 and decide where its tags are read. The range on this page has twelve models. Ten are antennas, from a 12 mm panel under a counter to sealed IP67 dock-door panels and an 8 mm floor antenna. Two are Zebra SmartLens sensors for stockrooms and tills, powered over the network cable. We choose, mount and tune them in Malta for your door, till, shelf or conveyor, after a read test with your own tagged items.

Price on request · Request a quote for Zebra RFID antennas 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 and antennas in Malta.

A fixed RFID reader reads nothing until antennas are cabled to it. Tags missed at the edge of a wide door, or read from the pallet waiting behind it, are antenna questions. The antenna decides the shape of the read zone: a wide sealed panel covers a loading door, and a slim panel under a counter reads one basket.

Zebra tests its antennas with its own fixed readers. The right antenna for each place lets a single reader cover a dock, a till, a shelf bay or a conveyor. The readers they cable to are on our RFID readers, antennas and tags page. Dock-door projects sit under warehouse automation, and the full range is on our Zebra page.

Which readers do Zebra’s RFID antennas work with?

Zebra’s UHF RFID antennas connect to the Zebra fixed readers that have external antenna ports. These are the Zebra FX7500 (two or four ports), the Zebra FX9600 fixed RFID reader (four or eight) and the outdoor Zebra FXR90 (four or eight, or a built-in antenna plus four). Each antenna is cabled to a port; the dual-element AN440 has two connectors, one per element.

Zebra lists the ten antennas as accessories for the FX9600. Its FX7500 and FX9600 guide approves the AN440, AN480, AN510, AN610, AN620 and AN720 on those readers, and we confirm any other pairing with Zebra before we quote. The FXR90 uses the same reverse-polarity TNC ports, and each reader caps the antenna gain it may drive, so we check every antenna and cable against the reader it goes on.

The Zebra ST5500 transition RFID reader and the overhead Zebra ATR7000 RFID locationing reader have their antennas built in and do not use these. The Zebra FXP20 RFID checkout reader has its own antenna in the pad plus three external SMA ports, so ask us before planning an extra antenna on it.

The readers have reverse-polarity TNC ports and the antennas have N-type or SMA connectors, so each antenna needs a cable with the matching connector at each end. Some kits include a short lead (the AN510, AN610 and AN620). We quote the other cable lengths once the survey has fixed where the reader and each antenna go.

The SR5502 and SP5504 work differently. They are Zebra SmartLens sensors that sit with the antenna range, and neither is cabled to a reader port: Zebra describes them as overhead RFID sensors, and the SR5502 as a fixed RFID reader in its own right. Each one takes Power over Ethernet (PoE) from a network switch, so no power outlet is needed on the ceiling or above the till.

Zebra RFID antenna selector

Higher gain, the way an antenna focuses its signal, means a narrower beam. The EU caps the power a read point may radiate, so we set the reader’s output to match each antenna.

Gain comes in two units, dBiL for some models and dBic for others, so compare figures within one unit only.

SR5502 and SP5504 spec sheet (PDF)

Which Zebra antenna for a dock door?

A dock door in a warehouse or distribution centre needs a wide panel that reads a whole pallet as it passes, sealed if the door opens to the weather. The flat AN510 (IP67, 8.5 dBic) suits an exposed or wet door. The dual-element AN440 (IP67) covers a wide, busy door with two elements in one panel. Under cover, the slim AN620 does the job. The high-gain AN660, with its pairing confirmed with Zebra, has a narrow 25° x 60° beam that suits tightly packed pallets if it is aimed with care.

Zebra optimises the AN440 for the US band and prints no EU gain for it, so we test it at your door before we recommend it. The read test also decides how many antennas a door needs.

Which Zebra antenna for a till, shelf or cabinet?

A till in a shop, a shelf or a medicine cabinet in a hospital needs a small, slim antenna with a read zone that stops at the edge of the counter or the door. The AN610 (12 mm thick) fits under a counter or on a shelf, and the larger AN620 gives more gain in the same thickness.

The near-field AN670 reads items on or just above the panel and ignores the next lane or a display nearby. The SP5504 SmartLens sensor sits above a till or a pick-up point and reads a tightly limited zone, and it runs on PoE, so no power outlet is needed above the counter. Zebra pairs it with its transition sensor at the exit to flag items that leave without passing a till. The AN520 (150 mm square, IP68) fits inside a rack or a cabinet, or beside a manufacturing line.

If you want a self-contained checkout reader instead, the Zebra FXP20 RFID checkout reader is a flat pad with its own antenna.

Which Zebra antenna for a conveyor, doorway or the floor?

A conveyor or a narrow doorway needs a compact sealed antenna aimed at the belt or the opening. The AN720 (133 mm square, IP67) comes with an articulating bracket for exactly that, and the AN440 covers wider conveyors. The AN650 lies flat on the floor of a doorway-sized area, 8 mm thick, to read tags on people or products moving over it, as in attendee tracking or race timing. Zebra rates it for loads of more than 200 kg. We confirm its pairing with the reader with Zebra and check the floor and the traffic before quoting it.

Which Zebra antenna outdoors or in a cold store?

Outdoors, at a yard gate or in a cold store, choose a sealed antenna rated for the temperature. The AN520 is sealed to IP68 and rated from -40°C to 65°C; the AN510 and AN720 are sealed to IP67, the AN510 rated from -20°C and the AN720 from -25°C. They pair with the FXR90, the reader built for the same conditions. Outdoors, the cable screen is earthed at the building entrance, and whether our technicians or your electrician does that is agreed per job at the survey.

Zebra RFID antenna specifications

Zebra’s brochure gives no read range for its antennas. The range comes from the reader, the tag and the mounting, so it is set by a test at your site. For the SR5502 and SP5504 sensors, the power column is what each draws from the PoE switch.

Download the Zebra RFID antennas spec sheet (PDF)

Download the SR5502 and SP5504 SmartLens sensors spec sheet (PDF)

How we fit and tune Zebra RFID antennas

Fitting a Zebra RFID antenna starts with aiming it: at the centre of the area to be read, with a clear line to where the tags pass. Steel shelving, banks of metal cabinets and block walls weaken the signal or bounce it, and an antenna fixed next to a column leaves a blind spot behind it.

Power set per antenna. On Zebra’s fixed readers the transmit power is set for each antenna port, and the reader takes the loss of each cable into account. We set both at commissioning, so each antenna reads its zone and not the pallet waiting behind it.

Within the reader’s limits. Zebra’s reader guides cap the antenna gain, cable loss included, at 6 dBiL on the FX readers and 6.7 dBiL on the FXR90. The EU caps radiated power at 2 W ERP (effective radiated power). We check every antenna and cable pairing against those limits before it goes up.

Safe distance from people. Zebra sets a minimum distance between its reader antennas and people, 30 to 34 cm depending on the reader, which decides where a panel can sit beside a workstation or a till.

Settings for the job. The FX7500 and FX9600 have ready-made reader profiles for a dock door with a motion sensor, a conveyor and a transition point, which we start from and adjust after the read test.

Zebra RFID antenna part codes

Zebra’s RFID antennas come in the versions below, and we pick the ones that fit your read points: the shape of the zone, sealing for indoors or outdoors, and the mounting. Tell us the task and we specify the part codes. Zebra antennas are usually from stock or within a few days, depending on regional availability.

Cables and mounts are separate items, apart from the leads and brackets that come with some kits, and are quoted once the survey has settled the layout.

What decides the cost of an antenna layout?

The number of antennas per read point drives most of it, and the read test sets that number. Each antenna needs a cable of the right length with its connectors and a mount or bracket, and outdoors it must be a sealed model. The reader’s port count follows from the layout, and each SR5502 or SP5504 sensor needs a PoE port on your network switch instead. The installation covers mounting, cable runs, earthing outdoors and tuning. The RFID tags, such as our Zebra ZipShip RFID labels, are quoted separately.

What we do with an antenna order

The survey of the door, till, shelf or conveyor comes first, with test reads on your own tagged items, and that test settles which antennas go where. Our technical team mounts and cables the antennas and the reader, sets the power for each antenna and tests the reads at handover, including a check that tags outside the zone stay unread. After that we support the read point locally.

Frequently asked questions about Zebra RFID antennas

Does an FX9600 need separate antennas?

Yes. The Zebra FX9600 has no antenna of its own: it needs Zebra RFID antennas on its four or eight ports. The FXR90 is the fixed reader that comes with a built-in antenna option, and the ST5500 and ATR7000 have their antennas inside.

Does a higher-gain Zebra antenna read further?

Not automatically. Higher gain narrows the beam, and because the EU caps radiated power at 2 W ERP, the reader’s output is set to suit the antenna. The read test at your site decides the range, and a high-gain panel such as the AN660 has to be aimed with care.

Can Zebra RFID antennas go outdoors?

Yes, the sealed models. The Zebra AN510, AN440 and AN720 are sealed to IP67, the AN520 to IP68 and the AN650 floor antenna to IP65. The IP54 panels (AN480, AN610, AN620, AN660, AN670) are for indoor or sheltered places.

Who installs it in Malta?

Zebra RFID antennas are installed with the reader by our technical team, who mount them, run the cables and set the power for each antenna at commissioning. Earthing outdoors is agreed per job at the survey. We test the reads with your own tagged items at handover.

Who repairs it and handles the warranty?

Zebra RFID antennas carry Zebra’s standard warranty. For a fault on an antenna or its cable you call us, and our technical team checks the read point on site and handles the claim with Zebra. Ask us if you want a Zebra OneCare service plan quoted with the reader.

Is it held in stock in Malta?

Most Zebra RFID antennas are available from stock or within a few days, depending on regional availability. Cables and mounts depend on the layout, so we confirm their delivery with the quote.

Talk to us about RFID antennas

Tell us where tags must be read (door, till, shelf, conveyor or gate) and what carries them. Say which reader you have or plan. We reply within one working day with the questions we still need answered about the read points. If the door or counter needs a look, an engineer visits, anywhere in Malta and Gozo. You get a quote with the exact part codes, the cables and mounts, the installation scope and the warranty route.

Request a quote for Zebra RFID antennas or call (+356) 2138 5911 · Price on request

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

Our sales team in San Gwann works out the right antenna layout with you, and our technical team installs it, tests it and handles warranty claims and repairs.