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Realistic Chipless RFID Tag Modeling,
Mathematical Framework and 3D EM Simulation
Mohamed El-Hadidy
Electrical and Information Technology
FOM University of Applied Science
Dusseldorf, Germany
mohamed.el-hadidy@fom.de
Abstract—Main objective of this work is to introduce a
concrete modeling technique for chipless RFID tags based on
3D Bi-static Radar Cross Section (RCS) with the corresponding
mathematical framework. This technique illustrates a systematic
Electromagnetic (EM) simulation steps for fully presenting the
3D model of the chipless RFID tag in order to be integrated
in the whole system as a part of the spatial channel. The
introduced model of the chipless RFID tags considers several
parameters of the complete system such as the polarization and
the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of the incident excitation signal,
the polarization and the Angle of Departure (AoD) of the back
scattered signal, the orientation of the tag itself and furthermore
the frequency response of the tag and its 3D spatial gain.
This constructs concrete lines and solid base for real-world 3D
channel modeling for enhancing the chipless RFID systems from
the wireless communications point of view. Hence, it opens the
door for chipless RFID systems to appear in several industrial
applications and handling open challenging aspects such as multi-
tag scenarios and localization. The 3D modeling technique is
successfully applied for three different types of Frequency Coded
(FC) chipless RFID tags considering the retransmission and the
cross polarized ones and constructive EM simulation results are
illustrated.
Keywords—Chipless RFID Tag; Tag Modeling; Radar Cross
Section; Bistatic RCS.
I. I NTRODUCTION
Chipless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems
are going to replace the traditional optical barcoding technol-
ogy at 2020 [1]. Ultra Wideband (UWB) Frequency Coded
(FC) chipless RFID tags are considered to be a promising
technology which provides a cost effective and low power
identification solution [2]. They are compact, printable, no-
chip and cheap [3].
This is spreading the usage of the chipless RFID tags in
enormous real-world industrial applications in order to replace
the recent narrow band chipped UHF RFID technology which
is suffering from complexity, insufficient ranging resolution
for accurate localization, sensitivity to interference, scarce
multiple-access capability and relatively high cost [4] and [5].
Several designs of UWB FC chipless RFID tags are in-
troduced in the literatures based on combining a series of N
resonators at different resonance frequencies distributed within
the UWB range. Once the tag is hitted with a frequency flat
UWB exciting signal from the reader, the tag resonators cause
a series of N notches in the spectrum of the backscattered
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Yasmine El Sayed and Batool Yasser
RF Design and Research
Shams Systems & Technology-MEA
Cairo, Egypt
UWB signal [8] and [9]. These notches are presenting the ID
information of the tag.
The UWB FC chipless RFID tags are mainly classified
from the concept of operation point of view into two cat-
egories: First: Radar Cross Section (RCS) Tags, where the
UWB excitation signal is reflected directly after hitting the
tag resonators and the notched backscatered signal could be
illustrated in the RCS response of the tag [10], [12] and [13]
. Second: Retransmission Tags, where the tag is usually an
L-Shape dual- or cross-polarized. This tag consists mainly of
two antennas and a series of resonators which is integrated
with the transmission line between the two antennas. The
UWB frequency flat excitation signal hits the first antenna in
a co-polarization and passed forward through the transmission
line and affected by the resonators to be retransmitted back
through the cross-polarized antenna. This means that the back
scattered signal has a different polarization than the other
signals reflected back from the environment and this enhance
the tag detection process [14] and [15].
The research leaders of the FC chipless RFID tags are
mainly from the RF world where they have to design novel
compact structures of resonators and antennas. Main objectives
of their research activities are to enhance the detection capabil-
ity of their tags, to increase the information carried on the tag
and to mitigate the environmental effects by using polarization
diversity techniques.
In most of their contributions, the simulation of their RCS
tags is based on exciting the tag from its face using a waveg-
uide port and illustrating the RCS of the backscattered signal
using RCS farfield probes in the central front point of the tag,
considering the optimum Mono-Static RCS scenario [10]. The
other group of the retransmission tags are following similar
sequences with more specific scenarios and constrains. In the
simulations and measurements of many of their contributions,
they consider that the excitation antenna is in the vertical
polarization, while the receiving antenna in the horizontal one
for achieving the best results. However, many of the designers
are completely dropping the simulation and measurements for
the whole tag and they are satisfied to simulate the transmission
coefficients S21 of the resonators in addition to the return loss
S11 and the radiation patterns of the antennas. The chipless
RFID tag designers usually perfor their measurements inside
an RF anechoic chamber using mono-static scenario ignoring
the multipath effects or the influence of exciting the tag with
different signals from different directions.
 



    


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Unfortunately, these contributions cannot fully describe DoA of the excitation signal and the DoD of the backscattered
the real world scenarios if the tag is not facing the reader signal respectively.
face to face, or even if the orientation of the tag is not
Since both of the excitation signal and the back scattered
matching the desired polarization scenario. Furthermore, in
one have specific polarization depending on the location of
the realistic applications such as products in shopping cort,
the tag, its orientation and the location of the transmitting
or vehicles in traffic jams where multi-tags scenarios and
and receiving antennas of the reader and even the multipath
dense multipath environments are existing, it makes no sense
components of the environment, this bistatic RCS should be
to consider only the unique path of the monostatic scenario,
a matrix of 2 × 2 as shown:
which might be distorted by shadowing or strong interference,
and ignoring many effective multipaths of the bistatic scenario.
In some contributions, the chipless RFID tag is considered as σ Bi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD ) =
an antenna, which is far away from the real state. ⎛ θφ
⎞
θθ
σBi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD ) σBi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD )
In this work, a 3D model for the chipless RFID tag will = ⎝ ⎠
be introduced based on 3D bistatic RCS considering the polar- φθ φφ
σBi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD ) σBi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD )
ization and the direction of arrival of the excitation signal and
the polarization and direction of departure of the backscattered
signal. Modeling steps for RCS tags and retransmission ones θθ θφ φθ φφ
where σBi , σBi , σBi and σBi are the bistatic RCS if
using 3D EM simulation tools are illustrated and discussed. the excitaion signal has a θ polarization and the received
This modeling criteria opens the door for communication backscatered signal has a θ polarization, the bistatic RCS if
engineers to establish realistic 3D models for chipless RFID the excitaion signal has a θ polarization and the received
channels, to develop smart algorithms in localization and to backscatered signal has a φ polarization, the bistatic RCS
enhance the recent detection techniques. From the other side, if the excitaion signal has a φ polarization and the received
it determines the design guide lines for the RF engineers backscatered signal has a θ polarization and the bistatic RCS
to develop robust RF tags for well-defined scenarios and if the excitaion signal has a φ polarization and the received
applications. backscatered signal has a φ polarization respectively.
In the next section of this paper, the mathematical frame-
work of the chipless RFID tag will be presented, followed
by the simulation results for RCS tags in Section III. Section
IV illustrates the simulation results of L-shape cross polarized
tag. Finally, the contribution would be concluded in the last
section.
Fig. (1) Effective Channel Model Considering Antennas, Tag
and Multipath Spatial Channels.
II. M ATHEMATICAL F RAMEWORK
In order to have a realistic 3D model for the chipless
RFID tag, for enabling the researchers to integrate it into the The effective channel H T−eff between the transmitter and
spatial multipath channel, all of the effective characteristics the receiver of the reader accounting the spatial multipath
of the tag such as the frequency dependence, polarization, components passing through the tag considering the transmit
orientation of the tag and the spatial directive gain should be antenna transfer function H T , the 3D spatial forward multipath
considered in that model. Most of the research contributions channel from the reader to the tag H F , the 3D bi-static RCS of
are simulating and measuring the chipless RFID tag in the the tag σ Bi , the 3D spatial backward multipath channel from
monostatic radar cross section RCS scenario mode, where the the tag to the receiving antenna of the reader H B and finally
transmitting antenna and receiving one are directed to the tag the receiving antenna transfer function for one resolvable
from the same spatial point. In general, the monostatic scenario spatial path could be presented by eq. 2
is a special case from the bistatic mode, where the transmitted
signal is hitting the tag from a certain direction and several H Path−eff = H T . H F . σ Bi . H B . H R (2)
backscatterd signals are propagating everywhere and could be
traped by different receiving antennas of the reader. The total effective channel HD−eff between the transmitter
and the receiver considering the whole resolvable paths passing
Therefore, the general 3D model of the chipless RFID tag
through the tag is computed as:
will be presented based on the bistatic RCS which is depending
on the Direction of Arrival (DoA) of the excitation signal, the
Direction of Departure (DoD) of the back scattered signals, 2ππ 2ππ
polarization of both signals, frequency response of the tag, its
Heff (f ) = H Path−eff dφT dθT dφR dθR (3)
orientation and its directional gain as shown in eq.1
0 0 0 0

σ Bi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD ) (1) III. RCS TAGS AND R EAL W ORLD E XCITATION

S CENARIOS
where f is the frequency of the excitation signal and the The modeling and EM simulation for real world excitation
backscattered one, while (φA , θA ) and (φD , θD ) present the scenarios of the chipless RCS tags will be illustrated in this

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section. Two well-known RCS chipless tags in the literatures

will be considered: Circular tag [12] and T-Shaped tag [13].

A. RCS Chipless RFID Tag and AoA of the Exciting Signal

Fig. 2 illustrates three different excitation scenarios of the
FC circular tag, where the excitation signal from the reader
can have different propagation vectors based on the relative (a) σbi-max = −21.5 dB (b) σbi-max = −25 dB
location of the tag.

(c) σbi-max = −46.1 dB

(a) (b)
Fig. (3) 3D Bistatic RCS Patterns for Different Propagation
Vectors of the Excitation Signals.
a) θ = 180o b) θ = 135o c) θ = 135o

(c)

Fig. (2) Different Propagation Vectors of the Exciting Plane

Wave. a) θ = 180o b) θ = 135o c) θ = 90o

The corresponding 3D bistatic RCS radiation patterns are

illustrated in Fig.3. The 3D bistatic RCS σbi has the smallest
Maximum Value at -46.1 dB if the exciting plane wave arriving
from the side θ = 90o , it has the largest Maximum value at
-21.5 dB if it is hitted from the face θ = 180o and it has
an intermediate Maximum Value at -25 dB, if the propagation
vector of the incident plane is tilted by an angle of θ = 135o .
Fig. (4) Bistatic RCS cut at φ = 0 for Different Excitation
A fair comparison between the three bistatic RCS of the
Angles of Arrivals (AoA) of the Excitation Signal: Solid Curve
three scenarios considering a polar coordinates cut at φ = 0 is
θ = 180o , Dashed Curve θ = 135o and the Dotted Curve
presented in Fig. 4.
θ = 90o
Figure 5 shows the frequency response of the RCS probe
allocated at the front center of the tag with three different
propagation vectors of the incident plane wave. IV. R ETRANSMISSION TAGS AND C ROSS P OLARIZATION
In this section the realistic modeling technique has been
B. RCS Chipless RFID Tag and Polarization properly applied on the cross polarized L-shaped retransmis-
sion tags and compared with the traditional simulation and
Unlike the circular resonator tag, the T-shape RFID tag has measurements techniques. The design of a well-known L-shape
not a symmetric structure from the polarization point of view is illustrated in Fig.9a with the corresponding dimensions [13]
as shown in Fig. 6 [13]. Therefore the influence of exciting and the location of the two probes allocated at the center in
it using different polarizations of the incident plane wave has front of the tag antenna is presented in Fig. 9b.
been investigated. Figure 7 shows the 3D bistatic RCS of the
T-shape tag with different polarizations [V & H] of the incident
A. Retransmission Chipless Tags and Recent Techniques
plane wave. While the frequency response of the vertical and
horizontal RCS probes which are located at the center in front In several literatures, the techniques used in the simulations
of the tags are illustrated in Fig. 8. and measurements of retransmission L-shaped chipless tags

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Fig. (5) RCS Probes Frequency Response of the Circular Tag

with Different AoA of the Excitation Signal: Solid Curve θ =
180o , Dashed Curve θ = 135o and the Dotted Curve θ = 90o . Fig. (8) RCS of the Tshape: Dotted curve when the source
is horizontally polarized and the solid curve when the source
is vertically polarized.

Fig. (6) 3D view of T shape Tag with the dimensions in mm.

(a)

(a) (b)

Fig. (7) 3D Bistatic RCS of the Tag with Different Polariza-

tions of the Exciting Signal. a) H-Polarized. b) V-Polarized.

based on performing the simulation and analysis for the return

loss S11 and directivity gain of the UWB antennas as shown
in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 respectively.
(b)
This will be followed by a separate simulation for the
transmission coefficient S21 of the transmission line connected Fig. (9) L-shape Tag: a) Structure and Dimensions b) Two
the two antennas with its integrated resonators as shown in Fig. RCS Probes Vertical and Horizontal.
12.

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(a) Resonator Dimensions in mm.

(a) UWB Antenna Dimensions in mm

(b) S2,1 of the Resonators

(b) S11 of the UWB Antenna Fig. (12) Resonator Design and the S21 of the Transmission
Line
Fig. (10) UWB Antenna Dimension and Response.

In spite of that the co-polarized backscattered components

can have more power than the cross-polarized ones, the notches
of the resonators can clearly appear only in the cross-polarized
backscattered signals.
The 3D patterns of the 2 × 2 bistatic RCS matrix
σ Bi (f, φA , θA , φD , θD ) at a specific frequency point of f =
5GHz are illustrated in Fig. 14

(a) Phi Component (b) Theta Component

Fig. (11) Farfield Radiation Pattern of the UWB Antenna.
B. Retransmission Chipless RFID Tags and Bistatic RCS Mod-
eling
In this section, a full 3D EM simulation has been performed
on the L-shape tag in order to investigate the co- and cross-
polarized 3D behavior of the tag if it is excited with either
horizontally or vertically polarized incident plane wave. The
frequency response of the bistatic RCS at the located probes
in front of the vertical antennas are illustrated in Fig.13.
V. C ONCLUSION AND F UTURE W ORK
A real-world modeling technique for chipless RFID tags
based on 3D bistatic RCS with the corresponding mathematical
framework has been introduced. A systematic Electromagnetic
(EM) simulation steps for fully presenting the 3D model of the
chipless RFID tag in order to be integrated in the whole system
as a part of the spatial channel are illustrated. The introduced
model several parameters of the complete system such as the
polarization and the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of the incident
excitation signal, the polarization and the Angle of Departure
(AoD) of the backscattered signal, the orientation of the tag
itself and furthermore the frequency response of the tag and
its 3D spatial gain. The 3D modeling technique is successfully
applied for different types of Frequency Coded (FC) RCS

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(a) When incident wave is horizontally polarized: Solid curve
represents Y component and dotted curve represents the X
component of the RCS.
(b) When incident wave is vertically polarized: Solid line rep-
resents X component and dotted represents the Y component
of the RCS.
Fig. (13) RCS Probes Frequency Response of the L-Shape
Tag with Different Polarizationon of the Excitation Signal.
chipless RFID tags and retransmission ones considering the
real-world scenarios of excitation such as the propagation
vector of the excitation signals, polarization and the relative
location of the tag. This constructs concrete lines and solid
base for real-world 3D channel modeling for enhancing the
chipless RFID systems from the wireless communications
point of view. Hence, it opens the door for chipless RFID
systems to appear in several industrial applications and han-
dling open challenging aspects such as multi-tag scenarios and
localization.
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