RF Emission Measurement of 433 MHZ RFID Tags for EMI Evaluation to Onboard Instruments of Aircrafts

This paper describes the probability of the electromagnetic interference (EMI) to aircraft electronic systems by 433MHz active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on board aircraft. We mentioned the behaviors of two types of the tags. One of them has a simple function broadcasting their own identification code like a beacon. Another tag has many functions or modes. We also evaluated the RF emission from these tags in comparison with the emission limit written in the document named as "Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment" (DO-160E) published by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) [1]. Emission from both tags has been higher than the limit of DO-160E at the operation frequency and the harmonics. We also show that the emission level depends greatly on the location and material on which a tag is placed.