Modulation and sensitivity limits for backscatter receivers

This paper discusses how a low-powered RFID tag or sensor mote's backscatter modulation scheme - limited in ways that conventional digital wireless systems are not - may be adapted to the peculiar non-white noise properties of a backscatter receiver's radio frequency electronic chain to maximize detection. The analysis and results in this paper enable longer-range operation of today's passive, or semi-passive RFID tags as well as future backscatter sensor links that operate in higher frequency bands.