RFID chips – function and differences between collar tags and implanted chips
The RFID control is in addition to the control via motion detector and the control via remote control or Apps , only one of four ways to open the petWALK door. Precisely because RFID technology has been in use for a very long time (since around 1970), the system is a bit outdated and has its pitfalls. At the moment there is no technically more sophisticated solution that we could simply install instead of RFID technology. The petWALK door contains an RFID antenna that theoretically can read both the RFID cards available in the shop and the RFID cards available in the shop. RFID tag as well as already implanted chips of your pets. The antenna is located exactly in the middle of the door leaf (the moving part of the door). Please note all of the following instructions regarding the use of RFID tags and implanted chips on the petWALK pet door.
The two types of RFID chips:
RFID collar tag
We offer RFID collar tags in two different sizes. When ordering a medium door, a small RFID chip already included, when ordering a Large door a corresponding large RFID chip supplied. If you do not use this, e.g. because the door should be controlled by motion detection, Please keep the chip anyway . It could be that you want to activate the RFID function in a few years or that we need to test the RFID function with you. The RFID tags offered by petWALK are shockproof and waterproof . However, if your dog likes to chew on the collar pendant, water may get in.
In this case, order a replacement chip for your dog to be on the safe side. Under ideal conditions, the large chip has a detection range of approx. 20 cm to the middle of the door, the small chip has a range of approx. 15 cm . The optimal detection range can be seen in the graphic. Ideal conditions are, for example, the correct installation height, the correct approach angle of the animal and the position of the chip in relation to the antenna.
Implanted RFID microchips
In principle, the petWALK door is also able to recognise implanted transponders. These must as large as possible, but at least 12 mm and comply with ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B. However, the function of implanted chips can not guaranteed be, since a A variety of factors such as implantation depth, position, location, etc. of the chips their Impair function The main problem in detecting implanted chips is their small size. The smaller the chip, the fewer copper coils it contains and the worse the mini-chips can reflect the signals sent out by the door . Because implanted chips were not intended to open doors, but to be read by the veterinarian at the shortest distance, the detection range is correspondingly small. This is in the range of 10 cm as long as the chip is not yet implanted in the animal. Once the chip is in the animal, the detection range is in normal use only 0 to 10 cm . In general, the detection of implanted chips in cats works sufficiently after the acclimation phase, but in dogs, depending on their size, it is rather inadequate. This is simply due to the size of the animals – the longer the snout, the greater the distance between the implantation site (usually the neck area) and the antenna. If the chip recognition of the implanted chips is the decisive purchase criterion for you, make use of our extended right of return so that you can test the petWALK door in an uninstalled state with your animals to see if the chips work. test for 30 days With the following tips and tricks, training your animals will be easy. We are happy to help you if you need further information on how the petWALK door with chip recognition works or if you need support with programming.
Tips & tricks for using the petWALK door with RFID chips:
- the first weeks: Give your pets time to get used to the petWALK pet door in the first few weeks after installation. Let the door run in motion mode for a while. During this time, your pet will recognize the petWALK door as its entrance and get used to the processes.
- Shorten the distance step by step: As soon as the animal has become accustomed to the door, the detection range of the motion sensor can be gradually reduced. We call this process the familiarization phase. This way, your animal can slowly learn that it has to get closer and closer to the door to trigger the door to open. We recommend reducing the sensitivity of the sensors in steps of 5 or 10. You can read how to do this in the current user manual on page 29 " 5.6 ADJUSTING THE SENSITIVITY OF THE MOTION SENSORS ". If you feel that your animal is now getting close enough to the door to be recognized by the RFID antenna, store the animal's chips (page 30 in the manual " 5.7.1 LEARNING THE RFID CHIP ") and activate the lock symbol on the display as described in the manual on page 24 " 4.7.3 OPERATING STATE 'RFID ACCESS CONTROL' "
- Independent control inside/outside: If your pet is afraid of the petWALK door (especially when the door leaf is coming towards you), the door can also be controlled in different ways from the outside and inside. In this case, we recommend controlling it using motion detection from the inside to the outside (so your pet can go outside under the conditions you specify) and activating the RFID query from the outside to the inside (so that only animals with stored chips can use the door). You can read how this works on page 31 “ 5.7.2 SETTING UP RFID ACCESS CONTROL FROM THE INSIDE AND/OR OUTSIDE “
- Using the door with large and small animals: If you install the large door, but smaller animals such as cats or small dogs are also supposed to use the door, the distance between the animals' neck area and the middle of the door leaf can often be too large simply because of the difference in size between the animals. In this case, or if the door was installed higher than recommended due to difficult installation situations, you can help the animals to get into the antenna's detection range by using a simple step or a small platform.
- Use of multiple chips per animal: Since the position of the RFID chips in relation to the antenna also plays an important role in recognition, in extreme cases it is also possible to use several chips per animal. These can be sewn into the collar, for example, and hidden. The door opens as soon as the first chip is recognized.
Sources of errors and frequently asked questions:
Metal doors, aluminum blinds and RFID
What is RFID?
- The abbreviation RFID is based on the English term “radio-frequency identification”, which means “identification using electromagnetic waves”.
- RFID enables the automatic identification and localization of objects and living beings.
- An RFID system consists of a transponder, the microchip, which is located on or in the object or living being and contains an identifying code, as well as a reader to read this identification.
- Your pet's microchip is a tiny implant, about the size of a grain of rice, which your veterinarian injects under the skin completely painlessly.
How does RFID work with petWALK?
- The function of the animal door is based on a two-stage detection process.
- The basic function of the animal door is to detect the movement of a living being in front of the door. This is detected by the two PIR sensors (1 x outside and 1 x inside). The PIR for inside is located above the door leaf on the electronics (black metal cover plate with S/N sticker) near the middle and is a small, black cylinder that is mounted at an angle. You can see the black mechatronic cover with the sticker when the animal door is removed, as well as when it is installed in a tunnel. The PIR for outside is located on the lower edge of the door leaf in the middle (installed) and is only visible when the door leaf is open. You can see the small round prism cover of the sensor on the vertical surface. If one of the two sensors detects movement, this is indicated by the corresponding house symbol lighting up orange. If the corresponding function: Open when movement is activated (symbol: House IN/House OUT = green), the animal door opens as soon as a corresponding movement is detected.
- As an additional security function, the RFID-based access control can now be switched on for motion detection (symbol: lock = green). If the access control is activated, the animal door does not open immediately when it detects movement, but instead tries to read a valid RFID chip for around 10 seconds (symbol: lock = flashes orange).
- The microchip in or on your cat or dog does not contain a battery, but is powered by the antenna in the petWALK pet door. As soon as the chip receives enough energy, it begins to send its identification like a radio station on a specific frequency.
- The petWALK pet door now listens to this frequency for about 10 seconds (orange flashing lock symbol) and as soon as it detects a known chip, it opens the door.
- If a known chip is recognized, the animal door opens and displays the animal's number. However, if no valid chip is recognized within 10 seconds of the reading cycle, the entire process is aborted and the animal door reinitializes the entire sensor system (symbol: door = lights up red). In this state, the animal door cannot be used because all functions are blocked during initialization.
- After this process (initialization), the animal door returns to its normal basic function and waits to see if MOVEMENT of an animal is detected. Then the cycle begins again and the animal door tries to read a valid RFID chip for about 10 seconds (symbol: lock = flashes orange). This means that if the chip of an animal cannot be read within 10 seconds when access control is activated, nothing else happens after the 10 seconds have elapsed until the animal door is triggered again by MOVEMENT!
- The position in front of the door is very important for optimal detection of the RFID chips. Please refer to the sketch in the enclosed information sheet. It must also be taken into account that the implanted chips have a much shorter range than the collar tags. This means that the animal must be in the optimal position and much closer to the door than with the tag. If the implanted transponder is too small, it may even be that it cannot be read correctly even when the animal is in the optimal position. If in doubt, please ask your veterinarian about the exact type and, above all, size of the implanted transponder.
- The position of the RFID chip is also very important. Changing the position of the chip in the three dimensional axes helps you to find out in which position the recognition works better or worse. The best way to test this is to hold your pet in the optimal position in front of the pet door (in the middle of the door leaf - see sketch) and turn and tilt it during the RFID reading cycle.
How to use RFID access control
- In this video we explain how you can activate and configure RFID access control.
RFID technology - possibilities and limitations
- The petWALK pet door is technically compatible with all conventional animal identification chips according to the ISO standard 11784 / 11785 FDX-B.
- However, this technology dates back to the 1970s and was standardized almost 20 years ago (1996). This makes it hopelessly outdated and brings with it a number of annoying restrictions. But it does allow such an implanted chip to be used as a key for the petWALK pet door.
- However, as the manufacturer of the pet door, we have no influence on the quality of the transponder in your pet and therefore cannot provide any guarantee with regard to its function or range.
- We therefore recommend checking with your animals before installation whether the detection range is sufficient. If it doesn't work, this is not a malfunction of the device, but rather a technical limitation of the ID chip.
How high is the detection range
- The typical reading distance of a well-tuned implanted chip is about 5 cm to a maximum of 20 cm. The collar tags supplied should offer a reading distance of at least 15-25 cm, the large chips at least 20-30 cm. In learning mode, the distance is usually half the normal reading distance.
- However, the actual achievable range depends on many factors. The biggest challenges are the power supply of the transponder, the transmission frequency and the position of the transponder in relation to the antenna.
- On the first point, there are legal regulations about how much energy the antenna can emit without disturbing other electronic devices in the vicinity (EMC standard). Depending on the quality of the chip in or on your pet, it needs more or less energy to activate, which means it can be further or closer to the antenna. The principle is called near-field transmission or inductive coupling. The distance between the two coils represents the wireless transmission path and should be as small as possible. If the distance between the two coils is greater, the stray flux increases significantly, which reduces the inductive coupling and reduces the efficiency. Typical distances that can be bridged with this method are approximately the coil diameter up to twice the coil diameter. The coil diameter of the transponder in your animal is only a few millimeters, so the theoretically achievable distance is limited to a few centimeters. This is also the reason why the much larger collar tag works so much better.
- The second challenge is the correct transmission frequency. This is set in the standard and the petWALK pet door adheres to it very precisely (it even adjusts it daily). However, the implanted chips in particular often show considerable deviations, which means that they do not transmit at the agreed frequency. To put it simply, you can imagine it as if you were listening to a radio program on a radio with the frequency adjusted. There will be noise and you will hardly be able to understand anything. Only when the signal becomes much stronger, in our case when the animal comes closer to the antenna, can you recognize the data.
- The third factor is the position of the transponder in the electromagnetic field. This means how the chip, which looks like a grain of rice, is aligned with the antenna in the door leaf. It works best when it is perpendicular to the door leaf and very poorly when it is in a parallel position. This is due to physical reasons (magnetic field of coils) due to the design of the implanted transponder. This circumstance has a dramatic influence on the reading range, from working great to not working at all.
- In order to maximize the range, petWALK does not read the numerical value of the chip like veterinarians' devices do. Instead, petWALK analyzes the frequency spectrum of the chip using complex mathematical methods and compares it with previously stored patterns.
- The range of the chip cannot be adjusted at the door.
What do you have to pay attention to when implanting?
- Positioning: As a rule, an identification chip is implanted by the vet in the left neck. For use with a petWALK pet door, it would be advantageous if this was as far forward as possible, preferably behind the ear. It is also helpful if the vet injects the chip so that it lies horizontally in the body with one of the tips facing the door, ie standing normally on the door leaf. This way the chip can absorb the most energy and of course also release it again.
- Implant: If possible, we recommend testing the microchip on our pet door before implanting it. It is important to note that the chip in the syringe is very well shielded by the metal needle. However, if you move the syringe with the tip pointing forwards towards the door, the chip should be able to be detected at a distance of around 3-5 cm. If this is successful, the chip will also work in the animal's body in front of our pet door. Of course, the animal may also need to practice a little to get the corresponding body part as close to the door as possible. However, pets usually learn this very quickly. The range depends on the quality of the transponder. Transponders from brand manufacturers such as Virbac or "Back Home Biotec" usually work well.
Possible errors when using RFID
An overview of possible sources of error in the detection of RFID chips can be found here .
The implanted chip could be taught, but the range is too small
If the door has recognised the chip, the range during operation is approximately twice as high as when it was being programmed. If this is too low, then implanting a new chip may be the only solution. In the grey area, however, you could also deactivate RFID inside and work with motion detection so that the door functions like an entrance door with a knob, i.e. you have to unlock it from the outside and you can open it from the inside without a key.
Transponder can be taught, but will then no longer be recognized
If you hold the chip parallel to the door leaf when learning, it should be recognized at least 15cm in front of it. Then please try to teach the chip again. The door should recognize it and jump to the original program position. However, if it jumps to the next higher number, this is an indicator of a source of interference above the permitted limit (mobile phone mast, radio transmitter, solar system, cable provider, smart electricity meter, etc.) in the vicinity of the door, the same applies if the range of the chip supplied is less than 10cm.
Options if the implanted chip cannot be taught
If the use of a supplied RFID transponder on the collar is not an option, the implantation of an additional chip can be considered.
Before taking such a step, please contact our customer service, who will be happy to assist you with advice and assistance.
In any case, you should test the product first before implanting it. Get a "sacrificial chip" from the same batch of the product that is to be implanted and test it on your animal by temporarily attaching the chip to the fur with a piece of adhesive tape.
To be on the safe side, if you have two chips, the learning process should be repeated in different positions so that both transponders are taught, assuming they are both working. The chip that responds first will then open.
Only when the tests have been successful without any problems and your animal can use the door without any problems should you have this additional transponder implanted!
The petWALK pet door does not recognize my pet’s microchip
If the pet door does not recognize your pet's chip, please first check the following points:
- Is the pet door switched on? (Time and power lights are lit)
- Has the pet chip been programmed? If not, you can find out more about this in the user manual.