RFID System for Smartphone Warehouse

Sensors NFC & RFID
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Project: RFID System for Smartphone Warehouse – Looking for Hardware/Software Guidance

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a project to implement an RFID-based system to control warehouse stock — as low-cost and functional as possible.

We buy and sell used smartphones without boxes, so all items are metallic (though I could put each phone in a plastic sleeve or use on-metal tags if needed).
Right now, we perform inventory by scanning barcodes one by one, which is extremely time-consuming.

My goals are:

  1. Fast inventory counts

I’d like to build a counting station or “RFID box” with one or two antennas connected to a reader + laptop.
An operator would place a tray or box of phones inside, and the system would read all tags at once — for example, “Blue Box 3 → 38 tags detected.”
This would drastically speed up our inventory process.

  1. (Future phase) Continuous stock presence

Later, I’d like to install fixed antennas around the warehouse and at the entry/exit points to continuously detect which tags are present, helping detect missing or misplaced items.
I’m not aiming for RTLS-level precision — just to know whether an item is “inside, outside, or missing.”

  1. ERP integration (Odoo v17)

Eventually, I want our ERP (Odoo v17) to interpret the tag reads and compare them with database records — verifying that items that should be in stock are indeed detected, and that sold items (qty = 0) are not.

I know this is a complex roadmap, but I can start with something simpler for now — mainly the counting station.
I have medium-level programming knowledge, but limited hardware experience, so I’d really appreciate guidance to avoid mistakes.

:red_question_mark: My main questions

  • What SparkFun (or similar) hardware would you recommend for this use case (readers, antennas, and tags)?

  • What RFID tags work best on or near metal surfaces, or when placed inside a thin plastic bag?

  • What software or middleware setup could I use to capture reads and send them to my ERP (maybe Python + Odoo API)?

  • Any best practices for avoiding read errors due to metal reflections, interference, or dead zones?

  • Has anyone here built something similar or knows a freelancer/engineer who could help with setup?

:puzzle_piece: Example parts list (starting point)

Here’s a list of hardware I’ve been considering for the first prototype phase (counting station):

  • SparkFun Simultaneous RFID Reader – M7E Hecto
    UHF Gen2 reader capable of reading many tags simultaneously with adjustable power output.

  • SparkFun UHF RFID Ring Antenna
    Basic UHF antenna suitable for a small reading enclosure.

  • UHF Anti-Metal Tags (ISO18000-6C / EPC Gen2)
    Tags designed to work on or near metal objects; can be attached directly to phone backs or on plastic sleeves.

  • UHF USB Desktop Reader/Writer
    Useful for encoding and testing tags before deployment.

  • Industrial On-Metal RFID Tags (e.g., Omni-ID Exo series or MetalEvo 9xm)
    Higher-end tags that resist metal interference and provide better range — good for key tests or control samples.

is this enough? it could be proffesional? I need it to be robust.

Practical advice I’ve gathered so far

  • Avoid regular tags on metal. Always use on-metal tags or add a small plastic spacer.

  • Test gradually (10–20 tags at a time) before scaling to hundreds.

  • Antenna placement and field geometry matter a lot ( i have no idea how to do it ).

  • Choose a reader that can output data via USB or serial so you can easily capture tag IDs from Python ( Oddo works with Python as well ).

Any help, hardware suggestions, or implementation tips from people who’ve worked with RFID in metal-dense environments (electronics, tools, etc.) would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks a lot for reading — I’m open to all ideas and freelancers.

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Jadak, the company behind the M7E, has a webpage and whitepaper about this topic that might help you : https://www.jadaktech.com/industries/retail/retail-inventory-management-systems/

1 Like
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Hi,
I have worked on similar RFID deployments in metal-heavy environments and your hardware list is solid for a start. The M7E Hecto paired with on-metal tags should handle the counting station well, though you will want to test antenna polarization and spacing to minimize dead zones in your box setup.

For Odoo integration, I typically use Python with the serial library to capture tag reads and push them through the Odoo API, which maps cleanly to your inventory records. The trickier part is tuning the read zone and managing tag collisions when you scale up, but that comes down to power settings and antenna geometry.

I have done this type of setup before and can help you avoid the common pitfalls with metal interference and reader configuration.

If you want to chat through the technical approach or need someone to help with the implementation, you can reach out to me on my email here

Colin