Introducing Pepper C2: Up to 20 cm RFID Range with an Integrated Antenna

We are pleased to introduce the new full-size Pepper C2 RFID Reader with an integrated antenna. Designed for applications that need more read range than the Pepper C1 family, it combines up to 2 W RF output with a practical 75 × 50 mm board and a 40 × 40 mm onboard antenna.

With suitable ICODE tags, Pepper C2 can achieve a read range of up to 20 cm. This makes it a strong option for access control, asset identification, industrial automation and other systems where a conventional short-range reader may not provide a large enough detection zone.

A full-size Pepper C2 with a larger integrated antenna

We previously released two compact versions for embedded integration: the Pepper C2 Module for use with an external antenna and the Pepper C2 Module with Integrated Antenna, which includes a small onboard antenna for space-constrained designs.

The new Pepper C2 is different. It uses the same familiar 75 × 50 mm board format as Pepper C1 and Pepper C1 Lite, but adds a 40 × 40 mm integrated antenna. There is no separate antenna to select, mount or connect, making the reader straightforward to evaluate and install.

Up to 20 cm with ICODE tags

Pepper C2 delivers up to 2 W RF output, compared with 1.25 W in the Pepper C1 family. Together with the larger integrated antenna, this provides increased read-range potential. With suitable ICODE transponders, the reader can reach up to 20 cm.

Actual distance depends on the tag type and size, its orientation, the selected power level, nearby materials and the final installation. The maximum range should therefore be confirmed in the intended operating environment.

Wired connectivity and flexible operation

Built around an STM32 MCU and a high-performance RFID frontend, Pepper C2 is designed without wireless connectivity. USB/UART, RS232 and RS485 versions support direct integration with computers, controllers and industrial equipment.

The reader can operate under host control or in standalone polling mode. It also provides USB HID keyboard emulation, six configurable GPIOs, an RGB status LED and configurable RFID event output in binary, plain-text, JSON or custom-text formats. Setup and testing are supported by the free Cx-Client for Windows.

Pepper C2 supports widely used ISO/IEC 14443A and ISO/IEC 15693 transponders, including MIFARE Classic, MIFARE Ultralight, NTAG21x and ICODE families. MIFARE Plus and MIFARE DESFire tags are supported for UID identification only.

High-performance RFID at a lower price

Longer read range does not have to mean a high system cost. The Pepper C2 USB version launches at just £23.95, providing a cost-effective route to a powerful 13.56 MHz RFID/NFC reader with an integrated antenna.

For projects that need a ready-to-use wired reader, greater range potential and the established Pepper board format, the new Pepper C2 offers a practical step up from Pepper C1 and Pepper C1 Lite.

Explore Pepper C2, its connection options and documentation.