RFID Printing

This guide explains how to print labels and simultaneously encode RFID inlays using the AD Device Manager SDK.

Supported Devices

RFID print-and-encode is supported on:

Device	SDK type	RFID hardware required
PF Edge	NG/TSC	Yes — must be present on unit
PF6059	CDIL	Yes — must be present on unit

Not all units include RFID hardware. Always check for capability at runtime before attempting any RFID operation.

Checking for RFID Support

The SDK uses a capability pattern. Use hasCapability() and isRFIDEnabled() before calling any RFID method:

import com.averydennison.addevicemanager.capabilities.RfidCapability;

PrinterAdapter printerAdapter = deviceAdapter.getPrinterAdapter();

if (printerAdapter.hasCapability(RfidCapability.class)
        && ((RfidCapability) printerAdapter).isRFIDEnabled()) {
    RfidCapability rfid = (RfidCapability) printerAdapter;
    // Safe to call RFID methods
} else {
    logger.warn("This device does not support RFID.");
}

Print and Encode an RFID Tag

Use printAndEncodeRfid() to print a label template and write data to the RFID inlay in a single operation.

Method Signature

CompletableFuture<Void> printAndEncodeRfid(
    String templateName,   // Template resource name
    String variableData,   // Template variables: "KEY1=VALUE1;KEY2=VALUE2"
    int qty,               // Number of labels to print (0 defaults to 1)
    String epcData,        // EPC memory bank data as hex string (null to skip)
    String userMemory,     // User memory bank data as hex string (null to skip)
    String accessPwd,      // Access password as hex string (null to skip)
    String killPwd,        // Kill password as hex string (null to skip)
    String lockCode        // Lock code for EPC write ("0" for no lock)
);

Device-specific Template Notes

Device	Template extension	Template location
PF Edge	`.ngt`	Loaded in app memory via resource management
PF6059	`.lnt`	Registered on the printer via resource management

Example: Print and Encode with EPC

PrinterAdapter printerAdapter = deviceAdapter.getPrinterAdapter();

if (printerAdapter.hasCapability(RfidCapability.class)
        && ((RfidCapability) printerAdapter).isRFIDEnabled()) {
    RfidCapability rfid = (RfidCapability) printerAdapter;

    String template     = "RFIDLabel.ngt"; // Use ".lnt" for PF6059
    String variableData = "VAR1=00614141000015";
    String epcData      = "3034257BF40A800000000001"; // 96-bit SGTIN-96 hex
    String lockCode     = "0"; // No lock

    rfid.printAndEncodeRfid(template, variableData, 1, epcData, null, null, null, lockCode)
        .thenRun(() -> logger.info("RFID label printed and encoded successfully."))
        .exceptionally(e -> {
            logger.error("RFID print+encode failed: " + e.getMessage());
            return null;
        });
}

Parameters Reference

Parameter	Description	Example
`templateName`	Name of the template resource registered on the device	`"RFIDLabel.ngt"` / `"RFIDLabel.lnt"`
`variableData`	Semicolon-separated key=value pairs for template placeholders	`"VAR1=123456789012"`
`qty`	Number of labels to print. Pass `0` to default to 1	`1`
`epcData`	EPC memory bank content as a hexadecimal string. `null` to skip	`"3034257BF40A800000000001"`
`userMemory`	User memory bank content as a hex string. `null` to skip	`null`
`accessPwd`	32-bit access password as hex. `null` to skip	`null`
`killPwd`	32-bit kill password as hex. `null` to skip	`null`
`lockCode`	Lock code applied after EPC write. Use `"0"` for no lock	`"0"`

Generating an EPC from an EAN-13

A common use case is encoding a GS1 SGTIN-96 EPC derived from an EAN-13 barcode. The Quick Start application includes a utility method for this:

// ean13: 12 or 13 digit EAN-13 string
// serialNumber: a unique counter incremented per label printed
String epc = Utils.ean13ToEpcSgtin96("4006381333931", serialCounter);
// Returns a 24-character uppercase hex string, e.g. "3034257BF40A800000000001"
// Returns null if the EAN-13 is invalid

The encoding follows GS1 EPC TDS SGTIN-96 with the following bit layout:

Field	Bits	Value
Header	8	`0x30` (SGTIN-96)
Filter	3	`1` (retail consumer item)
Partition	3	`5` (7-digit company prefix + 5-digit item ref)
Company Prefix	24	First 7 digits of EAN-13
Item Reference	20	Digits 8–12 of EAN-13
Serial	38	Unique serial counter (up to 274 billion)

Note: Partition 5 (7+5 digit split) is the most common for standard European EAN-13. If your company prefix has a different length, the partition value and bit widths must be adjusted accordingly.

RFID Power Configuration

You can read and adjust the antenna power levels for both read and write operations.

Power Ranges

Device	Read power range	Write power range
PF Edge	1 to 27	1 to 27
PF6059	-15 to 23	-15 to 23

Reading Current Power Levels

RfidCapability rfid = (RfidCapability) printerAdapter;

rfid.getReadRfidPower()
    .thenAccept(power -> logger.info("Current read power: " + power))
    .exceptionally(e -> { logger.error("Failed: " + e.getMessage()); return null; });

rfid.getWriteRfidPower()
    .thenAccept(power -> logger.info("Current write power: " + power))
    .exceptionally(e -> { logger.error("Failed: " + e.getMessage()); return null; });

Setting Power Levels

// PF Edge: valid range 1–27. PF6059: valid range -15 to 23.
rfid.setReadRfidPower(10)
    .thenRun(() -> logger.info("Read power set."))
    .exceptionally(e -> { logger.error("Failed: " + e.getMessage()); return null; });

rfid.setWriteRfidPower(10)
    .thenRun(() -> logger.info("Write power set."))
    .exceptionally(e -> { logger.error("Failed: " + e.getMessage()); return null; });

Note (PF Edge): The TSC SDK's RFID POWER command requires both read and write values simultaneously. When you call setReadRfidPower(), the SDK automatically fetches the current write power to keep it unchanged, and vice versa.

RFID Calibration

Calibration should be performed when installing new RFID media or after changing the roll position.

Device	What `calibrateRFID()` does
PF Edge	Sends a single RFID calibration command to the printer
PF6059	Runs a standard media calibration first, then auto-calibrates the RFID antenna power

RfidCapability rfid = (RfidCapability) printerAdapter;

rfid.calibrateRFID()
    .thenRun(() -> logger.info("RFID calibration complete."))
    .exceptionally(e -> {
        logger.error("RFID calibration failed: " + e.getMessage());
        return null;
    });

Important: Always run calibrateRFID() after loading a new roll of RFID media to ensure reliable tag encoding.

Error Handling

RFID operations return a CompletableFuture. Common failure scenarios:

Scenario	Exception message
Device has no RFID hardware	`"This device does not have RFID hardware."`
Template not found (PF Edge)	`"Template '<name>' not found in memory."`
EPC encoding fails	`"RFID print operation failed"`
Operation times out (PF6059)	`"RFID print operation timed out"`
Invalid EAN-13 passed to EPC helper	Method returns `null` — check before passing to SDK

rfid.printAndEncodeRfid(template, data, 1, epc, null, null, null, "0")
    .exceptionally(e -> {
        Throwable cause = e.getCause() != null ? e.getCause() : e;
        if (cause instanceof UnsupportedOperationException) {
            logger.error("RFID not supported on this device.");
        } else {
            logger.error("RFID operation failed: " + cause.getMessage());
        }
        return null;
    });

Next Steps

Printing - Standard (non-RFID) label printing
Callbacks - Monitor print progress with PrintProgressCallback
Resource Management - Register RFID label templates

Supported Devices​

Checking for RFID Support​

Print and Encode an RFID Tag​

Method Signature​

Device-specific Template Notes​

Example: Print and Encode with EPC​

Parameters Reference​

Generating an EPC from an EAN-13​

RFID Power Configuration​

Power Ranges​

Reading Current Power Levels​

Setting Power Levels​

RFID Calibration​

Error Handling​

Next Steps​