Reader that talks to the right transponders
The Siemens 6GT2801-2BA10 is a SIMATIC RF340R GEN2 RFID reader with an integrated antenna, built for the RF300 system. It talks RS422 using the 3964R protocol — that is a point-to-point serial link, not a fieldbus, so expect a dedicated cable run back to the communication module. It operates at 13.56 MHz and reads RF300-specific, ISO 15693, ISO 18000-3, and ISO 14443 transponders. The maximum read range is 140 mm, but that figure depends on the transponder type — Siemens application note 67384964 has the per-transponder distances. Power comes from a 24 V DC supply (20.4...28.8 V range), drawing 0.06 A typical. The M12 8-pin connector carries both power and the RS422 signals — one cable, one connector.
IP67 and the enclosure reality
The housing is IP67-rated PA 12 in Ti gray, 75 x 75 x 41 mm, fastened with two M5 screws. IP67 means the reader survives hose-down and temporary immersion — it belongs on a machine frame or conveyor stand, not inside a control cabinet. The M12 connector's O-ring is the wet-end seal, not the housing threads. Shock resistance is 500 m/s² per EN 60721-3-7 Class 7M2; vibration resistance is 200 m/s². That covers most industrial handling and conveyor vibration. The reader is not multitag-capable — it reads one transponder at a time. For write access, expect 0.13 ms per byte, same for read. Transfer rate tops out at 106 kbit/s over the air.
Active production — no obsolescence concern
MTBF is listed at 260 a — that is 260 years mean time between failures under stated conditions. The number comes from a standard reliability prediction, not field data, but it tells you the design target is long service life.