Virtual RFID Reader & EPC Gen2 Tag Simulator
Build, test, and debug warehouse IoT automation pipelines with this free browser-based RFID reader emulator and virtual reader node. Stream synthetic EPC Class 1 Gen 2 (ISO 18000-6C) tags, customize antenna RF power, and inspect real-time REST, MQTT, Tally Prime XML, and SAP BAPI payloads without physical hardware.
Host: localhost:5084 • Fastify REST + MQTT Broker Mode
| EPC MEMORY (HEX) | ANT | RSSI | PHASE | READS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30142B8A004C200000000001 | #1 | -42.5 dBm | 112.4° | 14 |
| 30142B8A004C200000000002 | #2 | -48 dBm | 184.2° | 9 |
| 30142B8A004C200000000003 | #1 | -38.2 dBm | 64.8° | 22 |
{
"status": "success",
"timestamp": "2026-09-12T18:43:29.100Z",
"readerId": "openrfid-virtual-01",
"protocol": "OpenRFID-REST/v1.0",
"inventory": {
"session": "S2",
"txPowerDbm": 30,
"tagsCount": 3,
"tags": [
{
"epc": "30142B8A004C200000000001",
"tid": "E2801130A80044B198231C01",
"antenna": 1,
"rssi": -42.5,
"phaseAngle": 112.4,
"reads": 14,
"lastSeen": "12:13:29 AM"
},
{
"epc": "30142B8A004C200000000002",
"tid": "E2801130A80044B198231C02",
"antenna": 2,
"rssi": -48,
"phaseAngle": 184.2,
"reads": 9,
"lastSeen": "12:13:29 AM"
},
{
"epc": "30142B8A004C200000000003",
"tid": "E2801130A80044B198231C03",
"antenna": 1,
"rssi": -38.2,
"phaseAngle": 64.8,
"reads": 22,
"lastSeen": "12:13:29 AM"
}
]
}
}Why Developing RFID Software with Physical Hardware Fails
Most RFID software projects fall behind schedule not because of business logic, but because software engineers cannot easily test physical RF hardware at their desks.
Hardware Availability
Enterprise fixed readers cost $1,500 to $3,000 each. Distributed software teams and remote developers rarely have physical dock doors, conveyor tunnels, or handhelds at their home workstations.
Zero CI/CD Automation
You cannot physically wave an RFID tag in front of an antenna inside a headless GitHub Actions or GitLab CI runner. Unit and integration tests break without a virtual mock daemon.
Scale & Stress Testing
Manually testing 5,000+ tags crossing a dock door at 15 km/h is impossible on a desk. The simulator stress-tests socket buffers, memory leak resistance, and ERP batching at scale.
Full Emulation of All 4 EPC Gen2 Memory Banks
OpenRFID Simulator implements true bitwise memory structures conforming to the ISO/IEC 18000-6C and EPCglobal Class 1 Gen 2 standards.
Holds 32-bit Kill Password and Access Password. Allows testing write-protection exceptions and security unlock commands.
0x00000000 (Default Unlocked) CRC-16, Protocol-Control (PC) bits, and 96-bit Electronic Product Code. Encodes GS1 SGTIN-96, GRAI, and GIAI serial numbers.
30142B8A004C200000000001 Factory-locked silicon serial signature. Simulates authentic chip mask models from Impinj (Monza), NXP (UCODE), and Alien (Higgs).
E2801130A80044B198231C01 Application-specific read/write payload block. Used in healthcare, cold-chain, and aerospace to store calibration and expiration dates.
ASCII / HEX Custom Payload Automate Testing with a Headless RFID Reader Emulator in CI/CD
Integrate the headless RFID reader emulator daemon into your GitHub Actions and Jenkins pipelines with zero physical hardware overhead.
name: RFID Middleware Integration Tests
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout Repository
uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Setup Node.js Runtime
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: 20
# 1. Spin up OpenRFID Virtual Reader in background (REST :5084, MQTT :1883)
- name: Launch Headless RFID Simulator
run: npx @openrfid/cli simulator start --detach --port 5084 --tags 500
# 2. Wait for health check endpoint to return 200 OK
- name: Await Simulator Health
run: |
until curl -s http://localhost:5084/api/v1/health | grep "ok"; do
echo "Waiting for OpenRFID daemon to initialize..."
sleep 1
done
# 3. Execute your enterprise application tests against virtual hardware
- name: Run Test Suite Against Simulated RFID Reader
run: npm run test:integration
env:
RFID_READER_HOST: "http://localhost:5084"
RFID_MQTT_BROKER: "mqtt://localhost:1883"OpenRFID Simulator vs. Legacy Tools
Why developers are replacing obsolete 2011-era Java emulators with our modern TypeScript / Tauri architecture.
| Feature / Protocol | OpenRFID Simulator | Rifidi Emulator | Fosstrak | Impinj ItemTest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Development | ✓ Active (v1.2.0, 2026) | ✗ Dead (Archived 2013) | ✗ Dead ("DO NOT USE") | ✓ Active (OEM Only) |
| Requires Physical Hardware | No (100% Virtual) | No | No | Yes (Needs $2k Reader) |
| Modern REST & MQTT Telemetry | ✓ Native Fastify & MQTT | ✗ None (Java RMI/JMS) | ✗ None (SOAP WebServices) | Limited (Custom JSON) |
| In-Browser Zero-Install Mode | ✓ Client-Side Sandbox | ✗ Heavy Java GUI | ✗ Monolithic Jar | ✗ Windows EXE Only |
| Headless CI/CD Automation | ✓ npx @openrfid/cli | ✗ No headless CLI | ✗ Complex Ant Build | ✗ GUI Only |
| Tally Prime & SAP Connectors | ✓ Instant XML / BAPI | ✗ No ERP support | ✗ No ERP support | ✗ Proprietary Only |
Download OpenRFID Simulator for Your Environment
Available as a lightweight browser tool, cross-platform desktop installer, or automated CLI package.
Headless npm CLI
Launch background simulation daemons in seconds for automated testing, local development, or Docker containers.
npm i -g @openrfid/cli Windows Desktop (MSI)
Native desktop application built with Tauri & Rust. Includes visual antenna configuration, tag memory inspector, and event logger.
- ✓ Zero Java runtime dependencies
- ✓ Native performance (< 60MB RAM)
- ✓ Local SQLite WAL event logs
GitHub Monorepo
Full TypeScript / Turborepo source code, academic research paper draft, and documentation. Free for commercial use under MIT.
git clone github.com/rfidsoftwares/openrfid-simulator Everything You Need to Know About Virtual RFID Simulation
Detailed engineering answers on protocol emulation, automated CI/CD testing, and ERP payloads.
How does OpenRFID Simulator test applications without physical hardware?
How does the simulator handle automated CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions)?
Can I simulate realistic signal strength (RSSI) and antenna port switching?
What EPC Gen2 memory banks can be generated and tested?
What is the most common surprise developers encounter when moving from this simulator to physical hardware?
Is OpenRFID Simulator free and open-source under the MIT license?
Need Turnkey RFID Middleware or Custom ERP Integration?
We bridge the gap between virtual simulation and industrial hardware deployment. From custom Chainway Android APKs to enterprise Impinj dock door portal gateways and SAP S/4HANA sync, our engineering team deploys production-ready software across India and globally.