If you run tool control in an air force, defence or aviation MRO environment, two RFID tags come up by name again and again: FIT210 — often written RFID Tag 210 — and CR400, or RFID Tag 400. Customers ask for them by these exact model numbers because they have already proven themselves on the flight line: small enough to bond onto a spanner or torque wrench, tough enough to survive hangar life, and readable from inside a closed toolbox. This guide gives the full specification of both the 210 and 400 tags, explains when to choose each, and shows how they fit into a complete tool-tracking system.
RFID Tag 210 (FIT210): the FR4 PCB tool tag
The FIT210 / RFID Tag 210 is a slim FR4 PCB tag built for tools and equipment where you want range with a low profile. At 55.6 × 5 × 1.3 mm it bonds flush along the handle of a spanner, plier or gauge, and its NXP UCODE 9 chip reads out to around 3 metres from a fixed reader — the longest range of the two. It belongs to our RFID PCB and rugged tag family.
| Specification | RFID Tag 210 (FIT210) |
|---|---|
| Material | FR4 PCB |
| Size (L × W × H) | 55.6 × 5 × 1.3 mm |
| Weight | 2.4 g |
| IC / chip | NXP UCODE 9 |
| Memory | EPC 96-bit, TID 96-bit |
| Operating mode | UHF passive |
| Frequency | 865–867 MHz (India) or 902–928 MHz (FCC) |
| Read range | up to 3 m (fixed reader), up to 1.8 m (handheld) |
| IP rating | IP68 |
| Operating temperature | 20 °C to 80 °C |
| Data retention | 40 years and above |
| Write endurance | 100,000 cycles |
RFID Tag 400 (CR400): the ceramic on-metal tag
When the tool itself is the problem — solid metal, a tiny surface, no room for a 55 mm strip — the CR400 / RFID Tag 400 takes over. It is a 10 × 5 × 3 mm ceramic on-metal RFID tag that reads reliably when mounted directly on steel, which is exactly why it is the go-to for small hand tools, drill bits, sockets and inserts. Ceramic shrugs off the solvents, heat and repeated cleaning that would destroy a paper label.
| Specification | RFID Tag 400 (CR400) |
|---|---|
| Material | Ceramic (on-metal) |
| Size (L × W × H) | 10 × 5 × 3 mm |
| Weight | 0.9 g |
| IC / chip | Alien Higgs-3 |
| Memory | EPC 96-bit, TID 96-bit, User 512-bit |
| Operating mode | UHF passive |
| Frequency | 865–867 MHz (India) or 902–928 MHz (FCC) |
| Read range | up to 1 m (fixed reader), up to 0.5 m (handheld) |
| IP rating | IP68 |
| Operating temperature | −20 °C to 80 °C |
| Data retention | 40 years and above |
| Write endurance | 100,000 cycles |
FIT210 vs CR400: which tool gets which tag
Both tags are IP68, hold their data for 40+ years and survive 100,000 writes — the choice comes down to the tool:
- Longer, flatter or non-metal surface, and you want maximum range → choose FIT210 (RFID Tag 210). The extra length gives it the antenna real-estate for that 3 m read.
- Small, all-metal, curved or high-wear tool → choose CR400 (RFID Tag 400). The ceramic on-metal design reads where a standard tag would simply go dead against steel.
Most tool rooms standardise on both: the 210 on larger tools and the 400 on the small metal items. If you want the underlying physics of why a metal surface kills an ordinary tag, our on-metal RFID tags guide explains it in plain terms.
Why FIT210 and CR400 suit air force & defence tool tracking
- FOD prevention. On a flight line, a single tool left in an airframe is a flight-safety event. Reading a whole toolbox in one sweep guarantees every item is accounted for before an aircraft is released — the core of RFID in defence logistics.
- Built for the environment. IP68 sealing and a wide operating temperature mean the tags survive hangars, tarmac heat and wash-downs.
- Permanent, tamper-proof identity. A factory-locked TID plus a writable EPC gives each tool a unique identity that lasts 40+ years — ideal for audit and accountability.
- Fast issue and return. A UHF handheld reader checks an entire kit in and out in seconds instead of a manual logbook.
Bonding the tags to a tool
Both the 210 and 400 are typically bonded with a cyanoacrylate adhesive supplied alongside the tags:
| Property | Mounting adhesive |
|---|---|
| Chemical type | Ethyl cyanoacrylate |
| Appearance | Transparent, free-flowing liquid |
| Cure initiator | Atmospheric moisture |
| Bond strength | High |
Degrease and lightly abrade the mounting spot, apply a thin film, and hold for a few seconds — the bond cures on contact and survives daily handling.
From tags to a working tool-tracking system
The tag is only the sensor; the value is the system around it. Our RFID tool tracking platform turns FIT210 and CR400 reads into issue/return workflows, shadow-board checks and audit trails, and extends into full asset tracking across a depot. Pair the tags with the right on-metal tags and UHF tags for everything else you need to track, all on India’s 865–867 MHz band, all WPC and BIS certified and manufactured in Delhi.
Need FIT210 (RFID Tag 210) or CR400 (RFID Tag 400) tags by the model number, or a complete tool-tracking deployment for a defence or MRO facility? Talk to our team and explore our tool tracking system — datasheets are on our downloads page.