CYKEO CK-B4L: A Practical RFID Card Reader for Android Developers

If you are developing an Android-based system and you suddenly need RFID capability, things usually get complicated fast. Traditional RFID readers are bulky, expensive, and designed more for fixed installations than mobile apps. NFC on phones looks tempting, but the range is limited and doesn’t fit many industrial scenarios.

This is exactly the gap CYKEO CK-B4L was built to fill.

The CK-B4L is a compact RFID card reader for Android that connects directly through USB Type-C, drawing power and data from the phone itself. No battery to manage. No Bluetooth pairing issues. Plug it in, launch your Android app, and start reading RFID tags immediately.

Why Android Developers Look for a Device Like CK-B4L

From real projects, Android developers usually face the same set of problems:

• “We need RFID, but only at short range.”
• “The reader must be small enough to stay with the phone.”
• “We don’t want Bluetooth instability or charging another device.”
• “The system needs to be simple enough for non-technical users.”

CK-B4L answers these points one by one, without over-engineering.

Small, Light, and Designed Around the Phone

At 37 grams, CK-B4L is lighter than most power banks. It uses a slim near-field antenna and a magnetic back design, so it can attach directly to the back of an Android phone during operation.

This matters more than it sounds. In real workflows—inspection, picking, anti-counterfeiting checks—users don’t want to hold two devices or manage cables. With CK-B4L, the phone and reader behave like one unit.

Controlled Reading Range for Accurate Operations

Unlike long-range UHF readers, CK-B4L is intentionally designed for short-range reading.

• Reading range: up to 30 cm
• Writing range: up to 10 cm

For developers, this solves a real problem: misreads.
In picking stations, workstations, inspection points, or anti-counterfeiting checks, you usually want to read one tag at a time, not everything nearby.

This controlled range makes application logic simpler and reduces false data inside your Android system.

Type-C Connection: Simple, Stable, Predictable

Many mobile RFID projects fail because of unstable wireless connections. CK-B4L avoids that entirely.

• USB Type-C provides both power and communication
• No internal battery to degrade over time
• No pairing or reconnection logic
• Lower power consumption (1.2W at +18dBm)

From a software perspective, this makes behavior predictable. The reader is either connected or not. No background drops. No surprise reconnects.

Developer-Friendly from Day One

CK-B4L is not just hardware. CYKEO provides C# and Java development materials, which most Android system teams can work with directly.

Typical integration looks like this:

1. Android phone detects CK-B4L via Type-C
2. App initializes reader
3. Tag data returned instantly
4. App logic handles verification, counting, or inspection

No heavy SDK layers. No locked ecosystems. Just clean data into your system.

Protocols and Compatibility

Although the device is small, protocol support is broad:

• ISO 18000-6C / 6B
• EPC C1G2
• GB/T 29768-2013 (optional)
• GJB military standards
• Temperature & humidity tag protocols

This allows developers to reuse CK-B4L across different projects without hardware changes

Typical Application Scenarios

CK-B4L is often chosen for:

• Anti-counterfeiting verification
• Workstation counting and confirmation
• Inspection and patrol systems
• Picking and sorting workflows
• Lightweight asset identification

Because it’s small, low-power, and phone-powered, it fits projects where deploying large readers simply doesn’t make sense.

Technical Details (In Plain Language)

CK-B4L operates in the 840–960 MHz range with adjustable output from 1 to 18 dBm. It reads up to 30 cm, writes up to 10 cm, and can identify about 100 tags within 3 seconds. Power consumption stays low at around 1.2W. The device measures 62.5 × 48 × 9 mm and weighs just 37 g. It works reliably from -20°C to +70°C and tolerates high humidity without condensation.

Final Thoughts

The CYKEO CK-B4L is not trying to replace full-size RFID readers. It’s designed for a very specific need: enabling Android phones to read RFID tags reliably, simply, and at close range.

For developers building Android systems where size, stability, and cost matter, CK-B4L often turns out to be the most practical choice.

If your project needs a rfid card reader android solution that integrates cleanly into your rfid reader android app, this device does exactly what it should—and nothing it shouldn’t.