RFID-enabled electrical connector

A method of assuring the proper connection of an RFID-enabled electrical connector comprising the steps of

• identifying a socket with CPA features and a socket housing having a strategically located region of electrically conductive material;
• inserting a connector housing with an affixed mini-RFID tag and an attached plug into the socket;
• being unable to read the mini-RFID tag using an RFID reader, prior to deploying the CPA features of the socket;
• pushing the connector housing into the socket until a latch, one of the CPA features of the socket, is enabled;
• depressing the latch to positionally lock the connector housing relative to the socket;
• aligning the strategically located region of electrically conductive material so that it acts as an antenna to the mini-RFID tag when the latch is depressed;
• and
• increasing the effective transmission range of the mini-RFID tag by using the antenna so that an RFID reader can be positioned to read the mini-RFID tag embedded in the connector housing.

A method of assuring the proper connection of an RFID-enabled electrical connector comprising the steps of

• identifying a connector housing, having a strategically located region of electrically conductive material;
• inserting a socket with an affixed mini-RFID tag into the connector housing;
• being unable to read the mini-RFID tag using an RFID reader, prior to deploying the CPA features of the socket;
• pushing the socket into the connector housing until a latch, a CPA feature of the socket, is enabled;
• depressing the latch to correctly position the connector housing relative to the socket and thereby aligning the strategically located region of electrically conductive material so that it acts as an antenna to the mini-RFID tag;
• and
• reading the mini-RFID tag embedded in the connector housing.