Two-dimensional antenna configuration

A system for storing samples, the system comprising one or more cabinets, each cabinet comprising cabinet control electronics and one or more hierarchy levels, each hierarchy level comprising control electronics adapted to communicate with control electronics of one or more elements of a next-lower hierarchy level, wherein:

• a lowest hierarchy level in each cabinet is a box level comprising one or more boxes for each element of a second-lowest hierarchy level in each cabinet;
• each box at the box level comprises box control electronics and adapted to receive one or more corresponding sample containers, each sample container comprising container electronics and adapted to store a sample;
• the cabinet control electronics of each cabinet is adapted to communicate with control electronics of each element of a highest hierarchy level in each cabinet;
• the box control electronics of each box are adapted to communicate with the container electronics of each corresponding sample container;
• the container electronics of each sample container is adapted to communicate sample-identification information to the corresponding box control electronics;
• the corresponding box control electronics is adapted to communicate the sample-identification information to control electronics of the corresponding element of the second-lowest hierarchy level;
• control electronics of each element of a second-highest hierarchy level is adapted to communicate the sample-identification information to the corresponding cabinet control electronics;
• and
• the system includes an antenna configuration for determining identity and location of RFID tags in a two-dimensional distribution of possible locations, the antenna configuration comprising:
• (a) a first set of elongated reader coils, each elongated reader coil in the first set associated with a different column of possible locations in the two-dimensional distribution;
• and
• (b) a second set of elongated reader coils, each elongated reader coil in the second set associated with a different row of possible locations in the two-dimensional distribution, wherein:
• each possible location in the two-dimensional distribution is associated with (i) a single elongated reader coil in the first set and (ii) a single elongated reader coil in the second set.