RFID 2.12*12mm Microchip — The Universal Injectable Transponder Explained
The 2.12*12mm microchip is a bioglass-encapsulated 134.2 kHz RFID transponder pre-loaded into a sterile veterinary syringe, designed for subcutaneous implantation in companion animals and livestock. It is the single most-deployed injectable animal ID format worldwide — used by veterinary clinics, shelters, breeding programmes, and national livestock traceability schemes across more than 130 countries. Manufactured to ICAR certification standards and compliant with ISO 11784 / ISO 11785 (FDX-B protocol), the 2.12*12mm form factor is what a reader in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Nairobi, or Nagoya will actually recognise when a lost pet arrives at a shelter.
This page is written as a decision guide for veterinarians, shelter directors, distributors, and government livestock registration officers evaluating a bulk supplier. Every question below reflects an inquiry we have received from real customers in the past three years — and the answers are technical, not marketing.
Quick Answer Table
| Question | Short Answer |
|---|---|
| What protocol? | 134.2 kHz FDX-B, ISO 11784 / 11785 |
| Certified? | ICAR-registered manufacturer code, ISO-compliant |
| Species range? | Cats, dogs (medium/large), horses, cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, exotic mammals |
| Syringe type? | Single-use sterile, EO-sterilised, 5-year expiry |
| Read range? | 4–12 cm with a handheld reader, depending on antenna size |
| MOQ? | 100 pcs (standard); free 10-unit sample kit in 5–7 business days |
| Lead time? | 7–14 business days after PO; add 30–40 days for Chinese New Year window |
What exactly is a 2.12*12mm microchip?
It is a cylindrical bioglass capsule measuring 2.12 mm in diameter and 12 mm in length, weighing roughly 0.09 grams. Inside the capsule sits a ferrite-core antenna coil wound around a 134.2 kHz RFID integrated circuit — typically an EM Microelectronic EM4305 or similar FDX-B-compliant die. The chip has no battery; it draws power inductively from the reader’s RF field, transmits its permanent 15-digit ID, and goes silent. The glass capsule is coated with Parylene-C — a medical-grade polymer that promotes tissue anchorage so the chip stays where it was injected instead of migrating along fascia planes.
The 2.12*12mm dimension is not arbitrary. It emerged in the mid-1990s as the largest transponder that could still fit through a 12-gauge veterinary needle without excessive tissue trauma, while remaining large enough to house an antenna coil capable of a reliable 4–12 cm read range at 134.2 kHz. Smaller chips (like our 1.25*7mm animal glass tag used for kittens, puppies, and small exotic species) trade read range for a thinner needle. Larger tags exist for cattle bolus applications where read range is more important than needle gauge. 2.12*12mm sits at the exact balance point — which is why it became the de-facto worldwide standard.
What is the difference between ISO 11784 and ISO 11785, and does this chip comply with both?
ISO 11784 defines the 64-bit code structure — the 15-digit ID string that identifies the animal (3-digit country code + 12-digit animal number). ISO 11785 defines the radio protocol — how the reader interrogates the chip and how the chip responds. FDX-B (Full Duplex, version B) is the specific 11785 protocol variant that transmits and receives simultaneously, giving faster read times than the older HDX (Half Duplex) protocol. Every 2.12*12mm microchip we ship complies with both standards and uses FDX-B. HDX variants exist for high-noise environments like cattle stalls with electric fencing but are less common outside industrial livestock deployments.
Practically: if you buy an ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B chip from us, it will read on any ISO-compliant scanner from any brand — Destron Fearing, HomeAgain, Bayer, PetLink, Datamars, AVID (with universal reader mode), and every generic 134.2 kHz veterinary handheld. Non-ISO chips — most notably the legacy AVID Encrypted 125 kHz format still in circulation in parts of North America — will not read on ISO scanners and are not something we manufacture.
Is this chip ICAR-certified? What does that actually mean?
Yes — our production carries a registered ICAR manufacturer code, which means every chip ships with a unique ID whose 3-digit country prefix identifies the manufacturer within the international ICAR registry. ICAR (International Committee for Animal Recording) is the body that assigns and audits manufacturer codes for ISO 11784-compliant transponders. Without a registered code, chips technically comply with ISO 11784 but cannot be entered into official national livestock traceability databases in the EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Latin America.
For pet identification in most jurisdictions, ICAR registration is a best-practice signal rather than a legal requirement — but for livestock, it is often mandatory. If you are supplying chips for cattle registration in Ireland (Bord Bia), sheep in the UK (BASCO), or export dairy herds in New Zealand (NAIT), the ICAR code is what customs and traceability officials will check first.
Which species can be chipped with a 2.12*12mm transponder?
The 2.12*12mm size is validated for: adult cats (over 6 weeks), dogs (medium and large breeds from 8 weeks), horses (implanted in the nuchal ligament, left side), cattle (subcutaneous behind the ear or in the ear cartilage), sheep and goats (base of the ear or brisket), alpacas and llamas (base of the ear), pigs (base of the ear), and adult exotic mammals over roughly 500 grams (ferrets, larger rabbits, monkeys, marine mammals in aquarium settings).
For animals under 500 grams — kittens under 6 weeks, toy-breed puppies, small parrots, reptiles under 200 grams — the 12-gauge needle is disproportionately traumatic and a smaller transponder is indicated. We produce a full range of alternative sizes from the same Shenzhen production floor operating since 2008 — including 1.25*7mm for kittens and small exotics, 1.4*8mm for medium exotics, and 3.85*23mm bolus formats for large ruminants where extended read range matters more than needle gauge. Customers who also source LF ear tags, UHF cattle tags, or handheld animal scanners from us typically consolidate all species-specific formats into a single purchase order — one shipment, one HS Code (8523.52), one customs clearance.
Where should the chip be injected?
Species-specific injection sites are defined by ICAR and WSAVA guidelines:
- Cats and dogs: subcutaneous between the shoulder blades, midline, needle angled parallel to the spine.
- Horses: nuchal ligament, left side of the neck, halfway between poll and withers.
- Cattle: subcutaneous behind the base of the left ear, or in the middle cartilage of the ear (region varies by country regulation).
- Sheep, goats, camelids: base of the left ear, subcutaneous, or in the brisket for large-frame breeds.
- Pigs: base of the left ear, in the loose skin at the ear crease.
Deviation from these sites is the single largest cause of chip migration reports — a chip injected too deeply or into muscle tissue can drift up to 8 cm in the first six months. Chips injected correctly under the skin migrate less than 5 mm over a 10-year lifespan.
What is the read range, and why does it vary?
A 2.12*12mm chip reads reliably at 4–8 cm with a standard palm-sized veterinary handheld (small antenna, budget models), and 8–12 cm with a large-antenna stick reader designed for cattle chutes. Read range is a function of two variables the chip cannot control: the reader’s antenna diameter and the reader’s output power. A large-antenna, high-power stick reader like the ones used at livestock auction markets can read the same 2.12*12mm chip at 15+ cm through wool, fur, and multiple layers of hide.
What the chip does control is the antenna Q factor — a measure of how efficiently the ferrite coil couples to the reader’s field. Our production tunes every batch to a Q factor of 40 ± 5 at 134.2 kHz, verified on an Agilent E4980A LCR meter as the final step before syringe loading. Chips falling outside that window are rejected before they ever touch the sterilisation line. Cavity-level 100% electrical test is not optional on animal implants — a chip that fails inside an animal is a $200 vet visit and a customer complaint that no discount can offset.
How is the syringe pre-loaded, and how is sterility guaranteed?
Chips are loaded into individual pre-sterilised syringes on a Class 10,000 cleanroom line. Each syringe is a single-use polycarbonate body with a stainless steel 12-gauge trocar needle, a silicone plunger, and a snap-off tamper-evident cap. The complete assembly is sealed in a peel-open medical-grade Tyvek pouch, then ethylene oxide (EO) sterilised in cycles independently verified by a third-party sterility assurance lab against ISO 11135 protocols. Every batch ships with a sterility certificate showing the EO cycle parameters, bioburden test results, and residual EO measurements.
Shelf life is five years from the sterilisation date, printed on the pouch. After expiry, the chip electronics remain fully functional — but the sterility assurance lapses, and no responsible veterinarian will implant an expired syringe. For distributors managing rotating stock, we ship with a minimum 4-year remaining shelf life on every unit unless the customer specifies otherwise for a discounted end-of-life lot.
What is Parylene-C coating and why does it matter?
Parylene-C is a poly(chloro-p-xylylene) conformal polymer applied to the bioglass capsule via chemical vapour deposition at a thickness of roughly 25 microns. Its function in an animal microchip is twofold: first, it presents a hydrophobic surface that discourages bacterial colonisation on the implant surface; second, and more importantly, it provides micro-scale surface texture that encourages fibroblast attachment. Within 3–5 days of implantation, a thin collagen sheath forms around the coated capsule, anchoring it in the subcutaneous fascia and dramatically reducing migration.
Uncoated bioglass chips — still sold by some low-cost manufacturers — migrate significantly more, particularly in active dogs and horses. Parylene-C adds approximately $0.08 per chip to production cost but reduces migration-related re-scan failures from roughly 3–5% to under 0.5%. For a shelter chipping 5,000 animals per year, that is 200+ avoided re-scans annually, and it is why every chip we ship is Parylene-C coated as standard, not as an upgrade.
What is the MOQ, and what does the sample process look like?
MOQ is 100 pcs on standard ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B chips with our default ID range. Custom ID ranges (a specific country prefix or a reserved block for a national registration programme) require 1,000 pcs MOQ due to the batch-level chip programming setup. Sample kits are 10 syringes plus a printed batch sterility certificate, shipped free within 5–7 business days to any verified veterinary clinic, shelter, distributor, or government office worldwide via DHL / FedEx / UPS. We do not ship samples to residential addresses — a policy that has cut counterfeit resale risk to essentially zero.
Production lead time after PO is 7–14 business days for stock configurations, extending to 25–30 business days for custom ID range programming. Chinese New Year in January–February each year extends all lead times by 30–40 additional days; buyers with Q1 shipment requirements should place orders before mid-December. Payment terms are T/T with 30% deposit and 70% before shipment, Alibaba Trade Assurance for orders under $30,000, and net-30 terms for repeat buyers with an approved credit history.
What handheld reader do I need?
Any ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B-compliant reader will work. If you are buying chips and readers together, we produce a matched family of scanners from the same Shenzhen campus: the W90C pocket reader (Bluetooth, 8 cm read range) for veterinary clinic use, the PT180 heavy-duty reader for shelter and rescue field work (rubberised housing, IP54 rated), and the W86 large-antenna stick reader for livestock chute installations. All three read our 2.12*12mm chips at published spec ranges. For customers already deploying Datamars, Destron Fearing, HomeAgain, or Bayer resQ readers, our chips are drop-in compatible — no reader firmware update required.
What certifications ship with each order?
Every shipment includes: (1) ICAR manufacturer code registration reference, (2) ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B compliance declaration, (3) EO sterilisation batch certificate with cycle parameters, (4) bioburden and residual EO test results from an independent lab, (5) Parylene-C coating thickness measurement report, and (6) our ISO 9001:2015 factory quality management certificate. For EU-bound shipments we also include a REACH SVHC declaration confirming the syringe polymer, needle steel, and glass encapsulation contain no substances on the current Candidate List. HS Code 8523.52 applies to the finished implantable transponder for customs clearance in the vast majority of jurisdictions — although some countries classify pre-loaded veterinary syringes under 9018 (medical instruments), which our export team can document on request.
Can chips be pre-registered to a specific database?
Yes, for large orders (typically 5,000+ chips). We can provide the full ID range as a CSV file at shipment, formatted to import directly into national pet registries (Petlog UK, ANIMED FR, ANKC AU, national NAIT NZ, Registro Nacional AR, IdentiCão BR, and roughly 20 others). For very large government livestock deployments we also support pre-loading chips with an initial data record — herd owner ID, farm location, date of birth window — although most national schemes prefer that registration happen at the point of implantation by the certified veterinarian, not at the factory. We defer to whichever workflow the customer’s national scheme requires.
How does the 2.12*12mm compare to the 1.4*8mm and the pre-loaded 1.25*7mm micro-glass options?
The 2.12*12mm is the mainstream global standard for animals over 500 grams. The 1.4*8mm is a compromise size for medium exotics and larger toy-breed puppies where a 12-gauge needle is too aggressive but a 7 mm chip has insufficient read range. Our 134.2 kHz microchip with syringe product page lists the full comparison of the standard 2.12*12mm configuration against the alternative sizes, needle gauges, and syringe types we manufacture. The 1.25*7mm micro-glass tag is the smallest ISO-compliant animal implant we produce — designed specifically for kittens under 6 weeks, small parrots, and lab-scale exotic species where trauma minimisation outweighs every other consideration.
All three sizes ship from the same production line, meet the same ICAR standards, and can be ordered together on a single PO. Consolidated orders across sizes reduce per-unit shipping cost and simplify customs declarations — a workflow we have optimised for veterinary distributors serving multi-species clinics.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensioni | 2.12 mm diameter × 12 mm length |
| Peso | ≈ 0.09 g |
| Frequenza | 134.2 kHz |
| Protocollo | FDX-B (ISO 11785) |
| ID format | 15-digit ISO 11784 (3-digit country/manufacturer code + 12-digit animal ID) |
| Chip IC | EM4305 or equivalent ISO-compliant FDX-B die |
| Encapsulation | Medical-grade bioglass (Schott 8625 or equivalent) |
| Coating | Parylene-C, ≈ 25 μm conformal, anti-migration |
| Antenna | Ferrite-core coil, Q factor 40 ± 5 @ 134.2 kHz |
| Read range | 4–8 cm (handheld), 8–15 cm (large-antenna stick reader) |
| Temperatura di esercizio | −40 °C to +85 °C (internal); animal body temperature in vivo |
| Conservazione dei dati | > 10 years typical, chip lifetime > 25 years |
| Syringe | Single-use, 12-gauge stainless steel trocar needle, polycarbonate body |
| Sterilisation | Ethylene oxide (EO), ISO 11135 verified, 5-year shelf life |
| MOQ | 100 pcs (standard); 1,000 pcs (custom ID range) |
| Lead time | 7–14 business days standard; +30–40 days over Chinese New Year |
| HS Code | 8523.52 (transponder) or 9018 (medical device, jurisdiction-dependent) |
| Certificazioni | ICAR registered, ISO 11784/11785, ISO 11135 (EO), ISO 9001:2015, REACH |
Ready to Order?
Manufactured on one of five dedicated production lines inside a 5,000 m² dust-free Shenzhen facility, our 2.12*12mm microchip line ships to 130+ countries with an ICAR-registered manufacturer code, ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B compliance, and EO-sterilised pre-loaded syringes ready for direct clinic use. MOQ is 100 pcs on standard SKUs; free 10-unit sample kits ship in 5–7 business days.
Request samples or a bulk quote:
- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp: +852 5989 6589
- WeChat: 147891664
- Or open a project ticket via our Contatto page.
