This presentations covers a preliminary work towards a fully functional UHF RFID reader based on the PXIe platform from National Instruments. The main part of the hardware is a PXIe-5644R transceiver module with a mounted Siemens antenna and a PXIe-8135 controller. The programming of the reader is based on LabVIEW. The system allows transmitting a Query-Command and receiving the response of a transponder. Especially for developing and implementing new functionalities within RFID systems, like additional sensor connectivity, the proposed ’open’ UHF RFID reader can be used. Rapid protocol adaptation can decrease the time to market and therefore lead to a competitive advantage.