RFIDs have not become widespread as expected partly due to the cost, size, read range, and reliability problems of tags. The success rate of reading must be improved in order for RFIDs to be widely adopted. Quality control of tags is crucial to meet this requirement. In this study, we designed and implemented a high-performance reader used in inspection equipment that conducts prior inspection of tags. To improve performance of the developed reader, the baseband modem and command processor (CP) were designed using H/W logic and implemented with FPGA. The inspection of small pitch inlays was made possible through the antenna shielding device and H/W command processor function. This equipment enables accurate evaluation of performance and identification of tags satisfying a given read range. By contributing to sort out defective tags, the results can ultimately lead to more stable RFID services.