Optimal conditions for maximizing the effectively received power of reader receiver in passive ultra high frequency radio-frequency identification system are analyzed in this paper. The mismatched impendence affecting modulation index of tag backscatter link is discussed. Expressions of backscattered modulation indexes for calculating normalized effective received power of reader receiver, lower boundary of signal-to-noise ratio for demodulated output signal, and bit error rate are derived. Modulation indexes of backscatter link under different parameters are measured in open indoor environment. The measurement results show that the tag can be detected successfully when the modulation index of backscatter link is in a range from 5% to 10%.